Rotary honors John Carrigg as one of COVID response leaders

John M. Carrigg has been honored by the Rotary Club of Binghamton for his leadership in UHS’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president and chief executive officer of UHS is one of three community leaders who were presented with the club’s Paul Harris Fellow Award at a special ceremony March 15 in Binghamton.

The other leaders are Broome County Executive Jason Garnar and Ascension Lourdes President Kathy Connerton.

These three individuals were recognized for going above and beyond in addressing community needs during the pandemic and for meeting the high professional and personal standards exemplified by Paul Harris, the late founder of Rotary International.

John and his fellow honorees accepted their awards at a formal presentation during the Rotary Club's weekly meeting March 15.

“I am very pleased to accept this award on behalf of all of the people at UHS who have done so much to respond to the pandemic and provide exceptional care to our patients,” Mr. Carrigg said.

His nomination recognized his dynamic leadership and commitment to the Values of UHS, especially throughout the most trying days of the pandemic.

“He has faith in his employees to do their jobs and is not a micro-manager,” the nomination stated in part. “He respects differences of opinion. During the pandemic, he was a regional leader in the dissemination of helpful information about the disease, testing and vaccination to agencies and the public.”

The nomination further stated: “UHS has faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. When difficult decisions must be made, John implores everyone to consider the impact that the changes will have on patients, employees, their families and their communities.”

Selected as the Southern Tier Vaccination Hub, UHS coordinated equitable access to and distribution of vaccine across eight counties, meeting the needs of the region’s population, especially the most vulnerable.

During 2021 alone, a total of 174,989 COVID tests were performed by UHS, and 16,172 doses of vaccine were administered through UHS pods.

Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million individuals who envision a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change—“across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.”

The organization’s mission is to provide service to others, promote integrity and advance world understanding, goodwill and peace.

With over 110 years of service and 46,000+ clubs worldwide, Rotarians strive to solve real problems through commitment and visioning; using their passion, energy and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects with the goal of bettering our world and communities.