BizWest honors medical pros with Health Care Heroes awards – Loveland Reporter-Herald

BizWest celebrated the contribution of health workers and organizations to the wellbeing of the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado regions with the Health Care Heroes Awards 2021 on Thursday.

The following individuals and groups represent the winners and finalists in the various categories of Health Care Heroes:

Community service

Honors an individual or organization – inside or outside the healthcare sector – for leadership focused on a specific healthcare problem or need. Nominations were assessed on criteria including impact on community health care and how they met a need that might otherwise not have been met.

• Winner: Sunrise Community Health
• Finalist: H2 manufacturing
• Finalist: Noelle Rodriguez

Excellent service

Honors a health care administrator who demonstrated excellent leadership skills in their organization during COVID-19. The nominees were assessed for their leadership skills during the pandemic, ensuring worker safety, quality patient care and vaccinations for the community.

• Winner: Lauren Shimp, Columbine West Health & Rehab Facility
• Finalist: Fred Pitzl, Good Samaritan Society Fort Collins Village
• Finalist: SCL Health Good Samaritan Medical Center

COVID-19 front line nurse

Honors a nurse who has shown excellence, dedication, and perseverance in responding to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The nominees were rated based on how the person behaved during the pandemic and went beyond their typical duties and responsibilities.

• Winner: Joel Bitler, Columbine Health Systems
• Finalist: Cheryl Baum, New Mercer Commons ALF / Columbine Health Systems
• Finalist: Amy Provopulos, UCHealth Mountain Crest

Healthcare innovator / researcher

Honors a person or organization for an innovation in medical technology or research. Priority was given to breakthroughs that contributed to tests, treatments, safety equipment, or vaccines for COVID-19.

• Winner: Michael Lindsey, Thermal Strike Ranger
• Finalist: UCHealth
• Finalist: Banner Innovation Group

COVID-19 health care workers on the front lines

Honors an individual who has demonstrated excellence, dedication, and perseverance in addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including doctors, rescue workers, paramedics, emergency room workers and others. The nominees were rated based on how the person behaved during the pandemic and went beyond their typical duties and responsibilities.

• Winner: Jennifer Hogestad, UCHealth
• Finalist: Rebecca Jackson, Columbine Health Systems
• Finalist: Mo Lyons, Banner Health

Mental Health Provider of the Year

Acknowledges a mental health service provider who has had a positive impact on their organization and / or patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The nominees were rated based on how the person behaved during the pandemic and went beyond their typical duties and responsibilities.

• Winner: Alicia Milar, SummitStone Health Partners
• Finalist: Janina Fariñas, The Kitchen
• Finalist: Adena Kling, Longmont United Hospital Centura

COVID-19 Health Care Ally Award

Honors an individual outside of traditional health care who excelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, including firefighters, law enforcement officials, and civil and nonprofit representatives. Nominees were rated on how the individual went above and beyond their normal duties to support health workers and the wider community.

• Winner: Foothills Unitary Church
• Finalist: AMR
• Finalist: UCHealth Northern Colorado Foundation

Nursing and assisted living of the year

Recognition of the best care and assisted living facility or group in the region. The nominees were judged based on their response to the COVID-19 pandemic and their prioritization of the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the patients.

• Winner: Good Samaritan Society Fort Collins Village
• Finalist: Garden Square at Westlake Assisted Living
• Finalist: Tamara Gebhardt, New Mercer Commons ALF / Columbine Health Systems

COVID-19 support staff

Includes non-physicians and non-nurses of the multidisciplinary team such as physician assistants, CNAs, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, medical imaging, researchers, technicians, etc. The nominees were rated on the person’s performance during the pandemic, going above and beyond their typical Tasks and responsibilities.

• Winner: Gloria Gonzalez-Engle, Boulder Community Health
• Finalist: Jeremiah Martinez, Boulder Community Health – Sterile Processing Department
• Finalist: Marilyn Schaefer, UCHealth Greeley Hospital

Honorary award

Recognition of an unpaid volunteer for service in a health organization. Nominees were judged on criteria such as seniority, organizational impact, and how they met a need that might otherwise not have been met.

• Winner: Mark Meyer, Boulder Community Health
• Finalist: Emily Kemme, UCHealth
• Finalist: Fuerza Latina

BizWest received more than 100 nominations for the Health Care Heroes program. Judges included Gene Haffner, Julie Johnson Haffner, Charlie Harms, George Hayes, Joel Montbriand, and Ron Secrist, all veterans of the healthcare or nonprofit sector.

Health Care Heroes was sponsored by Anthem BC / BS, H2 Manufacturing Solutions, and The Weld Trust. A health coalition that included Boulder Community Health, Centura Health Avista Adventist Hospital, Columbine Health Systems, Good Samaritan Society Communities of Northern Colorado, and SCL Health Good Samaritan Medical Center also contributed.

© 2021 BizWest Media LLC

source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/bizwest-honors-medical-pros-with-health-care-heroes-awards-loveland-reporter-herald/