Myrtle Beach, SC – Grand Strand Health is proud to recognize Trauma Nurse Lead Hannah Hall who has been named 2022 Coast Guard Reserve Enlisted Person of the Year. Hall holds the position of Reserve Training Petty Officer and Section Leader at the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Georgetown, SC. In this role, she creates comprehensive training programs that give both active duty and reserve personnel the opportunity to gain additional qualifications to improve the unit’s overall preparedness.
“We are incredibly proud to have Hannah on our trauma team,” says Dr. Antonio Pepe, Trauma Medical Director for Grand Strand Health. “She is an excellent trauma nurse lead who is dedicated to providing our patients with the best care possible. Hannah very much deserves this prestigious award.” Hall’s nomination included how she used her nursing knowledge to provide emergency aid to a mariner who was experiencing stroke symptoms which caused their ship to ground. She showed her commitment to service by caring for the mariner while keeping them calm and also providing vital information to emergency services personnel.
In addition, Hall helped active duty members by acting as a stand in when they had reached their fatigue constraints as a qualified coxswain. She took on these duties outside of her scheduled drills. During Hall’s leisure time, she helped a shipmate’s family member by organizing a 5K race that provided contributions for cancer research. She also created new methods of recruiting by allowing individuals from the community to visit during drill weekends to better understand their unit and goals.
Hall says that her grandfather continues to be her biggest motivator. “He was always super supportive and proud of me. He supported my unconventional decision to turn down a full-ride scholarship to study atmospheric engineering in order to enlist and serve my country,” Hall says. “My great uncles were Air force pilots in WWII and both of my parents are private pilots. So, service is in my blood.”
She says she is able to balance her career as a trauma nurse and Coast Guard Reservist with her faith and with the support of her husband of seven years. “He is a blessing. He supports me in all I do and I couldn’t do it without him,” states Hall. She encourages others in the reserves with this advice, “Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Ask ‘why?’ Things aren’t always going to work out on the first try, so be persistent. Give yourself the opportunity to go for what you want.”
Grand Strand Health is honored to support military colleagues as they balance working in a hospital setting while also serving our country. In 2021, Grand Strand Medical Center was named a Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Recipient in recognition of the organization’s exemplary support for its National Guard and Reserve employees.
Read more about Hall’s Coast Guard Reserve experience and why she was nominated here.
