“The difference between what we are and what we want to be is what we do.”  --Peter Ole-Sabay, 2006 Fairview Cares Award winner

Contact: Cameron Potts, 952-924-5365

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (March 27, 2006) -- On Wednesday, March 22, Peter Ole-Sabay, a nursing assistant at Fairview Southdale Hospital, was named the 2006 winner of the Fairview Cares Award. One of Fairview’s most prestigious honors, the Fairview Cares Award is an annual honor established in 1998 to recognize the remarkable volunteer community service.

A guiding force in providing health care services and equipment to his hometown of Eldoret, Kenya, Ole-Sabay has led several trips and medical missions to the country in the past seven years.  A passionate and dynamic person, Ole-Sabay has enlisted medical professionals from throughout Fairview to help provide care to the residents, and established the PICKS Medical Center, where hundreds of patients are treated yearly.

Ole-Sabay, who came to America in 1998 for college and has worked at Fairview Southdale since 2001, helped found the PICKS Medical Center to provide immunizations and free health assessments for residents of Eldoret, as well as education around health topics such as HIV awareness, family planning and mental health. Last year, with the help of friends, family and Fairview Southdale, Peter was able to send a CT scanner to the hospital in Kenya, providing new technology to thousands of people. Peter has selflessly given of his time over the years to give back — something he says is his purpose in life.

“On behalf of the people of Eldoret, Kenya, my family members, sponsors and the staff at PICKS Medical Center, I take this golden opportunity to thank Fairview for giving me this extraordinary award,” Peter said in accepting the honor. “I feel this is my purpose in life — to make a different in people’s lives, one person, one community at a time.

“The difference between what we are and what we want to be is what we do,” Ole-Sabay said.

“This year’s Fairview Cares Award recipient has distinguished himself by how far he has come from where he started,” said David Page, chief executive officer of Fairview Health Services. “And by how he has inspired others to follow him on the path he has blazed.”

The award comes with a $10,000 donation to the charity of Peter’s choice. This was Peter’s third nomination for the Fairview Cares Award. He was a finalist two other times.

“Earlier this year, we sent to Kenya a CT scan, an X-ray machine and other supplies. This will help boost diagnostic services in the western region of Kenya, where a population of over 10 million people have only two CT scans,” he said. 

“Fairview’s mission is to provide the best possible care to our communities,” said Brad Beard, president of Fairview Southdale Hospital. “Exceptional people like Peter help us to expand the community we provide affordable hospital care to. He is very deserving of this honor and is an example for everyone in health care.”