Since 2013, the Marc Lehmann Spirit of Service Award Foundation has named, recognized, and honored over 30 caregivers, nurses, and physicians in the field of oncology in Louisville and the surrounding communities. In concert with the area’s leading medical and cancer treatment facilities, the foundation identifies exceptionally proficient, patient-centered, and empathetic practitioners for well-deserved acclaim. The award process has historically consisted of an annual semi-formal banquet with over 150 family and professional support staff in attendance and included art glass award pieces custom-made by Flame Run.
As a result of COVID precautions and restrictions over the past 20 months, the foundation's advisory board elected to alter that process during this exceptional time. Please see the recipients section for details regarding those temporary changes.
Over the years, the Marc Lehmann Spirit of Service Award Foundation has enjoyed increasing recognition for its initiatives within our medical community, highlighted by a four-page article and profile in the October 2019 issue of Voice Magazine, as well as through sponsoring support from the local individual and corporate citizenry.
The foundation's mission statement is as follows:
To identify and recognize physicians, caregivers, and support staff whose careers encompass long-standing service to patients and their families in the area of hematology & oncology. Recipients would have a clear reputation for proficiency combined with a consistent record of administering that proficiency with dedication, empathy, and understanding for their patients.
Furthermore, to craft this award as a perpetual, ongoing ceremony designed to uplift the deserving awardees, and to provide our related medical community with examples of ideal models deserving of their emulation.
"A lot of times the diseases we deal with are either life-threatening or certainly life changing, and many times this requires a trying form of trust between the patient and their healthcare team... If you follow the golden rule, that is where empathy and caring come from, because that's the way you'd want to be treated.
~ Dr. Roger Herzig
2015 Spirit of Service Physician Award Recipient
