People, Places & Events

Linda McKee inducted into international honor society
By Toni Garrard Clay
Special to The Monitor
ATHENS–Linda McKee takes her job very seriously.
As education coordinator at ETMC Athens, the Mabank resident is responsible for providing continuing education opportunities for the entire hospital staff – though the bulk of her efforts involve the nursing staff.
McKee, a registered nurse, has very definite ideas about what qualities make an excellent nurse: dedication to the profession, a professional attitude, a natural desire to take care of people, and keeping current with all the advancements in the nursing field.
“I try to provide the opportunities for gaining that knowledge,” she explained.
McKee’s performance as the education coordinator so impressed her former supervisor Melissa Lehman that Lehman recommended McKee to the International Nursing Honor Society Sigma Theta Tau.
Consequently, McKee was inducted as a Nurse Leader in April.
“Linda is such an asset to ETMC Athens, and she’s very deserving of this honor,” said Lehman, who recently transferred to ETMC Quitman.
Sigma Theta Tau is a global nursing honor society which recognizes superior achievement, the development of leadership qualities, fosters high professional standards, encourages creative work and strengthens commitment to the ideals and purposes of the profession.
Its stated mission is “to support the learning, knowledge and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference in health worldwide.”
In other words, the ideals of the society are perfectly matched to McKee’s.
“It was exciting,” said McKee of the induction ceremony, which was held in the Cowan Center at UT Tyler. “It really is an honor to be accepted. You have to have accomplishments in the field and take an active part in things. You can’t just log a 12-hour shift and go home.”
For her part, McKee holds a master’s degree in nursing. She is a member of the Rapid Response Team at ETMC Athens as well as being a nursing mentor.
She has been the education coordinator for four years, working before that as the hospital’s OB education coordinator and prior to that as a staff nurse.
“I love working here,” she said. “I love my job and the interaction I have with people. Being able to provide the education opportunities and see people here grow professionally is a great thing.”
McKee and her husband, Charles, have lived in Mabank for 18 years.

Children’s Miracle Network cites Wal-Mart for donations
Special to The Monitor
DALLAS–The Wal-Mart Supercenter in Gun Barrel City has been recognized by Children’s Miracle Network for its contribution of $10,562 during 2006.
“The Gun Barrel City Wal-Mart Supercenter and the surrounding community have gone above and beyond in their dedication to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network which benefits Children’s Medical Center Dallas and Cook Children’s in Fort Worth,” major gifts officer at the Children’s Medical Center Mark Woolverton said.
\“We applaud the market’s associates for their continuous efforts to make life better for children in North Texas,” director of annual giving, Cook Children’s Health Foundation Tammy Gass said.
“In total, Wal-Mart entities in North Texas raised $752,303 for Children’s Miracle Network in 2006.”
A banner was presented to Wal-Mart associates during the Children’s Miracle Network celebration luncheon April 17.
“Wal-Mart associates and our customers are dedicated to giving back to the local communities,”Wal-Mart Public Affairs Kellie Duhr said.
“Wal-Mart has been a partner to the Children’s Miracle Network for more than 20 years, and we are proud to support them and the families they serve,” she added.
Nationally, Wal-Mart is celebrating its 20th year of raising funds for Children’s Miracle Network, having raised more than $385 million to benefit more than 170 children’s hospitals throughout North America.
To commemorate this milestone, Wal-Mart entities across the nation will focus on raising $10 million for Children’s Miracle Network during the month of May with fundraising activities such as balloon icon sales, hot dog sales, golf tournaments, walk-a-thons and garage sales.
Funds raised in North Texas benefit patients at two leading not-for-profit pediatric medical centers, Cook Children’s and Children’s Dallas.
Last year alone, more than 740,000 children received medical care at these two facilities – and with the expanding North Texas population, the need for advanced pediatric care for all children continues to grow. Contributions to Cook Children’s were designated for its intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging system (iMRI) that provides surgeons with a “real time” map to chart precise areas of the brain during neurosurgery.
Children’s Dallas focused their donations to expand its Ambulatory Care Pavilion (ACP) to meet the ever-increasing demand for services which topped more than 220,000 outpatient visits in 2006.