HENDERSONVILLE, NC, July 15, 2025 – AdventHealth is celebrating the winners of the latest AdventHealth Pinnacle Physician Award, Charles Morlok, MD, and the inaugural AdventHealth Pinnacle APP Award, Sarah Ducker, MSN, FNP-C, AOCNP. These prestigious awards celebrate physicians and Advanced Practice Providers (APP) who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to caring for patients and team members with uncommon compassion.
“The Pinnacle Awards were born from a desire to shine a light on the quiet excellence happening every day across our care teams,” explained Byron Dixon, MD, MBA, FACHE, Chief Medical Officer for AdventHealth Hendersonville and AdventHealth Polk. “We created these honors to celebrate those who not only deliver exceptional clinical care, but who also uplift their colleagues, embody our mission, and lead with compassion and integrity. Dr. Morlok and Sarah Ducker are remarkable examples of what it means to extend the healing ministry of Christ. It’s a privilege to recognize their impact on our patients, our teams and our culture.”
The AdventHealth Pinnacle Physician Award and the AdventHealth Pinnacle APP Award recognize physicians, as well as physician assistants and nurse practitioners, who excel in the following areas:
Business and Quality: Exemplary EMR practices, process improvements, and team engagement.
Culture: High standards for medical ethics, communication, and collegiality.
Resilience: Support for others' well-being, personal engagement, and spirituality as a sacred part of their work.
Peer Review: Assisting colleagues, fostering a growth mindset, and continuous leadership development.
The AdventHealth Pinnacle Physician Award was presented to Dr. Morlok, who serves as a hospitalist at AdventHealth Hendersonville. He was selected because of his excellent collaboration and high standards of care and communication within the team and when caring for patients. His service truly embodies AdventHealth’s commitment to exceptional patient care.
His nomination states, “Dr. Morlok exceeds excellence in everything he does. He listens to what the nurses have to say and takes our information into account. I truly believe we all work as a team and are better with him.”
The inaugural AdventHealth Pinnacle APP Award was presented to Sarah Ducker, MSN, FNP-C, AOCNP, who serves as an Advanced Oncology Nurse Practitioner at AdventHealth Cancer Services Haywood. She was recognized for her resilience as a clinician, and her dedication to being a champion and supporter for her team as well as patients seeking cancer treatment.
“Sarah is a wonderful nurse practitioner,” her nomination states. “She goes above and beyond for her patients and has their best interest at heart. She provides compassionate and high-quality care. She is well respected by her colleagues as well. She is always willing to lend a helping hand. Sarah is the complete package and wonderful asset for AdventHealth.”
AdventHealth has a mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ and is committed to recognizing and celebrating the extraordinary efforts of our physicians and APP’s that fulfill that mission. We are grateful for the dedication and compassion that Dr. Morlok and Ducker bring to their work every day.
For more information about the exceptional physicians caring for people at AdventHealth Hendersonville, please visit AdventHealthNC.com.