University of Rochester Medicine Thompson Health recently named six of its associates as the first-quarter 2026 Service Excellence Award winners.
Recipients of the quarterly award are chosen by the health system’s Service Excellence Team, which reviews compliments from patients, families, and coworkers. Chosen were:
• Taejonea Brooks-Marrow of Farmington, a medical social worker at F.F. Thompson Hospital. A patient’s family member described her as knowledgeable, friendly and helpful, noting, “During an extremely hectic and emotional time, Tae consistently went above and beyond to make things easier for our family.”
• Josie Cichinelli of Stanley, a registered nurse in the hospital’s ICU. Her nomination said she provides care with a holistic and respectful approach. One person whose fiancé was in the ICU with stage IV cancer said, “Josie has made this unbearable time a little less painful.”
• Paige Lang of Pittsford, lead medical technician in the hospital laboratory. She promptly recognized the severity of an outpatient’s lab results and contacted the on-call physician, resulting in a trip to the emergency department for urgently needed care.
• Richard Mandanas of Farmington, a hospitalist. A patient’s family member said he explained things in understandable terms and patiently answered questions during an end-of-life journey. “I cannot overstate the genuine compassion, respect, and humaneness in his practice,” the submission said.
• Victoria McCloskey of Seneca Falls, a registered nurse in the ICU. A family member said her kindness, patience, and gentle care brought peace to both a patient and the family, adding, “We are forever grateful for the dignity, compassion, and comfort provided during the end-of-life journey.”
• Aireanna Small of Farmington, a nurse leader in the ICU. A patient said she showed tremendous compassion and advocacy, provided needed items, and “helped me feel like I could conquer all that I was dealing with.”