The ninth annual Dr. Alexander Nesbitt Commitment to Caring Award was presented to Margie Cholin, a social worker at UPMC Williamsport, on Thursday, April 7, during an in-person Healthcare Decisions Day event on hospice and end-of-life care held at the Elder Care and Special Needs Resource Center. 

During an extensive 34-year career, Margie Cholin has served countless individuals and their families to make sure they receive the proper care and attention they deserve. She has worked in almost every aspect of the field from medical and surgical to now a more comprehensive rehabilitation role.

From a very young age, Margie always knew she wanted to help people. As Margie describes it, “Social work allows me to serve individuals who need it most and be able to make a difference on a more personal and hands-on basis.” That’s why she abandoned her desire to become a psychologist and instead focused more of her career admirations on pursuing social work."

Margie’s caring character always goes the extra mile for her patients, family, and friends. She has been known to prepare delicious and nutritious meals for families traveling in from afar, collect clothing donations for patients who are less fortunate, and has offered a listening ear and emotional support to family members who might be struggling with a patient’s newfound diagnosis – even keeping in contact with them after their discharge!

She is an active member of her church, Seventh-day Adventists, where she has held various offices and roles. Their new facility is entering the final stages of construction and will combine both church and school. It will have seating for more than 200 people and is expected to be finished in the coming months.

Margie also remains particularly devoted to her family. As a single mom, her daughter is her best friend. They share a fun-loving and extremely close relationship even though her line of work usually extends to the evenings and weekends. A perfect example of this is Margie’s total dedication to helping to organize the annual family reunion. Margie’s family is so big that they actually need a planning committee to make sure this event goes off without a hitch!

In addition, Margie routinely bakes goodies for staff meetings or a co-worker’s special day. She eagerly assists with the staffing shortages currently facing the hospital by volunteering to do room sitter work on the weekends. This allows patients who cannot be left alone with valuable companionship in times when they need it most and helps to lift spirits. She also stays late at the hospital to ensure that every aspect of patient communications has been followed through, and that families are well-informed and cared for in the most dignified and attentive manner possible.

Margie’s work ethic has always been grounded in the fact that she treats all her patients and their families in the same way that she would like herself and her family to be treated.
Margie is a rare breed, the epitome of social work, and this expansive dedication to helping others is why she was selected this year as being the recipient of the ninth annual Dr. Alexander Nesbitt Commitment to Caring Award.

The Dr. Alexander Nesbitt Commitment to Caring Award was developed by the elder care law firm of Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak in 2014. In his opening remarks, Dr. Nesbitt spoke about the award, and acknowledged the 2022 recipient for her astonishing level of devotion and remarkable amount of courtesy and compassion shown to those individuals experiencing overwhelming health care challenges. “Our community is forever grateful for people such as Margie who consistently raise the bar and go above and beyond to answer the call of its members who are mostly in need,” said Dr. Nesbitt. According to Attorney Julieanne E. Steinbacher, the award, inspired by Dr. Nesbitt, recognizes an individual(s) or nonprofit in the community who shows an extraordinary commitment to caring that improves the lives of others.