Frankfort, KY (May 18, 2011) - Frankfort Regional Medical Center's parent company, HCA, recently announced that Arnie Lemay, Director of Engineering at Frankfort Regional, was the employee recipient of the 2010 Frist Humanitarian Award -the company's highest honor.

Established in 1971, the awards honor outstanding individuals for their humanitarian and volunteer activities. The Frist Humanitarian Awards are given annually in recognition of the caring spirit and philanthropic work of the late Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr., a founder of HCA. Employees, volunteers and medical staff members who demonstrate commitment and dedication to providing care and humanitarianism are selected from around the country, and honorees are recognized at the local level. The three national recipients (employee, volunteer and physician) were selected from more than 200 hospital-level honorees.

"This is a huge honor for both Arnie and Frankfort Regional Medical Center," said Chip Peal, CEO. "It's a reflection of what Arnie does every day to better the human condition."

Arnie Lemay

Arnie Lemay, 57, who has twice been honored as a local Frist Humanitarian Awards recipient, is known for helping people in need, including his fellow employees, patients, hospital visitors and others. He helps set up, maintain and repair equipment at the Mercy Clinic in Shelbyville, which provides medical and dental care to the indigent. He worked in a clinic in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, and he has served as a missionary in Haiti and Honduras, where he installed a water filtration system and taught people how to provide clean water to more than 400 homes. Arnie plans to travel to Nigeria later this year to help design, build and install equipment in a replacement hospital.

The Frist Humanitarian Award includes a $5,000 donation to the charity of the recipient's choice and $5,000 in cash for the employee.

"The Frist Humanitarian Award celebrates our culture of charitable giving," said HCA chairman and CEO Richard M. Bracken. "It is perhaps the greatest recognition we can bestow upon a colleague."

To see more about Arnie's story, watch the video below.