Talent Acquisition

• Katie Poeschel, Senior Director, Vanderbilt Health, Vanderbilt Health

  Katie is recognized for leading innovative, high‑impact talent acquisition strategies that strengthened Vanderbilt Health’s ability to attract and hire top clinical and non‑clinical talent.

• Claudine Trudeau, CHCR Strategic Talent Acquisition Leader, Vi Living

  Claudine is honored for advancing strategic recruitment practices that improved candidate pipelines and strengthened workforce readiness across Vi Living communities..

Talent Management

• Bridget Marzette-Bender, VP - Caregiver Experience & Inclusion & Marisa Hiatt, Director of Disability Experience, Mercy

  Recognized for driving impactful talent management practices that enhance leadership capability, workforce engagement, and organizational alignment across Mercy’s healthcare system.

• Ms Sara Alafandi, Vice President Human Resource, Eastern Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia

  Sara’s From Complexity to Agility initiative modernized workforce operations across the Eastern Health Cluster, enabling more adaptive, efficient, and strategically aligned talent practices that support Saudi Arabia’s evolving healthcare landscape. Sara also advanced Vision 2030 goals by strengthening workforce planning, capability building, and nationalization efforts—positioning EHC as a model for future‑ready healthcare talent strategy.

Talent Development

• Baili Campbell, Director of Clinical Talent Development, Trilogy Health Services, LLC

  This team implemented a Nursing Professional Development (NPD) Specialist wrap‑around support model that strengthened onboarding, boosted caregiver confidence, and improved early‑stage retention by 112%. Their structured mentorship and transition‑to‑practice approach generated over $170K in cost savings and created a sustainable pipeline for long‑term care talent.

• Erick Reid, Learning Operations and Instructional Design, Harris Health

  Erick led the systemwide rollout of Foundations in De‑Escalation, transforming a four‑hour in‑person course into a 30‑minute interactive online experience. The redesign boosted compliance from 52% to 93%, saved over 9,450 staff hours and $850K in labor costs, and significantly reduced aggression incidents—proving that smarter learning design can elevate safety, efficiency, and workforce well‑being.

• Christine Purchell, Sr. Consultant for Talent Development, UNC Health

  Christine designed and launched UNC Health’s Culture Shifts initiative—six systemwide behavioral shifts rooted in teammate feedback. Through implementation kits, a 400‑member culture champion network, and a multi‑site Culture Summit, she operationalized culture learning across 56,000 teammates, creating a flexible, scalable, “choose‑your‑own‑adventure” model for culture transformation.

Technological Innovation

• Angie Bailey, System Director, Compensation, HR Data, & Workforce Analytics, UNC Health

  Angie is honored for advancing data‑driven HR innovation at UNC Health, leveraging analytics and workforce intelligence to modernize decision‑making and strengthen organizational performance.

• Billie Turner, System Director HR Services & Teammate Experience, UNC Health

  Billie is recognized for implementing technology‑enabled HR service enhancements that streamline processes, elevate teammate experience, and improve systemwide operational efficiency.

• Lindsey Garito, AVP, Total Rewards, Montefiore

  This team is celebrated for modernizing total rewards through innovative tools and digital solutions that improve transparency, engagement, and employee understanding of compensation and benefits.

HR Innovator Award

• Donato Cipriano, Chief Human Resources Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst

  Donato led transformative workforce investment strategies that strengthened organizational value, enhanced engagement, and improved regulatory readiness across Elmhurst. His initiatives elevated leadership accountability and advanced a more resilient, high‑performing workforce.

• Kayla Drady, VP of Talent Acquisition, Mercy

  Kayla is honored for pioneering talent acquisition strategies that elevate candidate experience, accelerate hiring, and support Mercy’s long‑term workforce sustainability.