Maryellen Reilly was a respected, valued and well-loved leader in the HUP community. The year after she died, a special annual award was created in her memory to recognize an employee who has the same profound impact as she did. This year’s Maryellen Reilly Award went to Frank Connelly, assistant executive hospital director.
Connelly came to HUP in 2014 with a “wealth of experience, a magnetic personality, excellent leadership, and a great sense of humor,” said hospital CEO Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN in presenting the award. Connelly “sets a high bar for work quality.”
Between HUP and the Perelman Center, members of Physical Plant are responsible for maintaining and repairing three million square feet of space. “Frank and his team are up for the challenge,” she said. They not only excel in the routine work they tackle but are “often called upon after hours and on weekends to deal with some type of emergency … and they work diligently to brings things back to service as quickly as possible.”
Beyond Physical Plant, Connelly also has responsibility for security and parking — “the most desired department at HUP,” Cunningham wryly noted. And no matter what, meets all challenges with a “smile and positive attitude. He’s always there when needed and can be counted on to come through when the stakes are high. We are so grateful he is part of our team.”
“This means a lot to me,” Connelly told members of the audience, which included his wife, Lisa, and his parents, Marie and Joe. “I always tell my team that no matter what you do at the hospital — if you’re a painter or a plumber — you’re a health care provider. You provide service for everyone who walks through our doors.”