As part of our Health Care Heroes program, the marquee honor is the Lifetime Achievement award.
 
It’s the only one we announce in advance of the awards event, and a highlight of the night is being able to introduce the winner – someone who has made a significant impact on the area’s health care landscape – as they are surrounded by family and friends.
 
This year will be double the fun.
 
After much discussion among our guest judges – a lot of discussion – this year’s program recognizes two Lifetime Achievement honorees instead of just one as in previous years.
 
Drs. Robert Andrews and James Hundley will be recognized at the Nov. 16 event.
 
Hundley’s name will look familiar if you look at the list of judges (at right) who served on our panel. But don’t worry, he did not participate in the discussions about the Lifetime Achievement category to keep everything above board.
 
Ultimately, why two instead of one?
 
During the deliberations, Dean Charles Hardy – another longtime judge for the awards – pointed out that as Hurricane Florence showed us, taking time to recognize the good things in life is better dealt with in the present than being putting off another year.
 
Florence also brought out heroes – those who worked around the clock during the storm to care for patients and those whose work during the recovery continues.
 
Many of those Health Care Heroes can be found on the following pages, which detail finalists in 10 categories: Community Achievement, Community Outreach, First Responders, Innovation in Health Care, Health Care Executive, PA/ NP, Physician, Nurse, Health Care Professional and Volunteer.
 
Read about all of the finalists’ accomplishments in their nominators’ own words.
 
The category winners will be announced Nov. 16 at the Health Care Heroes awards event, where we will also celebrate the careers of Drs. Andrews and Hundley.
 
Congratulations to all the finalists and winners of this year’s Health Care Heroes awards.
 
 – Vicky Janowski, editor Greater Wilmington Business Journal [email protected] On Twitter: @vickyjanowski    
 
ABOUT THE JUDGING
 
Each year, the Business Journal opens up the nominations process to the community for the Health Care Heroes awards.  
 
Our outside judging panel combs through the nominations and applications to pick the finalists and winners in each of the 10 categories as well as the Lifetime Achievement honor.
 
Judges who know or work with the nominees disclosed any potential conflicts. In the cases in which judges were nominated in a category, they were recused from the deliberation process.