Each year, the holiday spirit only amplifies the gratitude and admiration we have for health care professionals in Texas hospitals. Although we celebrate their hard work and dedication year-round, health care workers’ unwavering commitment and compassionate care means even more to their patients and their community during the holiday season.
For the 12 days leading up to Christmas, THA is honoring 12 health care heroes from across Texas who have made a remarkable difference in their hospital and their community. Please join us in celebrating and thanking our 2024 health care heroes:
For the 12 days leading up to Christmas, THA is honoring 12 health care heroes from across Texas who have made a remarkable difference in their hospital and their community. Please join us in celebrating and thanking our 2024 health care heroes:
Olabiyi Akala, M.D.
DHR Health
Dr. Akala, who serves in a critical leadership role in the fast-paced, high-stakes environment of emergency medicine, is an extraordinary ER physician at DHR Health. He goes above and beyond to deliver swift, compassionate, and life-saving care working hand-in-hand with our Level 1 Trauma Center. His unwavering focus and decisive actions not only save lives but also bring hope and reassurance to patients and their families during their most critical moments. His confidence under pressure coupled with this genuine calm nature, passion for medicine, and commitment to excellence have allowed him to lead effectively and elevate the standards of emergency care in his region.
Kelly Bradberry
St. Luke’s Health-Brazosport Hospital
Kelly Bradberry demonstrates compassion and kindness daily through her dedication to her team, her patients, and her involvement in the community. In her role as the ER director at St. Luke’s Health-Brazosport Hospital, Kelly is known to run to the store to pick up much needed items for patients in need. For example, Kelly recently noticed an unhoused patient in the ER with only one shoe. She immediately stopped what she was doing to go get him a pair of shoes and other items. Kelly’s dedication and care for her patients goes beyond her role and responsibilities in the ER.
Rachel Cochran
Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Rachel Cochran, manager of the Neuro Trauma ICU at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, embodies leadership, innovation, and compassion. She played a pivotal role in developing the ICU into an award-winning primary stroke center, introducing Rapid AI technology for real-time blood clot detection and reducing door-to-decision times by 50%. Her efforts enable life-saving thrombectomies and ensure patients receive exceptional care. Beyond the ICU, Rachel promotes organ donation through the LifeGift Donor Operations Council, saving over 24 lives since January 2024. Her community involvement and collaboration with EMS teams reflect her unwavering dedication to improving lives and spreading hope.
Cook Children’s Health Plan Team
Cook Children’s
The Cook Children’s Health Plan is a dedicated team of nearly 400 employees, led by President Karen Love, Vice President of Clinical Affairs Dr. Kimberly Aaron, Assistant Vice President of Quality and Service Coordination Crystal O’Reilly, COO Sherry Vetter; and Vice President of Finance Richard Lee. The CCHP team works tirelessly to ensure that children and families in North Texas have access to quality health care. Their steadfast leadership and unwavering commitment to patients are helping to improve the lives of Texans.
Audrey Hubbard, DNP, RN, CPHQ, HACP
Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center
Dr. Audrey Hubbard is the director of comprehensive care management, director of health care improvement, and entity compliance liaison for Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center. She has also been a nurse for more than 42 years. In her role, Dr. Hubbard leads the charge in reducing harm to patients in all areas, is head of quality and sits on the committee for ambulatory CLABSI for National Solution for Patient Safety Organization. In addition to her role, she also teaches a children’s bible program and plays piano at our Celebrations of Life for our patients who have passed away. Dr. Hubbard has been nominated for the Daisy Nurse Leader Lifetime Award. Her compassion for patients and dedication to quality care, while also serving as a mentor to those around her, are an inspiration to those in her hospital and her community.
