LAPLACE — River Parishes Hospital held its 31st Service Award Luncheon recently at Riverlands Country Club in LaPlace and recognized and awarded 29 employees who reached a milestone in service at the hospital in 2013. The 2013 Employee of the Year was also announced.

River Parishes Hospital’s chief executive officer, Robert Marshall, welcomed everyone to the luncheon. He said that the Service Award Luncheon is his favorite celebration because it gives us an opportunity to recognize and thank our employees in front of their peers for their dedicated service to the hospital and to our community. He then called upon each department manager to recognize and award the employees in his/her department.

Employees recognized for five years of service were Jay Thomas, Myesha Linton, Robert Wynn Jr., Kourtney Wingate, Amanda Autin, Deshandra Hayes, Ashley Price, Leslie Robinson, Casey Roy, Tammy Guzzardi, Clinton Anderson, Joshua Aime, Allison Roy, Kevin Triche II, Tiffany Williams, Brandi LeBoeuf and Hallie Waguespack. Employees recognized for 10 years of service were Carrie Brown, Angela Loupe, Claudette Henry and Heidi Wilson. Celebrating 15 years of service were Jamie Van Etta, Tala Johnson-Burl, Dawn Cline, Dawn Reed and Jolyn Johnson-Graves. And, celebrating 20 years of service were Darlene Dean, Amelia Williams and Stephanie Sanchez.

The floor was turned over to Kristi Hymel, assistant administrator, who recognized the 2013 Employees of the Month. They were Y’Annika Edwards, a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit; Jenny Frickey, case management director; Debbie Navarre, a med tech in the lab; Greg Grizzaffi, a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit; Suzanne Schexnayder, Food and Nutrition Services director; Michele Pomes, Risk Management director; Mary Trant, Admissions supervisor; Anne Colwart, adult nurse practitioner at the Destrehan Family Health Center; Tala Johnson-Burl, pharmacist; Kimberly Johnson, a certified nursing assistant on the Medical/Surgical Unit; and Kerry Kippes, Plant Operations director. Each of these employees was eligible to be selected as River Parishes Hospital’s 2013 Employee of the Year.

Then, Vanessa Peters, River Parishes Hospital’s chief nursing officer, announced the hospital’s 2013 Employee of the Year, Suzanne Schexnayder. Schexnayder is the director of Food and Nutrition Services. She has been employed at River Parishes Hospital for a total of 16 years.

Last year, Schexnayder volunteered to serve as the hospital’s Employee Activity Committee “A Team” chairperson and led the committee through planning and overseeing many successful events for the employees. She also volunteered to enter a team in the 2013 Frisco Fest Cook-Off and was awarded second place in the seafood category.

“I think this award is very well deserved,” said Peters. “Suzanne gives 110 percent to her job on a daily basis and is always willing to help out with additional hospital and community activities. I am very proud that she is part of the River Parishes Hospital team.”