BizWest on Thursday recognized the contributions of healthcare workers and organizations to the well-being of the Boulder Valley and northern Colorado areas with the 2021 Health Care Heroes Awards.
The following people and groups represent the winners and finalists in the various Health Care Heroes categories:
Public Service
Honors an individual or organization – inside or outside of healthcare – for their leadership focused on a particular healthcare problem or need. The applications were assessed on criteria such as the impact on health care in the community and how they met a need that might not otherwise have been met.
- Winner: Sunrise Community Health
- Finalist: H2 Fabrication
- Finalist: Noëlle Rodriguez
Distinguished service
Honors a healthcare administrator who has demonstrated leadership excellence within their organization during COVID-19. Candidates were assessed on the leadership provided during the pandemic, ensuring worker safety, quality patient care, and immunizations 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 frontline nurse
Honors a nurse who has demonstrated excellence, dedication and perseverance in meeting the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Candidates were assessed on their performance during the pandemic, going beyond their usual 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 testing, treatment, safety gear or vaccines against COVID-19.
- Winner: Michael Lindsey, Thermal Strike Ranger
- Finalist: UCHealth
- Finalist: Banner Innovation Group
COVID-19 frontline health worker
Honors an individual who has demonstrated excellence, dedication and perseverance in meeting the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including doctors, paramedics, paramedics and emergency service personnel and others. Candidates were assessed on their performance during the pandemic, going beyond their usual duties and responsibilities.
- Winner: Jennifer Hogestad, UCHealth
- Finalist: Rebecca Jackson, Columbine Health Systems
- Finalist: Mo Lyons, Banner Health
Mental Health Provider of the Year
Recognizes a mental health care provider who has positively impacted their organization and / or patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Candidates were assessed on their performance during the pandemic, going beyond their usual duties and responsibilities.
- Winner: Alicia Milar, SummitStone Health Partners
- Finalist: Janina Fariñas, La Cocina
- Finalist: Adena Kling, Longmont United Hospital Centura
COVID-19 Healthcare Allies Award
Honor someone outside of mainstream health care who excelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, including firefighters, law enforcement, and representatives of civic and non-profit organizations. Applicants were assessed on how well the person went beyond their normal duties to support healthcare workers and the community at large.
- Winner: Foothills Unitar Church
- Finalist: AMR
- Finalist: UCHealth Northern Colorado Foundation
Nursing and Assisted Living Facility of the Year
Recognizes the best nursing and assisted living facility or group in the region. Applicants were assessed based on their response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how they prioritized the physical, mental and emotional well-being of 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 worker
Includes non-physician and non-nurse members of the multidisciplinary team, such as physician assistants, CNAs, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, medical imaging, researchers, technicians, etc. beyond their usual tasks and responsibilities.
- Winner: Gloria Gonzalez-Engle, Boulder Community Health
- Finalist: Jeremiah Martinez, Boulder Community Health – Sterile Treatment Service
- Finalist: Marilyn Schaefer, UCHealth Greeley Hospital
Volunteer Award
Recognizes an unpaid volunteer for service in a health care organization. Applicants were assessed on criteria such as seniority, impact on the organization and how well they met a need that might not have been met otherwise.
- Winner: Mark Meyer, Boulder Community Health
- Finalist: Emily Kemme, UCHealth
- Finalist: Fuerza Latina
BizWest has received over 100 nominations for the Health Care Heroes program. The judges included Gene Haffner, Julie Johnson Haffner, Charlie Harms, George Hayes, Joel Montbriand and Ron Secrist, all veterans of the healthcare or nonprofit sectors.
Health Care Heroes was sponsored by Anthem BC / BS, H2 Manufacturing Solutions and The Weld Trust. A healthcare 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
