Georgia Awards

In 1989 the Awards Committee established a Distinguished Service Award which recognizes an outstanding Chapter member for his/her efforts. Nomination for candidates are based upon the member’s service to the Chapter and are submitted by Chapter members to the Awards committee with the recipient approved by the Board. The recipient must be a member of the Georgia Chapter (with current officers and board members excluded) and can only receive the award once every five years. Members are not eligible to receive both the “Most Valuable Member” and the “Distinguished Service Award” in the same year.

Ann P. Longshore

Healthcare Financial Management Association

The Award is named for one of our most prestigious members, ANN P. LONGSHORE. Ann’s many contributions of time and effort have tremendously aided the growth and success of the Georgia Chapter. Ann served as Chapter President from 1971-1972 and from 1972-1973, the only Chapter member to have served two terms as President. She received all the Founders Awards including the Medal of Honor, was “Most Valuable Member” in 1979 and served many years as Statistical Secretary. Ann’s continued participation and support showed her commitment to the Georgia Chapter.  Ann Longshore passed away in 2004 at the age of 92.

Previous Award Winners

This award is named after Cathy H. Dougherty; one of Georgia’s most respected and committed chapter members, who has served in many committee and officer roles including as President in 2005-2006.  She has been a mentor to many in the healthcare industry who continue to be active and committed to the chapter and the industry.

This award is designed to promote and encourage more mentoring in the chapter.  In addition, it is to recognize persons who have been committed and have demonstrated exceptional ability in guiding professional growth of individuals and advancing the chapter through increased volunteerism. 

The current Awards Chairperson and Cathy H. Dougherty, while willing and able, reviews the submitted nominations and selects a finalist based on information provided in the nomination.  The nomination and evidence provided to present the effectiveness of the nominee will be considered.  Continued excellence throughout the nominee’s career will also be considered.

Previous Award Winners

Laurence T. Harris was the Georgia Chapter President for 2020-2021. To say that it might have been the toughest year to be a chapter president is an understatement. He worked hard to keep education and networking going for our membership in what became a virtual world during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  The definition of resiliency is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. His theme for the year was “Everything will be OK”, he lead the chapter with a ability to pivot to make it all OK for our membership. Chapter leaders realized how important he was to our membership during this time and created this award in his honor.

Previous Award Winners

The President’s Award is a discretionary award selected by the outgoing President and presented at the Spring Institute. The recipient is recognized for the significant impact they have had on that President’s year, including leadership and betterment and growth of the chapter.

The award is named after one of our most prestigious members, Charlie Anderson, who was a member of the American Association of Hospital Accountants before the Georgia Chapter was established and served as one of the Founding Board members that helped create the Georgia Chapter.

Charlie was known for his technical ability and the influence he had in various healthcare issues within the Medicare and Medicaid fields as well as his influence with regard to the UB-16 and UB-82. His influence didn’t end in the technical area, however, since a number of Georgia Chapter leaders later followed in his footsteps (with his encouragement of course) to serve in a National HFMA role. More specifically, Bonnie Phipps (who took over as CFO after Charlie at DeKalb Medical Center) obtained the same high position – National Chairman of the Board of HFMA – that Charlie had held 22 years before!

Charlie Anderson worked as a Chief Financial Officer for many years at DeKalb Medical Center until he retired. Upon his death, with his wife Annie’s approval, the Chapter approved an award in his honor to memorialize the hard work, dedication and leadership Charlie provided to establish the framework upon which the Chapter’s success now continues.

Previous Award Winners

The award is named after another one of our most prestigious members, Sister Rose Margaret Schweers, who after serving on various committees and Board/Officer positions became Georgia Chapter President in 1965-1966. Accolades and honors continued to be bestowed on Sister Rose Margaret through the years. She was also the recipient of all Founders Awards, the Medal of Honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Sister Rose was a Lifetime Member of the Georgia Chapter of HFMA.

Sister Rose Margaret was a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and served the order faithfully for many years. Sister has been a teacher, but the majority of her career has been in healthcare finance. Except for a brief stint in Kansas City, Sister has concentrated her mission primarily at St. Joseph Hospital in Augusta, GA. She worked at the hospital in a number of capacities, including Foundation Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Sister worked as the hospital historian until she retired at the young age of 90, and moved to the convent in St. Louis, MO. Sister Rose passed away in 2009, but we are all grateful for her many years of valuable service and the legacy she left behind for the Georgia Chapter.

Lee Evins, President of the Georgia Chapter 1998-1999, had the honor of recommending to the Board that the Most Valuable Member Award be renamed the Sister Rose Margaret Schweers Most Valuable Member Award. The Board heartily agreed and voted unanimously for the renaming of the award.

This award demonstrates outstanding leadership and contributions for the betterment and growth of the Georgia Chapter.

Previous Award Winners

This award is presented to the most valuable new member of the Georgia Chapter for outstanding contributions for the betterment and growth of the chapter by a new member. We value those who immediately seek to make a positive impact on our community and encourage all New Members to get involved with TEAMS.

Previous Award Winners

The Georgia Chapter invites students pursuing a career in healthcare financial management to apply for the $1,500.00 annual O.J. Booker Scholarship Award. Nominees for the scholarship are selected from among students of the highest academic standing in the financial fields who expect to enter the healthcare financial management industry.

The O.J. Booker Scholarship Award was established as a continuing memorial to Mr. Booker, a long-time HFMA member of the Georgia Chapter for over 30 years who passed away in 1987. Born in Rome, Georgia, on July 9, 1921, Mr. Booker graduated from the Carroll Lynn Business College and held a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the Walton School of Commerce, Chicago, IL and graduated from the Georgia State College with a degree in Hospital Personnel Administration. O.J. Booker was President of the Georgia Chapter (1966-67), during the time that the Chapter had 100 members and the organization was called the American Association of Hospital Accountants. The year after O.J.’s presidency, the organization’s name was changed to the Hospital Financial Management Association – a time when the hot educational topic was “What is Medicare?”! Mr. Booker was a War World II veteran and also served as a past president of the Rotary and Toastmaster clubs of Warm Springs, Georgia. He worked with Haskins & Sells, a precursor to Deloitte Touche, and retired from his position as an Assistant Administrator/Director of Fiscal Services for the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, Georgia.

Colleagues remember him as a highly effective manager who always encouraged employees to further their education and enrich themselves as well as become a highly involved and dedicated member of the Georgia Chapter. Additionally, Mr. Booker will be remembered for his keen sense of humor and for his work as a mentor to many in the Chapter. O.J. Booker is survived by his son, O.J. Booker III, who is now serving as an administrator at Bacon County Hospital in Alma, Georgia, and who also has previously been an active member of the Georgia Chapter.

The $1,500 award is designed to help a member of HFMA in their educational endeavors, and as a Chapter, we are proud to support the advancement of the Oliver J. Booker, Jr. tradition of education. Nominations can be made by any member of the chapter. Nominations should include name, address, and phone number, place of employment, HFMA member or relationship, degree/program pursuing, college/school, and reason for nomination.

Previous Award Winners