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UMA honors employees with award University Medical Associates (UMA) employees may be nominated by patients, employees, or visitors for the UMA's Quarterly Accountability, Respect, Excellence and Adaptability Applause (AREA) Award  in recognition of their dedication. Nominations are submitted throughout each quarter and quarterly winners are selected by an awards committee.   Individual winners receive a gold lapel pin with the MUSC seal, a framed award certificate, $50, a cake to share with co-workers, and other incentives for a job well done.   Recipients of the quarterly award for the first quarter of 2005 are Dot Harken, office and compliance assistant, Department of Urology; Donna Ward, assistant controller, Finance; and Newton Crawford, patient accounting analyst. Harken, a UMA employee since 1997, was nominated by Chris Darnell, department administrator. “While a urology staff member was on extended leave following surgery, Dot took the initiative to fill in for her,” said Darnell. “Responsibilities included helping to organize and prep charts for clinic and addressing questions and patient issues as they arose, all successfully accomplished." Ward, a UMA employee since 1992, was nominated by Mike Keels, corporate administrator/controller. “Although it was not Donna's responsibility, she took on the major project of streamlining the Physicians' Revenue Distribution, which was challenging due to the IDX system changes precluding multiple doctor numbers,” said Keels. “Donna  simplified a complicated and cumbersome process, and her efforts have been vital to financial reporting for UMA.” Crawford, an employee with UMA since 1995, was nominated by co-worker Elaine Washington. The nomination reads, in part: “Newton is a hard worker and helps out wherever he can, whether it has to do with customer service, correcting charges in the IDX/SMS systems, answering billing questions, or giving directions to someone across campus.”     Friday, June 3, 2005 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.