Katy Kirksey
Medical City Denton
Katy Kirksey serves as the director of case management at Medical City Denton. When the hospital received eight trauma victims from a rollover accident who spoke mainly Haitian Creole French, Katy launched her extensive network to ensure that the victims’ families were notified, the victims had a warm bed and appropriate care upon discharge, and understood their situation. Her compassion and professionalism helped ensure that these vulnerable patients were well cared for. Katy also serves her community through her volunteerism and as well as encouraging her entire department to engage with the Denton community. Katy leads by example in volunteering at Denton’s only low-barrier homeless shelter to prepare meals, wash dishes and serve the homeless, as well as at the local food pantry. Katy was recently recognized by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Texoma Branch as the Social Worker of the Year. This recognition speaks to the high performance of her clinical skills and depth of knowledge as she contributes to our hospital and the community. She was also recently awarded the President’s Award for the outstanding employee of the year for all of Medical City Healthcare.
Gabby Maldonado
CHRISTUS Children’s
As a nurse on CHRISTUS Children’s special medicine unit, Gabby Maldonado is an advocate for both her patients and patients throughout the hospital. She advocates for her patients in ways that reflect the same love and commitment a parent would offer, even stepping in to support families when they cannot be there. One mom shared that “she’s advocated for my son in ways that I would advocate for him when I couldn’t be here with him.” Additionally, she went above and beyond by engaging her son’s Pee Wee football team to recognize an oncology patient during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, sharing lessons of compassion and advocacy with the next generation, and demonstrating her unwavering commitment to her patients and the community.
Kenneth J. Moise Jr., MD
Dell Children’s Medical Center
Dr. Kenneth Moise is a board-certified maternal-fetal medicine specialist and the director of the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center (CFCC) at Dell Children’s, the first fetal care center in Central Texas to provide care for babies with complex fetal and congenital conditions. Dr. Moise provides family-centered, compassionate, comprehensive care to patients at their most vulnerable. Under Dr. Moise’s leadership, the multidisciplinary team at the CFCC ensures patients receive the highest level of specialized care before, during and after the delivery of their baby. The CFCC is proudly growing and recently saw their 1000th patient.
Brandon Stafford
Medical City Las Colinas
Brandon Stafford is a house supervisor at Medical City Las Colinas. He spent a significant part of his career as an Emergency Room RN and has been a valuable resource for the hospital’s clinical teams. He supports a sense of calmness in the most challenging situations, and his team has named him the psychiatric patient whisperer. He has the ability to deescalate this patient population with his compassionate connection and soothing disposition. Brandon is consistently recognized for his advocacy for patient safety and by his peers for his unwavering support. He is a strong clinical resource, an advocate for patient service, and an exceptional nurse.
Myra Tapp, MSN, RN, CCRN
Medical City McKinney
Myra Tapp is an exceptional ICU nurse at Medical City McKinney. She leads with compassion, dedication, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others. Myra is committed to helping her team members succeed, even if that means supporting them in opportunities that take them beyond her department. One of Myra’s most admirable qualities is her selflessness. She genuinely celebrates the growth of her team and sees their success as her own, which is a rare and admirable trait in any leader. Myra embodies the spirit of a true health care hero—someone who uplifts others, strengthens her team, and leads with heart. Her team shares that the ICU team is stronger because of her.
University Health Women’s & Children’s Hospital Maternity Team
University Health
This December the University Health Women’s & Children’s Hospital Maternity Team marked their first year in the hospital by delivering more babies than ever before – more than 5,500 by year’s end. Their many awards include being named as one of the 2025 Best Maternity Hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The recognition follows their greatly reducing maternal mortality and morbidity while increasing the number of women who have healthy vaginal deliveries instead of cesarean sections. They are committed to improving the outcomes of mothers and giving their babies a healthy start in life.
Robyn Williamson
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa
Robyn Williamson is a nurse lead at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa- San Marcos. She recently demonstrated extraordinary compassion in a sensitive situation involving a patient who unexpectedly delivered her baby outside of the department. Robyn took it upon herself to understand the circumstances and provide support for the patient and her spouse. She spent valuable time with them, offering comfort during the event. Even days later, Robyn continued to go above and beyond, personally arranging for handprints and footprints of the baby as keepsakes, ensuring that the family had lasting memories despite the challenging circumstances.
