DEMOPOLIS &045; Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital in Demopolis honored their own &8220;Hospital Hero,&8221; Cathy B. Bolden, with a reception Friday afternoon.

Hospital staff, board members and Bolden’s friends and family celebrated her honor congratulating her on her recent recognition.

Bolden, who is a housekeeping aide at BWWMH, was honored for her dedication to the health care industry on Jan. 16 at a luncheon hosted by the West Council of the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA) in Tuscaloosa.

Marshall said to put the award into prospective: there are approximately 80,000 people who work in hospitals in the state. There were 60 winners selected, therefore Bolden was chosen in approximately the top one percent of hospital employees in the state.

Bolden humbly said she was excited about receiving the recognition for her work at BWWMH.

Bolden said the award was a surprise to her.

Bolden was congratulated for her accomplishment from numerous hospital staff and affiliates. Special guests, Antonio Bolden, Bolden’s son, and her oldest brother, Wilbert Bolden, were also in attendance.

The award luncheon is one of seven regional awards presentations being held as part of the association’s fifth-annual statewide &8220;Hospital Heroes&8221; contest, an effort to honor the dedication of hospital employees and to highlight health careers. The contest will culminate with a banquet in February where up to 10 of the regional winners will be honored as statewide heroes.

Bolden serves as a housekeeping aide, a job in which she affects a number of different departments in the hospital. She was described in her nomination for the award as someone who is always willing to help when needed and as one of the hospital’s favorite employees.

A native of the Demopolis area, Bolden is a leader who is committed to the hospital and its patients and who serves as an example for her entire environmental services department, her nomination letter stated.

Bolden is also said to be someone who can balance all areas of her life.

One example of this was when her daughter was involved in an ATV accident in which her close friend was left paralyzed, according to her nomination. Coworkers claim Bolden was able to care for her daughter’s physical and emotional needs and managed to miss little time from work.

The Alabama Hospital Association is a statewide trade organization that is designed to enhance the provision of health care in Alabama.