Patrick Hawkins, an instructor in the College of Nursing, recently accepted the American Kidney Fund's "Caregiver of the Year" award in Washington, D.C. at the seventh annual Hope Affair gala.
With 23 years of experience, Hawkins was chosen out of 116 nominations because of how he’s cared for his patients. He currently works at Kidney and Hypertension Consultants in Flint Township and for the last 10 years has treated and advocated for patients there with chronic kidney disease, kidney failure and those on dialysis.
According to a recent Mlive article, Hawkins said he was shocked to hear he was nominated and chosen for the award.
"It's a huge honor. ... I love what we do," Hawkins said. "People trust you with their most valuable possession – their life. It really does matter."