Casey Moss of Greeneville won $250 for her essay in the contest called “Share A Patient Experience.”

Moss wrote a fictional piece about a 14-year-old who sustained serious injuries in a car accident on a snowy road. As she faced possible permanent paralysis, her physician encouraged her to overcome her obstacles with a can-do attitude.

“We wanted to do two things with this contest,” Lyndon Gallimore, director of marketing and business development, said. “First, we wanted to encourage our Greeneville-Greene County high school students to write creatively. Second, we wanted to highlight the importance that hospitals play in family health.  Overall, we were very pleased with the job our young people did.  Many of the stories were very engaging.”

Second place honors went to Ashlyn Taylor, a 10th grader at Chuckey-Doak High School. Taylor of Greeneville won $100 for her essay about her grandfather, Doyle Witt, who frequented Takoma Regional Hospital for his health care until his death.

Third place was won by Emily Douthat, a senior at West Greene High School. Douthat of Mohawk won $50. She wrote a fictional piece about a woman whose life was profoundly touched by a nurse when her young daughter died at the hospital after a car crash caused by a drunken driver.

Honorable mentions went to Ashley Reuss and Kalen Chandler, both of South Greene, and Christopher Waldrop of Beacon School. All won $25.

The essay contest was held as part of national “Hospital Week” activities May 10-14 at Takoma Regional. All area high students were eligible to participate.