Highlighted names are Finalists

Technological Innovation

Joanna Vilos, Chief Legal & HR Officer, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center

Reason for nomination: Joanna Vilos led a strategic overhaul of compensation systems by implementing PayScale, automating performance-based increases and pay transparency across 2,000+ employees. Her leadership introduced two compensation models while aligning executive teams through the PROSCI model, achieving a 95% high-performer retention rate and the lowest first-year turnover in three years—all while maintaining a 3% operating margin.

Brenda Carter, Deputy Chief People Officer, & Isabelle Rodriguez, Talent Acquisition Manager, University Hospital Southampton (NHS UK)

Reason for nomination: Brenda and Isabelle transformed recruitment at the NHS through “Talk’n’Job,” a virtual voice-based application platform that streamlined hiring and increased candidate accessibility. Their AI-driven approach cut time-to-hire, improved candidate experience with a 48.7% completion rate, and reduced cost-per-hire by 86%, while automating screening for over 1,300 doctor applications in under an hour.

Julie Kennedy Oehlert, DNP, RN & Vicki Haddock, Chief Experience Officer, ECU Health

Reason for nomination: ECU Health’s team implemented a groundbreaking AI-powered Workplace Violence Prediction & Prevention Platform (WPVMPP), identifying risk zones and repeat offenders to proactively allocate security and staffing resources. This ethical, data-integrated initiative led to safer environments, reduced incidents, and justified 22 new FTEs—redefining how health systems address workplace aggression.

Kathy Borchers, Director, Employee Analytics and Data Solutions, Dayton Children’s Hospital

Reason for nomination: Kathy Borchers developed a real-time Leader Accountability Dashboard, replacing outdated manual reports with on-demand visibility into compliance and workforce metrics. The innovation empowered 53% of patient-facing leaders managing 76% of the workforce and reduced first-year resignations by 2.1%, supporting onboarding, engagement, and strategic retention efforts.

Derek Del Simone, Chief Talent Officer, Abano Healthcare

Reason for nomination: Derek Del Simone led Abano Healthcare’s shift to AI-powered recruitment with Leoforce’s “Applicants on Demand.” The initiative replaced manual sourcing with pre-vetted, interview-ready candidates, cutting recruiter workload by 20+ hours and improving hiring quality while increasing re-engagement and reducing cost-per-hire across global markets.

Chris Cox, Talent Onboarding & Deanna Horton, Director of Pre-Boarding, Mercy

Reason for nomination: Chris and Deanna revolutionized onboarding at Mercy with a ServiceNow-integrated portal that automated task flows and consolidated multiple systems. The platform reduced onboarding time by 75%, improved satisfaction among new hires and leaders, and enhanced visibility and alignment across HR, IT, and operations.

Talent Management

Allyson Saccomandi, VP of HR Strategy, Organizational Development, and Leadership, Temple University Health System

Reason for nomination: Allyson Saccomandi spearheaded TUHS’s succession planning initiative, developing internal leadership pipelines and strategic workforce plans. Her approach strengthened talent continuity and boosted engagement by providing advancement pathways for high-potential internal candidates.

Kelly Martin, VP & CHRO, Texas Health Resources

Reason for nomination: Kelly Martin led a transformation of HR leadership through individual and group coaching, enhancing collaboration and streamlining operations. The initiative boosted team cohesion, trust, and long-term performance across the HR function.

Marisa Hiatt, Director of Experience and DEIB, Mercy

Reason for nomination: Marisa Hiatt expanded Mercy’s Supported Employment Model for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, growing the program from 3 to over 100 supported caregivers. The initiative improves job readiness, promotes inclusion, and strengthens long-term caregiver retention.

Sara AlAfandi, VP of Human Resources, Eastern Health Cluster (Saudi Arabia)

Reason for nomination: Sara AlAfandi led EHC’s Staff Utilization and Mobility Program, redeploying over 1,000 staff and saving $25M through strategic talent planning. The initiative supports Vision 2030 by advancing Saudization and building a future-ready, agile healthcare workforce.

Dr. Matthew Stewart, Sr Director of HR, ChenMed

Reason for nomination: Dr. Matthew Stewart revamped the sales talent lifecycle at ChenMed—enhancing planning, sourcing, onboarding, and performance management. The initiative halved turnover and nearly doubled new hire performance within the first month.

Talent Acquisition

Sabrina Roderick, Director of Talent Acquisition, Oregon Health & Science University

Reason for nomination:Sabrina Roderick led OHSU’s strategic response to Oregon’s HB 2697 by restructuring recruitment into full-cycle pods and deploying targeted incentives. The initiative enabled compliance with staffing mandates ahead of schedule and achieved the lowest RN vacancy rate in OHSU history.

