PITTSBURG — Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas will present a new community service award in conjunction with its 20th year celebration. This award will be named after CHC/SEK board member Judy Westhoff, coined “The Judy.”

Westhoff is one of the original board of directors, having served 19 years without missing one of more than 220 meetings.

The “Judy” award will be given to an individual or an organization that is making or has made significant contributions to CHC/SEK, to the patients in the communities that it serves. Awardees will demonstrate a passion for helping others by exemplifying CHC/SEK’s core values of service, stewardship, excellence and kindness.

“We can think of no better individual in which to name this award,” said Jason Wesco, CHC/SEK President and Chief Strategy Officer during the annual Employee Service Awards Recognition Banquet on Thursday evening.  

In addition to the announcement of the award, Westhoff was also recognized with the Sheridan Award that evening. CHC/SEK presents an annual Sheridan Award to someone who has made an impact on the clinic. The Sheridan Award was named after Mother Mary Bernard Sheridan, CSJ, who in 1903 opened Mt. Carmel Hospital on the land at which the CHC/SEK Pittsburg clinic now sits. Mother Bernard instructed her small group of Sisters at the hospital (there was no paid staff then) to “do all the good we can, in all the ways we can, to all the people we can and just as long as we can,” and their legacy continues to guide the health center today.  

“Our honoree has worked tirelessly for many years with countless volunteer hours to support educational, artistic, social services, healthcare, fundraising, friendraising, advocacy and giving both during her distinguished career in banking and as the downtown development director and in her retirement,” Wesco said. “There certainly hasn’t been a more apt description of her commitment to this community.”

Westhoff has supported, just to name a few, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg Community Theatre, the Colonial Fox Theatre, the YMCA, Girl Scouts, Elm Acres, the Childrens Advocacy Resource Center, Rotary, The Family Resource Center and the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. She has been a Women of Distinction, received PSU’s Rex Crawley Service Award, is in the Pittsburg Family YMCA Hall of Fame, and received the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Pittsburg award.

“I have been able to receive a lot more from Community Health Center than I’ve put in for my family and myself,” Westhoff said. “I can’t tell you of all the people out here who have been so helpful and so kind and care about everything they do. It’s just amazing. I just can’t begin to tell everybody how much I appreciate everything they do. Thank you.”