For release January 10, 2012 Contact: Deborah White, 816-943-3989
Dr. Patricia Hatley to Receive Imelda Farmer Friendship Award at Friends of St. Mary’s Annual Dinner
Blue Springs, Missouri—Patricia Hatley, PhD, has been selected as the seventh Imelda Farmer Friendship Award recipient and will be honored at the Friends of St. Mary’s Annual Dinner on Friday, February 3. Imelda Farmer was known for giving 100 percent of herself to her family, her community, her profession and her friends. She believed two things: people should always keep learning and they should use what they learn to help others.
A resident of Blue Springs since 1967 and a retired educator/school administrator, Dr. Hatley can be found on the volunteer rolls in numerous organizations in the area. As a member of the St. Mary’s Medical Center Auxiliary for more than 25 years, a board member for 10 years, and the board president in 1998-99, Dr. Hatley has been a stalwart supporter of St. Mary’s.
“Blue Springs has been called the city of cooperation,” says Dr. Hatley. “Everyone works together to make our city something special.” Those who have worked with Dr. Hatley think she exemplifies this very motto.
Throughout her thirty-year professional tenure with the Independence, MO; Blue Valley, KS; and the Blue Springs School Districts, Dr. Hatley nurtured her hometown ties by volunteering for the Career Central of Blue Springs, the Blue Springs School of Economics, the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce “Taste of Blue Springs” and Fall Fun Fest, the Rainbow Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center’s Butterfly Ball, the St. Mary’s Holiday Fair and the St. Mary’s Golf Classic.
After her early retirement from the Blue Springs School District, Dr. Hatley served as the Executive Director of the Eastern Jackson County Business/Education Partnership for six years; her role in working with area school districts was to create joint learning opportunities for students, teachers, parents, and the business community in six EJC districts. As the EJCP Director, in cooperation with St. Mary’s Medical Center, St. Mary’s Manor, and St. Joseph Medical Center, she created the Summer Health Career Institute for Students, introducing high school students to a variety of health care career options. This week-long program thrived for five years under her leadership.
Constantly reaching out and meeting new people, Dr. Hatley always keeps St. Mary’s in her repertoire of volunteer activities. She will once again be organizing the large number of volunteers needed to help with the 2012 Paul Splittorff Memorial Golf Classic, benefiting SMMC. Pat also currently serves on the board of the Blue Springs Education Foundation and is a co-founder of W.E.E. (Women Endowing Education.) “Fun times, camaraderie, and cooperation,” says Dr. Hatley, “and my network of acquaintances keep me active with a community I love.”
The Friends of St. Mary’s supports the mission of St. Mary’s Medical Center by promoting a better understanding of the healthcare services St. Mary’s provides. Members, both individual and corporate, enjoy exclusive social and networking events throughout the year. If you are interested in joining Friends or would like to attend the annual dinner, contact St. Mary’s Medical Center Foundation at 816-655-5363.