The Ohio Hospital Association recognized 64 health care workers on June 4, 2019 during its 104th Annual Meeting Recognition Dinner event in Columbus.

Dennis Hanlon, BSN, RN, shift supervisor-nursing administration, Mercy Health Willard Hospital received the Association’s annual Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year award. The award is given each year to one Ohio hospital caregiver who personifies a leader, gives back to the community and routinely goes beyond the call of duty.

From the 64 nominees, there were four finalists:

• Jessica Kinsey, director of social services and integrated care, Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital
• Dee Guttadore, RN, administrative director of nursing and emergency room, Sycamore Medical Center (Kettering Health)
• Jennifer Brodsky, RN, trauma program manager, West Chester Hospital (UC Health)
• Melissa Noble, senior clinical athletic trainer, sports medicine, Wilson Health

OHA presented leadership awards to industry leaders:

Randy Oostra, DM, FACHE (Toledo), president and CEO, ProMedica, will receive OHA’s Donald R. Newkirk Award. The award is named for Don Newkirk who led OHA for 27 years and recognizes an individual who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the health care profession in Ohio. 

Scott Malaney (Findlay), president and CEO, Blanchard Valley Health System, will receive OHA’s James R. Castle Distinguished Service Award, which honors an individual whose professional attainments embody qualities of an outstanding leader or mentor for service to the health care community. This award is named for OHA’s president and CEO for 23 years, from 1989 through 2011. 

Thomas McDonald (Cleveland), trustee, Board of Trustees, The MetroHealth System will receive OHA’s Dr. Eli Crew Community Service Excellence Award. This award recognizes an individual’s or organization’s support of the health care industry. The award is named in honor of Dr. Eli R. Crew, former superintendent of Dayton’s Miami Valley Hospital and OHA’s first president. In 1914, he led Ohio hospital administrators to an organizational meeting at Cedar Point, Sandusky where OHA was founded.

Each year OHA invites member hospitals and health systems to nominate one outstanding professional for consideration for Health Care Worker of the Year. The award, created in 1996, honors hospital employees who demonstrate leadership, reflect the mission and values of their institutions, go above and beyond the call of duty and give back to the community. All nominees were recognized at OHA’s awards dinner.

Dan Leite of Columbus delivered the keynote address at the Recognition Dinner. Leite is a heart transplant
recipient who has completed 154 marathons and three Iron Mans. Leite served as vice chair of The Columbus Marathon board. Four years ago, he realized something wasn’t right while training for a race. After only a few months on the transplant list, he received a life-saving heart transplant at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Ross Heart Hospital, beginning late Christmas Eve. His new heart took its first beats in the early hours of Christmas morning—arguably, the best Christmas gift of all.

During the Energy and Sustainability luncheon ceremony on June 4, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center received OHA’s John Chapman Award for a comprehensive program to reduce the hospital’s ecological footprint. The Chapman Award recognizes a hospital or health system that demonstrates excellence in initiating or supporting pollution prevention programs. The award is named after John Chapman or “Johnny Appleseed,” who planted thousands of apple trees across the Midwest during the 19th century

Editor’s note: For a link to the event photo album, click here.

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share by E-Mail

Share on LinkedIn