11/18/2025
Putnam County Hospital Hosts 2025 Gala at Three Fat Labs
Evening features silent auction, community recognitions, and major announcements
Putnam County Hospital held its 2025 annual gala on Saturday at the stunning Three Fat Labs venue, welcoming more than 240 guests for an evening celebrating community partnerships, patient stories, and continued advancements in local healthcare.
The night opened with a lively cocktail hour and a highly successful silent auction. Bethany Combs, Vice President of Clinical Operations, offered the opening prayer before guests enjoyed a fantastic dinner catered by Almost Home.
Brooke Trissel then took the stage to begin the evening program, introducing Putnam County Hospital CEO Dennis Weatherford. Weatherford extended his gratitude to the many elected officials in attendance, including Congressman Jim Baird, State Representative Beau Baird, Senator Brett Clark, Commissioner Rick Woodall, and Mayor Lynda Dunbar.
Weatherford next welcomed Lori Price, President of Franciscan Health, who highlighted the strength and importance of the partnership between Franciscan and Putnam County Hospital. Price also delivered an announcement many in the community have eagerly awaited: Kathleen Naylor, who was in attendance, has been named the new Sports Medicine Physician at the YMCA location through the Franciscan–PCH partnership.
The evening continued with a presentation from Paul and Kara Jedele, who donated $7,000 to the Putnam County Mammogram Fund. The contribution was made possible through their use of pink whipped cream during a 20-day October fundraiser at all of their McDonald’s locations, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the hospital. Trissel commended the Jedeles for their ongoing dedication to the community.
Guests were then moved by a powerful video testimonial featuring two local patients, Tony Sciotto and Anthony Pintor, who shared their cancer journeys. Both spoke to the extraordinary benefit of having a cancer center so close to home and expressed heartfelt gratitude to the cancer care team and Dr. Ahmed. At the conclusion of the video, the two men “rang the bell” together in celebration of completing their treatments.
Trissel concluded the program by thanking attendees for their continued support and announcing the date for next year’s gala: November 21, 2026, once again at Three Fat Labs.