UR Medicine Thompson Health recently presented its Associate of the Year Award as well as more than 30 Shining Star Awards, recognizing individuals throughout the health system who were both nominated and selected by their peers.
The 2020 Associate of the Year is Sarah Gallagher of Canandaigua. A nurse, Gallagher is both the stroke coordinator for F.F. Thompson Hospital and a quality improvement coordinator for the health system.
An anonymous committee of employees reviews all of the nominations submitted by fellow employees and makes the selections.
This year’s Shining Stars are the following: Halie Adams of Farmington, case management/social work, M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center; Melissa Bauer of Victor, physician practice management; Stephanie Bavis of Newark, pharmacy; Lisa Beeman of Geneva, physician billing; Kristen Bloom of Macedon, infection control; Kerry Clark of Canandaigua, pharmacy; Mary Kate Corey of Stanley, nursing ICU; Tessa Cratsley of Naples, emergency department/urgent care center registration; Amanda DeWispelaere of Wayland, nursing obstetrics; Vicki Erway of Farmington, hospital nursing floats; Melanie Ferrin-Morey of Shortsville, nursing operating room; John Goodman of Canandaigua, MRI; Stephen Harrington of Avon, purchasing; Laura Hernandez of Bloomfield, environmental services; Melissa Hoffman of Pittsford, nursing obstetrics; Kimberly Hyde of Middlesex, nursing operating room; Mathew Janczak of Farmington, M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center, administration/rehabilitation services; Cindy Kaufman of Canandaigua, wellness/human resources; Holly Maynard of Port Gibson, internal medicine; Lauren Maynard of Naples, diabetes education; Marco Mennucci of Livonia, pharmacy; Physician Leslie Myers of Canandaigua, medical staff; Kenneth Nesbitt of Middlesex, nursing post-anesthesia care unit; Christine Reyes of Palmyra, case management/social work; Heather Sadler of Farmington, outpatient OB/GYN; Melissa Sharp of Fairport, hospital nursing administration; George Smith of Canandaigua, facility services; Physician Joseph Talarico of Victor, general surgery; James Taylor of Rush, nutrition services; James Ufholz of Newark, purchasing; Claire Watson of Naples, resident services; Kerry Westerfield of Himrod, M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center Skilled Transitional Unit; Physician Max Yarowsky of Geneseo, hospitalists.
Typically, Thompson recognizes the associate of the year and the Shining Star recipients during a ceremony often attended by their loved ones. Due to the pandemic, the CEO presented this year’s awards individually. He surprised each recipient in their work setting, joined by a small group of others.