Colleton Medical Center
October 12, 2023

On Tuesday, October 10, HCA Healthcare presented the annual Awards of Distinction at a ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee. The HCA Healthcare Awards of Distinction, which include the Frist Humanitarian Award, the Innovators Award, and the Excellence in Nursing Award, celebrate extraordinary individuals who have a positive impact on our patients, colleagues, and communities while exemplifiying HCA Healthcare’s culture and values.  

Created in 2014, the Excellence in Nursing Award recognizes the intrinsic value of the nursing practice in accomplishing HCA Healthcare’s goal of providing high-quality care to patients and communities. 

Of the 95,000 HCA Healthcare nurses, Colleton Medical Center Director of Clinical Operations, Lee Stroud was honored with the Excellence in Nursing Award in the Professional Mentoring category. Stroud has been a leading advocate for nurse mentorship and development at Colleton Medical Center since 2011. As the director of clinical operations, Stroud has developed a mentorship program that provides additional support for nursing students, new nurses and patient care techs to help ensure the next generation of passionate and patient-centric nurses are more informed and better prepared to care for each patient's specific needs. 

“This honor is a testament to Lee’s commitment to compassionate patient-centered care and his passion for mentoring nurses and patient care technicians. I am humbled to work alongside him and witness his passion in action,” said Missy Feather, Colleton Medical Center CNO. 

Jimmy Hiott, Colleton Medical Center CEO, echoed Feather’s sentiments adding, “Lee’s dedication to ensuring nursing students, novice nurses, and patient care technicians are properly oriented and confident in their new role enables all of here at Colleton Medical Center to live our mission statement, Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.”