Renowned breast cancer surgeon Dr. Charles Cox and Bishop Bruce Wright win Hero Awards at annual dinner ceremony.

TAMPA (October 14, 2011) – With October being national Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it seemed appropriate that Florida Hospital Tampa breast cancer surgeon Dr. Charles Cox was decorated with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” to conclude the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 8th Annual “Health Care Heroes Awards,” held Thursday evening, October 13, at Mainsail Suites Hotel Tampa’s conference center.

Dr. Cox, whose younger brother Dr. John Cox is also a breast surgeon at Florida Hospital Tampa, was one of two Florida Hospital Tampa winners Thursday. Bishop Bruce Wright, manager of spiritual care, took home the top award for “Non-Acute Care Professional.”  

The Tampa Bay Business Journal is one of the most prestigious publications of its kind, serving readers throughout West Central Florida. An independent panel of judges selected several finalists and one winner in each of nine health care categories. Florida Hospital Tampa was strongly represented, with six finalists in five categories out of more than 200 submissions. Nearly 400 health care professionals and their guests packed the hotel conference center to recognize all the heroes from the region who were introduced on stage as finalists.

“I am really proud of this award,” says Dr. Cox, whose career as a breast surgeon spans three decades in Tampa Bay. “I work with wonderful people and wouldn’t be able to help patients and have the success I’ve had without my Florida Hospital Tampa team.”

Bishop Bruce Wright, the manager of spiritual care and winner of the event’s Non-Acute Professional Award, echoed the sentiment of Dr. Cox following the ceremony.

“I am so lucky to work with so many great people on the spiritual care team of Florida Hospital Tampa and within our hospital system,” says Bishop Wright. “I’ll gladly share this award with my team members who do so much every day for those in need around our hospitals. It was a beautiful evening for all the finalists and I’ll remember it forever.”
                                                      
One of the loudest cheers from the roomful of guests was a standing ovation for Florida Hospital Tampa’s Colleen Singletary, a finalist in the “Volunteer” category. Mrs. Singletary started volunteering in the gift shop of then-University Community Hospital when it opened in 1968. Since then, she has worked four days a week and never missed a day – that’s nearly 100,000 volunteer hours over 43 years.

Tampa Bay Business Journal’s “Health Care Heroes Awards 2011” Florida Hospital Tampa Finalists Included:

• Lifetime Achievement: Dr. Charles Cox (winner)
• Non-Acute Care Professional: Bishop Bruce Wright (winner)
• Lifetime Achievement: Dr. James Orlowski, chief of pediatrics
• Innovation & Research: Florida Hospital Tampa Pepin Heart Institute (represented by Dr. Charles Lambert, medical director)
• Volunteer: Colleen Singletary
• Philanthropist of The Year: Mr. Don Lau, representing Florida Hospital Tampa Don Lau Family Center for Cancer Care