Corrian Nwankwo, Executive Director Talent Acquisition, Heather Kennon, Manager of Talent Acquisition & Talent Acquisition team & the TA Team, JPS Health Network

Reason for nomination:The JPS TA team launched a Center of Excellence that redefined healthcare recruitment through data-driven processes, community engagement, and service excellence—reducing RN vacancies to 5.66% and earning a second Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award.

Lisa Funari, Director of Talent Acquisition (University Relations and Recruitment Marketing & Branding) & Emily Dewey, Manager of University Relations, Bon Secours Mercy Health

Reason for nomination:Lisa Funari and Emily Dewey transformed early talent recruitment by implementing Phenom’s AI-driven tools—achieving a 91% interview scheduling rate, 84% increase in post-event applications, and scaling outreach across 49 hospitals and 1,200 care sites.

Brenda Carter, Deputy Chief People Officer & Isabelle Rodriguez, Talent Acquisition Manager, University Hospital Southampton (NHS UK)

Reason for nomination:Brenda Carter and Isabelle Rodriguez implemented 'Talk’n’Job'—a virtual voice application process that automated screening, attracted diverse candidates, and reduced cost-per-hire by 86% while processing 1,300 applications in under one hour.

Julie Ann Alvarado-Dubek, EVP & Chief Administrative and People Officer, Banner Health

Reason for nomination:Julie Ann Alvarado-Dubek modernized HR at Banner Health through enterprise-wide Workday adoption and people-first strategies—advancing inclusion, cultural transformation, and strategic talent engagement across 55,000+ employees.

Kaitlyn Urlaub, VP of Talent Acquisition, UMass Memorial Health

Reason for nomination:Kaitlyn Urlaub integrated Hogan Assessments into UMass Memorial Health’s hiring framework to improve leadership selection and cultural fit. Her team also exceeded hiring targets by 183% in 2024 and earned a finalist spot for Innovator of the Year.

Ellen Courlas, Director of Talent Acquisition & Paige Pugh, Manager of Talent Acquisition, Dayton Children’s Hospital

Reason for nomination:Ellen Courlas and Paige Pugh developed the TA Service Level Agreement and Recruiting Roadmap to standardize and educate hiring managers—cutting time-to-fill by 60% and boosting candidate satisfaction to 98%.

Leslie Duran, Learning Business Partner & Bridget Marzette-Bender, VP of Caregiver Experience and DEIB, Mercy

Reason for nomination:Leslie Duran and Bridget Marzette-Bender launched Mercy’s Rotational and Administrative Leadership Academies to nurture early-career talent and internal leaders—achieving a 20% increase in engagement and 30% rise in innovation among participants.

Kristen Rosen, Director of Talent Acquisition, VNS Health

Reason for nomination:Kristen Rosen modernized TA at VNS Health with AI-powered tools and a high-touch onboarding program—achieving a 1,400% increase in RN hires and a 12% boost in retention among clinical new hires.

Mark Becker, National Director of TA Strategies & Employer Brand, Trinity Health

Reason for nomination:Mark Becker led Trinity Health’s rollout of ERIN, a referral platform that automated tracking and gamified engagement—resulting in over 500 nursing hires in 90 days and advancing the goal to fill 50% of jobs through referrals.

Learning & Development

Gladys Pasols, Sr. People Business Partner, Carbon Health

Reason for nomination: Gladys Pasols transformed leadership development at Carbon Health through Manager Circles, Scenarios of the Week, and post-RIF engagement frameworks—boosting leadership confidence, resilience, and retention across multiple markets.>

Marissa Fuqua Miller, Sr. Specialist, Equity & Opportunity, Oregon Health & Science University

Reason for nomination: Marissa Fuqua Miller co-led OHSU’s Building Bridges to Healthcare Careers program, which trained and supported nearly 150 internal frontline workers into clinical roles, advancing internal mobility and workforce diversity.>

Shaghayegh (Shay) Safarzadeh & Shabnam Safarzadeh, Co-Founders, Externi

Reason for nomination: Shay and Shabnam Safarzadeh launched Externi, streamlining externship placement from 14 days to just 2, expanding access to clinical training and supporting nontraditional healthcare learners.>

Ashley Ridgeway-Washington, Director, Talent Development, JPS Health Network

Reason for nomination: Ashley Ridgeway-Washington led leadership development workshops that improved workplace engagement, patient experience, and helped JPS earn its Gallup Excellence Award for the second time.>

Marisa Black, MA, Senior Manager, Learning Experience Design, ChenMed

Reason for nomination: Marisa Black developed a 12-week onboarding program for new leaders at ChenMed, combining online modules, bootcamps, and simulations—accelerating time-to-contribution and strengthening leadership retention.>

