FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACT: Theresa Mulkins, Director of Public Relations
OFFICE: (845) 483-6418
MOBILE: (845) 416-0377
tmulkins@health-quest.org

Poughkeepsie, NY- April 2, 2012 - Vassar Brothers Medical Center is proud to announce the selection of Dr.’s Amy Cocina and Katrina Knowles as Physicians of the Year. Both physicians, members of Health Quest Medical Practice, were recognized at a ceremony at Vassar Brothers on Monday, April 2, 2012.

The awards, now in their 23rd year, recognize two outstanding physicians for their interactions with staff and patients on a daily basis. They are selected as role models for their knowledge, day to day practice, their ability to foster a collegial relationship with members of the healthcare team and general bedside manner. The nominations are made by members of the healthcare team at Vassar Brothers Medical Center.

“In our ongoing effort to improve outcomes, patient safety and satisfaction , we must recognize those members of the healthcare team who go above and beyond to make everyone - staff and patients -  feel important, knowledgeable and a part of their treatment plans,” according to Janet Ready, President of Vassar Brothers Medical Center. “Dr. Cocina and Dr. Knowles are excellent examples of leadership at our hospital.”

This year’s award marks the first time two female doctors have been honored simultaneously as well as the first time two Health Quest physicians have shared the honor.

Vassar Brothers Medical Center is a 365-bed facility that has been serving New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley since 1887. Located on the banks of the Hudson River, Vassar Brothers has established centers of excellence in cardiac services, cancer care and women and children’s health services. As a regional medical center, Vassar Brothers houses the area’s first and only cardiothoracic surgery center between Westchester and Albany and delivers more babies than any other hospital between Manhattan and Montreal.

Vassar Brothers is an affiliate of the Health Quest hospital system, which also includes Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck and Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel. Health Grades, a leading hospital ratings organization, recently acknowledged Health Quest as “the most recognized health system in the Hudson Valley”.

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