New Hanover Regional Medical Center has named Tony Bollhorst the 2018 NHRMC Employee of the Year, according to a news release.

Bollhorst, COPD navigator for respiratory care, has helped his patients quit smoking as part of his role with the hospital.

His interest in smoking cessation was sparked by the death of his uncle. Bollhorst connects with his patients on a personal level, and works with them and encourages them to improve their health, officials said in the release.

“This is not something Tony learned in a guidebook for COPD navigators,” John Gizdic, NHRMC president and CEO, said in the release. “His personal investment in each patient demonstrates the very fiber of who he is.”