Advanced Practice Provider of the Year

Diane McKeeff, APRN, Assistant Medical Director of Primary Care

(Nominated by Robert Gianfrocco, MD, Medical Director, Express Care)

“It is my honor to nominate Advanced Practitioner of the Year to Diane McKeeff. Primary Care is a difficult business in the best of times coordinating all aspects of a patients care. Lately, it has become even more challenging given the shortage of primary care clinicians. There is a huge demand for these vital primary care services. Capturing a greater number of those patients is vital to SCH’s mission. Diane is helping SCH build that primary care patient base so vital to all inpatient and outpatient specialty practices.”

Employee of the Year

Kimberly D’Ellena, RN, Transitional Care Coordinator, Case Management

(Nominated by Angela Cosmi, Administrative Assistant, Hospitalist Department as well as the Case Management and Behavioral Health Team)

“Kim is the epitome of what a health care worker should be - calm cool and collected in the most stressful of times. She has been with me and has talked to patients and calmed them down. She takes her time to explain processes and procedures and what the patient and their family can expect. When it comes to her coworkers, she is always ready to lend a hand and help out. She is a great teacher and is a wealth of knowledge. She interacts with everyone in such a positive manner - employees and visitors.  She has a smile for everyone!”

Excellence in Stewardship

Razel Grecia, Revenue Cycle, CDI Specialist 

(Nominated by Rafal Wasilewski, Analyst, Revenue Cycle)

“Razel prevented the loss of $359,000 net to SCH by appealing and winning DRG downgrades in FY24.  She is the only person at SCH fighting payers on their DRG downgrades.  And she has another $294,000 net for FY24 still in the fight.  This means Razel alone could potentially save the hospital from a $653,000 loss for FY24.  Razel's clinical knowledge and appeal construction has received praise from physicians and ELT.  Razel is very thorough and does not give up a fight... even if she has to dispute the same denial 6 or 7 times. She should be recognized for her contributions to SCH.”

Leader of the Year

Katie Tappero, RN, Telemetry, Director 

(Nominated by Deborah Randall, AVP, Quality & Risk Management)

“Katie consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to patient safety, ensuring it remains a central focus in her daily work and in the practices of her team. Her thoughtful, proactive approach exemplifies the principles of high-reliability healthcare and reflects a clear understanding of how everyday decisions and observations can have a lasting impact on patient outcomes.” 

Nurse of the Year

Rachael Burch Maguire, RN, Med Surg

(Nominated by Siobhan Ryan, RN, Director, Med Surg., Float, & Borda)

“Rachael consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that each patient receives not only the best possible clinical care but also the dignity, comfort, and respect they deserve. Whether managing complex post-operative care, comforting anxious families, or mentoring new nurses on the floor, Rachael is a steady, trusted presence whose work truly makes a difference.”

Patient Safety Champion

Julia Ricard, PT, DPT, Inpatient Rehab Services, Team Leader

(Nominated by Julie Parrillo, RN, Director of Orthopedics and Inpatient Rehab Services)

“Julia Ricard has a passion for and integrates patient safety into her practice each and every day.  She inspires and motivates everyone she comes in contact with to prioritize patient safety.  She has fostered a culture of safety within the Inpatient Rehab Department under her leadership where everyone feels empowered to speak up and contribute to patient safety.”

Physician of the Year

Peter Graves, MD, MBA, President of the Medical Staff, Chief of Emergency Medicine

(Nominated by Kevin Charpentier, MD, Chief Medical Officer)

“Amongst his physician peers, Dr. Graves is recognized as a leader in providing safe, high quality evidenced based care.  While providing high quality care is an essential component of this recognition, being recognized as the Physician of the year award goes beyond just the quality of the care that is delivered.  It is equally about the manner in which the care is delivered.  As many you will attest, Dr. Graves embodies our values of integrity, caring and respect in his daily work with both patients and staff.  He leads by example, consistently demonstrating some of the highest scores in quality measures we monitor for the emergency room physicians.”

President’s Award

Matt Moeller, Director, Marketing and Communications 

(Awarded by President & CEO Aaron Robinson)

"Matt Moeller is a shining example of SCH values in action: He is talented, hard-working, persistent, collaborative, and relentlessly pursues excellence. I am very grateful to work with him and that he is committed to our organization and community."