Spend time with Monument Health’s caregivers and physicians, and it’s obvious that there are plenty of gifted individuals throughout the organization.
The skills and abilities they use to help patients and one another are second to none, but everyone who participated in the recent Monument Health Has Talent competition showcased a different side of themselves; and a different kind of talent.
Nine finalists from across the organization performed in a December finale show, having advanced from three preliminary events held in Custer, Spearfish and Rapid City.
Anna Simons, a Registered Nurse at Monument Health Sturgis Urgent Care, was awarded first place as a solo vocalist and guitarist. Second place went to General Surgeon Pial Hope, D.O., who played the tabla — a North Indian percussion instrument. Sandra Walby, EVS Director for the Northern Hills, won third place as a solo vocalist.
In addition to showcasing the artistic talents of Monument Health caregivers, the competition also raised money for the Monument Health Foundation.
The open-to-the-public preliminary events saw dozens of caregivers from across the Black Hills show off their talents for a good cause, and ticket sales benefited the Foundation. Each first round event saw local celebrity judges send one contestant to the final, with the crowd choosing a second finalist.
“For the first year of this event, I'd say it was an incredible success,” said Hans Nelson, Director of the Monument Health Foundation. “I was so pleased to see over 25 caregivers register who were willing to get up on stage and share their talents, and I was shocked by the different kinds of talents on display. We had different styles of instrumentalists, vocalists, fire dancers and silk ribbon aerialists.”
1st Place - Anna Simons, RN
Simons’ winning performance was a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” with her own deeply personal lyrics. “I've been singing since childhood. My mother is an incredible guitarist, so I was usually singing along with her.”
It was Simons’ mother who gifted her first guitar as a stress reliever when her daughter was in nursing school. Since then, Anna has sung and played live with bands and on her own. While her connection to music has fostered positive personal growth, the lyrics she sang in the competition came from a more complicated emotional wellspring. She dedicated her performance and wrote the lyrics in memory of her brother, Sgt. Michael Simons.
“Mike served two combat tours in Iraq and suffered for years with PTSD, alcoholism and disordered eating,” Simons shared. Mike died from heart failure in 2015. “Losing him was devastating. I wanted to tell his story, so I decided to re-write the lyrics to "Hallelujah" in his memory. It is just such an emotional song. The original lyrics talk about love, but they also have this darker thread that speaks about the deep suffering that sometimes happens when you love someone. I think a lot of people connect with that, and it’s very humbling to win the competition singing this song.”
2nd Place - Pial Hope, D.O.
Dr. Hope is relatively new to Monument Health, as he joined the organization late last year. A General Surgeon specializing in metabolic and bariatric surgery, Dr. Hope made his presence known in the competition when he first played his tabla. The tabla is a pair of hand drums that has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music since the 18th century.
Hailing from Los Angeles, Dr. Hope has been playing the tabla for 25 years.
“It provided me with discipline and focus as a child and was an excellent outlet for stress. It was my meditation, my joy and at times, my escape,” Dr. Hope shared. “It gave me the opportunity to see many interesting and talented people from a myriad of backgrounds and provided me with tremendously enriching experiences.”
Dr. Hope’s finale performance drew the crowd in as his fingers struck different points of the drum heads to produce different tones. His solo laid down a rhythmic bed of percussive notes and introduced many to the tabla’s sound.
“I love that rhythm is universal, which allows for unrestricted collaboration across genres. The rhythm I am able to produce with the tabla transcends culture and language, which is wonderful.”
3rd Place - Sandra Walby
A singer all her life, Walby brought some soul and southern charm to a rousing rendition of “Me And Bobby McGee.” Sandra said she was touched by the talent with whom she shared the stage.
“Singing just brings me joy, and I feel it helps people keep faith and stay strong when life is difficult,” Walby said. “Hold on to the good stuff like the talent you need to share to bring joy to yourself and other people. Monument Health is all about the patients and the people. I am very blessed to work here.”
With the success of the inaugural event, the Monument Health Foundation has already announced the dates for the next Monument Health Has Talent search later this year — Oct. 15, 17 and 18. Hans is enthusiastic about the event as a new way for the Foundation to engage with the community.
“What I loved most about the event was that it highlighted our caregivers and physicians in a manner that humanized them and showed a different perspective outside of the clinical setting,” he said. “It was a unique way to bring us all together, a night to leave the scrubs, suits, schedules and clinical settings behind and be ourselves.”
Story and Photos by Bob Slocum