Frank Esposito, Associate Director Technology Training Team, Yale Medicine

Reason for nomination: Yale Medicine’s Technology Training Team created Access 365, a comprehensive onboarding and training program aligning dual call centers—achieving 98% learner confidence and reducing training time by over 40 minutes per learner.>

Alice Pauquette, Director, Leadership & Talent Development and Qualenta Kivett, EVP, Chief People & Talent Officer, Tampa General Hospital

Reason for nomination: Alice Pauquette and Qualenta Kivett designed the Action Learning Program at TGH, enabling leaders to collaboratively solve strategic challenges while developing critical thinking and reflective leadership skills.>

Kenton Saunders, Director of Career Development & Mobility and Teresa Fitz, Director of Leadership Development, Mercy

Reason for nomination: Kenton Saunders and Teresa Fitz led career development and BIPOC mentoring programs at Mercy, increasing leadership diversity by 15% and expanding access to professional growth opportunities across the system.>

Andrew Wise, Senior Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness, Learning and Development Team, VNS Health

Reason for nomination: VNS Health reimagined learning and development through a structured, AI-enhanced, tiered strategy that upskills talent across all levels. Their Leadership Excellence series has graduated 315 leaders with a 9.3 NPS, while frontline manager training boosted first-year clinical retention by 12% and improved employee engagement scores systemwide.>

HR Innovator

Tamara Saunaitis, SVP and CHRO, University of Maryland Medical System

Reason for nomination:Tamara Saunaitis restructured workforce development at UMMS by streamlining HR programs, deploying AI to support talent mobility, and closing skill gaps through targeted talent planning aligned with system-wide goals.

Yvonne Diaz, Director of Employee Benefits, Baystate Health

Reason for nomination:Yvonne Diaz led the modernization of Baystate’s benefits experience through AI-powered digital navigation tools, personalized communications, and data-driven enhancements that increased benefits utilization and employee satisfaction.

Donato Cipriano, Chief Human Resource Officer, NYC Health+Hospitals Elmhurst

Reason for nomination:Donato Cipriano built Elmhurst’s HR strategy around cultural transformation, leadership development, and workforce stabilization post-COVID—leading to significant improvements in morale, retention, and team alignment.

Lisa L. Rabideau, Executive Director, Organizational Development, South Shore Health

Reason for nomination:Lisa Rabideau redesigned leadership development and team coaching at South Shore Health, building a system-wide accountability model that increased collaboration and strengthened organizational culture and outcomes.

Lisa Campbell, Director of Healthcare Leadership Programs, AdventHealth

Reason for nomination:Lisa Campbell advanced clinical leadership through scalable development programs, helping nurse leaders and clinical directors build strategic and operational skills, improving patient care and leadership readiness.

Marisa Hiatt, Director of Experience and DEIB, Mercy

Reason for nomination:Marisa Hiatt expanded DEIB efforts and created integrated experience pathways for patients and employees at Mercy, improving inclusion, engagement, and aligning care delivery with workforce well-being.

Kathy Price, Leadership Development Facilitator, WakeMed

Reason for nomination:Kathy Price leads WakeMed’s Cognitive Coaching Program, equipping leaders to foster self-directed growth and problem-solving. Through structured conversations and mindset shifts, leaders guide rather than direct, enhancing trust and autonomy. The program has improved retention, morale, and cross-team communication—becoming a strategic tool for leadership development.

Josh Hostetter, Organizational Development Consultant, WakeMed

Reason for nomination:Josh Hostetter created WakeMed’s Aspiring Leader Program to prepare internal talent for leadership roles. By developing key skills before promotion, the program boosts readiness and retention. With strong advancement rates, it has become a vital part of WakeMed’s leadership pipeline.

Shaneira “Shae” Harris, Director of HR, Baptist Health Shelby

Reason for nomination:Shaneira Harris led Baptist Health Shelby’s HR transformation, including real-time staffing models, workforce engagement programs, and succession pipelines that significantly improved retention and frontline morale.

Kristina Coon, VP Total Rewards, Novant Health

Reason for nomination:Kristina Coon redesigned Novant’s total rewards strategy with a focus on equity, career growth, and holistic well-being, aligning talent experience with system strategy to improve attraction and retention.

Sara AlAfandi, Vice President Human Resources, Eastern Health Cluster

Reason for nomination:Sara AlAfandi implemented agile workforce models and data-driven strategies in alignment with Vision 2030, saving over $94M while increasing workforce flexibility and talent mobility across Saudi Arabia’s EHC.

Lydia McGhee, Executive Director Caregiver Experience, Mercy

Reason for nomination:Lydia McGhee elevated caregiver experience through data-informed listening strategies, enhancing feedback loops, recognition, and trust across Mercy’s workforce—fueling engagement and retention.