Pharmacist honored by Greenwich Hospital with the Marian Nowak Award

Greenwich, CT (May 5, 2017) – Jim Duffy of Danbury was honored with the prestigious Marian Nowak Award – given to the employee who embodies the best of Greenwich Hospital’s values – at the annual Employee Service Awards Dinner.

A 36-year veteran of Greenwich Hospital, Duffy began his career at the hospital as a pharmacy intern and today serves as pharmacy operations manager.

It is the first time in the award’s 28-year history that the honor has gone to a pharmacy employee. That’s the same department Nowak – a Holocaust survivor who served as Duffy’s mentor – called home.

At the awards dinner, Duffy was praised for his devotion to the field of pharmacy. “He seems to thrive on the most complex questions and proffers a resolution or explanation in a simple, logical and relaxed manner – all with a smile on his face. It’s evident that Jim enjoys the job in which he excels,” said Norman Roth, Greenwich Hospital president and chief executive officer, before the audience of nearly 300.

Duffy was touched to be honored with an award that was named after his long-time friend and mentor.

“I had the good fortune to work with Marian Nowak during the first eight years of my career,” said Duffy. “I was a witness to a man with an amazingly strong work ethic which compelled others around him to improve simply by seeing his example. Marian helped to instill in me that same work ethic. But to be compared to him is a completely unexpected honor. Our pharmacy department is thrilled to have the award come back to the department that Marian called home.”

Each year at the annual appreciation event, the hospital celebrates employees with extended service to the hospital, from five years and longer, in five-year increments. The highlight is the presentation of the Marian Nowak Award, established in 1990 in memory of Marian Nowak, a Greenwich employee for 41 years who exemplified the qualities of hard work, kindness, friendship, loyalty and humility.

Also honored at the dinner was Greenwich resident Rita Hess for 55 years of service in the hospital’s Admitting Department.