Healthcare Hero Award Given in Honor of Dotty Williams

May 6 to 12 was recognized as National Nurses Week. Dotty Williams, RN, of Martinsburg passed away from COVID-19 on Nov. 26, 2021. According to her daughter, Stephanie Harclerode, “Her work ethic as a nurse is something she was extremely proud of, and well known for.”

Williams was recently chosen to receive an award as a Healthcare Hero. This award was given by BAYADA Home Health Care, State College. The award was presented posthumously to Williams’ children: Samantha McCready, Stephanie Harclerode, and Mark McCready. This presentation is shown in the above photo.

Williams began working at this facility in August 2021. According to Brian Cleary, director of BAYADA State College Adults, Williams was always quick to accept new roles and responsibilities. She quickly became an RN designee, where she helped clinical managers perform visits on top of her regularly scheduled shifts.

In his speech when presenting Williams’ award – Cleary described Williams as having “that ‘it’ factor.”

“There are some nurses you meet at their interview, or in our case at their orientation, that you just ‘know,’” Cleary said. “You know they have ‘it.’ That special quality that is hard to explain in few words; it’s more like a feeling you get when you’re in their presence. Dotty Williams had ‘it.’”

Many described Williams as compassionate, positive, sweet and kind.

“She truly was a wonderful person,” said Harclerode. “She often quoted ‘no reason for rudeness ever.’”

The award was presented on Friday, April 22.

“Dotty Williams will be forever known as a BAYADA Hero,” said Cleary in his speech.

Note: Williams’ obituary was in the Dec. 2, 2021, edition of the Herald. This can be found at mcheraldonline.com.

Information and photo were provided by Stephanie Harclerode.