Alishia Graves of Decatur, a hostess in the food and nutrition department at Decatur Memorial Hospital, is the nonprofit hospital’s Colleague of the Year for 2021.

Graves has worked at Decatur Memorial Hospital since 2019 and is an uplifting presence on the job, said hospital officials. Graves and her food and nutrition co-workers are in a unique position to make daily connections with co-workers, patients and visitors, and Graves is one of the “unsung heroes,” they said.

Graves was the hospital’s Colleague of the Month for November.

The Decatur Memorial Hospital Colleague of the Year receives $1,000, one week of paid time off work, one year of premium parking at the hospital and a special pin recognizing the achievement.

This was the first year that the Colleague of the Year was chosen through a vote open to all employees of Decatur Memorial Hospital and Memorial Care. A hospital committee selected previous winners.