Bothwell Regional Health Center Social Worker Receives ‘Caring More’ Award

Kiwi Popyk (pictured second from left), social worker at Bothwell Regional Health Center, received the Caring More Award from Crossroads Hospice at a celebratory breakfast held Thursday, March 24, at the Bothwell Hotel. Popyk was nominated for the award by Rose McMullin, left, Patient Services director and interim chief nursing officer at Bothwell. Also present were Bothwell Chief Executive Officer Jimmy Robertson and Chief Financial Officer Steve Davis.

Kiwi counts among her many blessings her career as a social worker at Bothwell Regional Health Center, where she advocates for patients from infants to older adults.

Working with families and individuals in crisis, at end-of-life, or facing life-limiting diseases can be a heavy load, but Kiwi is thankful to serve. Kiwi has worked with geropsychiatric patients, cancer patients, and public school children.

In addition to her work at Bothwell, Kiwi provides in-service training to her coworkers, volunteers with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and is active in her church. She holds a bachelor’s of social work from Columbia College and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Missouri, Columbia.

The Crossroads Caring More Award is presented annually to a social worker recommended by his or her peers for going “above and beyond” in service to patients and community. In addition to a special awards breakfast, Kiwi also won the Community Favorite Award – thus doubling the amount that her selected charity, the Bothwell Regional Health Center Foundation will receive (a total of $1,000).