Congratulations to this year’s health care heroes, and thank you all for your continued dedication to your hospital and your community.
Click below to see the 2023 featured health care heroes.
2023 Health Care Heroes
Ana Acosta
UMC El Paso
Ana Acosta is UMC’s Injury Prevention and Education Specialist and Safe Kids El Paso Coordinator for Trauma Services. She has worked to bring awareness to trauma prevention in the community by organizing and partaking in events, such as Bike to School Day, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and Stop the Bleed. Ana is also a member of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of El Paso, which raises awareness on the importance of water safety.
Kiama Bryant
Medical City McKinney
Kiama Bryant is an ICU RN at Medical City McKinney. As an ICU RN, Kiama brings a positive impact to her patients and coworkers on a daily basis. She values service not just within the hospital but also through her active involvement in Girl Scouts and various volunteer programs. Her contributions extend beyond patient care, as she actively shapes her unit’s culture and advocates for impactful process and policy changes, showcasing her dedication to improvement and excellence always. Kiama’s resilience and frontline leadership were instrumental in leading the unit through the aftermath of the Allen shootings, highlighting her profound impact on the unit’s ability to heal and move forward during challenging times.
Lucas Friedel
Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Lucas Friedel steers the Respiratory Therapy Department at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center. He fondly refers to respiratory therapists as the ‘Batman of Health Care,’ silently swooping in to save the day, their names often unknown. Respiratory therapy, often the unsung hero, was brought into the spotlight during the pandemic, with caring for mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU as just one facet of their invaluable duties. Under Lucas’ steadfast guidance, the Respiratory Therapy Department, alongside the ICU Nurses, have spent the past two years without a single case of Ventilator Acquired Pneumonia, a testament to their unwavering commitment to patient care and safety. Lucas’ team attributes their success to his precision and leadership along the way.
Melody Gardner
Parkland Health
Melody Gardner, MSN, MHA, BSN, RN exemplifies what it means to be a servant leader. She is dedicated to serving patients and educating the next generation of nurse leaders. As senior director of nursing for BioTel, Behavioral Health, the North Texas Poison Center and Parkland’s Observation unit, Melody’s compassion reaches far beyond the hospital’s four walls. She goes the extra mile to provide support for her staff and is willing to cover their shifts when needed. Her staff describes her as a “stoic example of nursing, always the mentor, always approachable and always there for all who need her.”
Cassandra Hellard
El Paso Children’s Hospital
Caring for the youth has been a long-held mission for Cassandra Hellard, a registered nurse in the general pediatric unit at El Paso Children’s Hospital in El Paso, Texas. As a young girl Cassandra was always looking out for her peers and those younger than her and now four years into her nursing career nothing has changed. This Daisy Award winning RN is part of multiple councils within the hospital and her designated department such as the Unit Based Council, Clinical Staffing Committee, Peer Review Committee and the Peer Interview Committee. Cassandra is committed to improving patient care and when asked about her overall personal mission she said, “I take care of my patients the way I would want my family members to be taken care of.”
Neely Helton
UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas
As assistant director of command center operations, Neely is constantly aware of all movement going on in the hospital. Her primary role is ensuring that patients are safely and efficiently transferred in, out, assigned to the appropriate unit, and discharged. Hospital throughput and patient flow optimization are vital to hospital operations and enhancing the patient care experience and Neely is at the forefront of UT Southwestern’s throughput operations. Her colleagues consistently recognize her for her efforts of going above and beyond and doing what is necessary to ensure the patient gets what they need. She comes in early, stays late, is there during nights and weekends when needed, and is always going the extra mile to support her team.
