UP Health System – Marquette Announces Recipient of the Dr. Julianne Kirkham Award
August 12, 2021
Linda Boyle, Pre-Arrival Coordinator in the Cancer Center at UP Health System – Marquette, has been chosen as the latest recipient of the Dr. Julianne Kirkham Award. This quarterly award at UP Health System — Marquette recognizes exemplary employees of the support and ancillary departments of the hospital who clearly see their purpose and importance in supporting the care of our patients and our community.
Fellow employees nominated Linda in recognition of her outstanding dedication to ensuring patients feel welcome and comfortable when they arrive in the Cancer Center.
Linda has a great impact on the patients and families in the Cancer Center. She is the first face our cancer patients see when they walk through our doors. Even behind her mask, her genuine smile and welcoming demeanor both shine through. She has a definite calming effect for our patients, who can be in an especially vulnerable place.
— Excerpt from Linda’s nomination
About the Dr. Julianne Kirkham Award
Named in honor of Dr. Julianne Kirkham, this award pays tribute to those who, just as Dr. Kirkham did, believe that our own lives become better as we help others’ lives become better. Every individual patient mattered to Dr. Kirkham, and she touched countless lives throughout her career. She was a true educator to patients, families, and fellow medical colleagues. She was intellectually curious and had a deep love for helping others. Her warmth, knowledgeable compassion, sense of justice, and fierce advocacy for her patients during their darkest times gave them hope and direction. Her sense of humor was brilliant, helping to put her patients at ease. Dr. Kirkham lived her life with a greater purpose to help others.
Sadly, Dr. Kirkham passed away unexpectedly in 2020. She was courageous, generous, and inspiring, with an unrelenting desire to create a ripple effect of positive change in the people and the world around us. In honor of Dr. Kirkham’s memory, UP Health System — Marquette created this award to recognize those who follow in her footsteps.
Recipients of this award are chosen by a hospital committee on a quarterly basis based on nominations submitted by staff.