The Coronado Rotary Club’s Bob Watson “Service Above Self” Award was presented to Ana Ramirez at the Community Center/COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the Wednesday, April 21 meeting of Rotary. She was nominated by Rotarians Nora Allen, Mary Griffin and Steve Duermeyer. Ana is Sharp Coronado Hospital’s Patient and Volunteer Coordinator.
At the height of the holiday surge of COVID-19 cases, on January 13, Ana was tapped to establish the clinic and coordinate more than 500 volunteers to support and administer vaccines at the Coronado Community Center. Scheduling and managing this number of volunteers is difficult, but Ana handles every encounter gracefully and deploys her volunteer team very effectively, constantly adapting to changing circumstances. When one reads of the long delays at other vaccination sites, Ana’s ability to manage the demands seems all the more remarkable, as those receiving vaccinations at the Coronado site have minimal wait time.
Coronado Rotary President Robin MacCartee said, “Every year we ask Coronado Rotarians to nominate someone in the community who is making a difference. As in most years, we had several nominations, but unlike most years, all the nominations were for the same person. That is the impact Ana is making on people, through her dedication and enthusiasm. Ana exemplifies the Rotarian moniker of Service Above Self and I am honored that we were able to recognize her for the incredible contribution she is making to our community.”
Ana is a San Diego native and a graduate of San Diego State University. She joined Sharp Coronado Hospital in 2017. She has a master’s degree in Public Health and serves as a board member the San Diego Organization of Healthcare Leaders.
To date, more than 37,000 vaccine doses have been administered at the clinic. Coronado Rotarians have been and continue to be a significant presence among the volunteers, logging more than 2,300 hours, so far.
Dan’l Steward, Chair of The Bob Watson Service Above Self Award Committee explained that this award is given quarterly to non-Rotarians for their “Service Above Self” commitment to the community. The award is presented in honor of Past President and Past District Governor, the late Bob Watson, in recognition of his “Service Above Self” and the personification of good citizenship.