Molly Miller
Medical City Dallas
Molly Miller is a cardiac rehab nurse at Medical City Dallas. Molly is known among patients and fellow nurses for her kind, caring and supportive demeanor. She approaches patient care with compassion and attention to detail. Recently, Molly paid extra close attention and voiced concern for the patient when she noticed something wasn’t quite right. The patient did in fact require immediate intervention and the unit was able to provide life-saving care thanks to Molly’s observation. That patient shared, “If it weren’t for Molly, I’d be dead right now.”
Paras Patel, M.D.
JPS Health
Dr. Paras Patel is a board-certified interventional pulmonologist with specialized fellowship training. He is a part of the Comprehensive Interventional Pulmonary Program at JPS Health Network, a unique program that only a few hospitals in Texas offer. The program includes the robotic navigational bronchoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure that helps diagnose lung cancer and its stage, leading to early detection and improved quality of life for patients. Dr. Patel’s fellowship training allows him to be the only JPS Physician to operate the robotic navigational bronchoscopy, which has improved the lives of many patients. Previously, patients with small lung nodules had to wait until they grew before being diagnosed and staged, often leading to a stage two or three diagnosis. However, with the robotic navigational bronchoscopy, these nodules can now be detected at stage one, allowing for earlier treatment and better outcomes.
Erin Perez, DNP
University Health
Dr. Erin Perez, APRN, ANP-C,AGNP-C, ACHPN is an adult and geriatric nurse practitioner that subspecializes in palliative and hospice care at University Health. Dr. Perez is an avid advocate for the nursing profession and high-risk patient populations. She is recognized as a pioneer in advancing Supportive Palliative Care for vulnerable Texans. In May of 2021 Dr. Perez won her first elected position for Live Oak City Council Place three by 60% of the vote. Her work and advocacy has also changed the landscape by creating a new service line in Senate Bill (SB) 916 for the 86th legislative session that defined Supportive Palliative Care from Hospice Care in Texas statute. She has been a lead contributor for the legislative report recommendations, bill drafting and state deliverables for the Texas Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Advisory Council since the inception in the 84th legislative session. She published a bilingual guidebook with an accompanied master class video on Goals, Wishes and Advanced Care Planning through Nurses Care Hub for health care clinicians, patients and families.
Mary Stankus
CHRISTUS Southeast Texas
In a moment that required swift and decisive action, labor and delivery nurse Mary Stankus (right), equipped with the CPR training she received, demonstrated extraordinary courage and skill. When two young girls were discovered unresponsive after being pulled from a swimming pool, Mary and her brother immediately leaped into action, administering life-saving CPR. Their quick thinking combined with the invaluable CPR skills acquired through dedicated training played a crucial role in reviving both girls before the arrival of first responders. This remarkable incident serves as a powerful testament to Mary’s dedication to the well-being of others and her ability to act decisively in the face of adversity. Her actions not only saved lives but also underscored the importance of CPR training in the community.
Rhonda Trotter
Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital
It took Rhonda Trotter, RN, nearly four decades to achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. In 1983, when she graduated from high school, she was a single mother living with her parents and trying to chart a path to a successful career. But obstacles kept getting in the way of her nursing education—first, caring for her own child, then caring for her ailing parents, while working a demanding job at the U.S. Postal Service. Then came the pandemic. But in January of this year, she earned her diploma, and later the same month, she earned her RN license. In March, she started working at Memorial Hermann Southwest. “I tell people: I graduated from nursing school at 57 years old. It’s never too late to accomplish your dream,” Trotter says.
Team JamieLynn and AmieLynn
Cook Children’s Medical Center
In January, a team of 25 medical professionals, including six surgeons, made headlines around the world after the successful surgical separation of conjoined twins for the first time in Cook Children’s 105-year history. While the surgery itself was heroic, the team’s work began months before the birth of JamieLynn and AmieLynn Finley and their arrival at Cook Children’s NICU soon after. This team worked in lock-step to provide the innovative care the girls required to support their unique growth and development needs, and to orchestrate the complicated 11-hour separation surgery. Thanks to their imagination, skill and collaboration, today, the Finely sisters are enjoying their lives together, but separate.
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