Well-being Hero Award Winners

2025 Well-being Hero Award Winners

Well-being Hero Award – Individual

Awarded to individuals who champion the well-being of others through exceptional leadership, creativity, and dedication.

Winners:

• Gold: Dr. Mark Greenawald, Interim Chair, Family and Community Medicine, Medical Director, Institute for Leadership Effectiveness; Vice Chair for Academic Affairs, Well-being and Professional Development.
  • Created PeerRxMed™, a nationally recognized, free, peer-supported program designed to help physicians and others on the care team thrive both personally and professionally.  Clinicians create relationships built on trust when they sign up with a buddy, each making a commitment to support the other because "No One Cares Alone."  Weekly reminders to check in with each other are sent to participants that include thought and conversation provoking topics, helping to remove the barriers that traditionally exist in seeking support. 
• Silver: Sarah Kress, Child Life Specialist
  • Developed "Heart Cart," a place where Pediatric and PICU staff can process their feelings and create art in remembrance of patients who have passed.  Activities include painting, sculpting, beading, reflective writing, and more. The project honors the grief that healthcare workers carry with them in their daily work and provides them with space to reflect and integrate grief into their lives.
• Bronze: Abronique Berger, Unit Director, Nursing Support Services- Resource Pool
  • Demonstrates compassion for her staff by sharing a "Wellness Wednesday" email that includes healthy recipes, encouraging quotes, information about local events, and more. She encourages a good work/life balance among team members and invites staff to nominate their co-workers for employee of the month, encouraging everyone to strive to be the best version of themselves. 
• Honorable Mention: Stephanie Sparozich, Social Services Manager, Mental Health
  • Advocates for the well-being of psychiatric inpatient staff by spearheading a Morale Committee.  The committee strives to have a presence and interact in real time when Rehab staff are dealing with a challenging situation. Stephanie utilizes Wellness at Work and Robert L.A. Keeley Healing Arts resources to help employees manage stress during the work day. 

Well-being Hero Award – Team

Awarded to departments or units that have implemented outstanding wellness initiatives that positively impacted their teams.

Winners:

• Gold: Family and Community Medicine, submitted by Roger Roper, Vice President of Family & Community Medicine
  • Launched "The Power of One," a one-day workshop supporting well-being, with the goal of increasing employee engagement and decreasing turnover by focusing on the employee experience. Topics covered during the workshop include the experience of caring, emotional, self, and financial well-being, customer service basics, and how to manage difficult situations. Since the launch, 167 employees from 30 different departments have attended the class. 
• Silver: 6 South Preop/PACU, submitted by Lindsay Young, Unit Director- 6S PST, PAPA & PACU 
  • A dedicated " Planning Committee" offers compassionate support and improves team morale. One of the standout efforts of the year was Perianesthesia Nurse Awareness Week, an entire week of wellness-oriented activities that reflected the care and dedication the team brings to patients every day.  Activities included Pet Pals visits, EAP and Chaplaincy support, daily raffles, food, and a team bonding event at a Railyard Dawgs hockey game. The efforts of this team have reinforced a culture of positivity and elevated unit morale. 

Well-being Warrior Award

Awarded to individuals who have made significant strides in their personal well-being journey. Self-nominations were encouraged for this category.

Winners:

• Gold: Charlotte Clark, Quality Improvement Facilitator, Quality and Patient Safety 
  • What began as Charlotte's personal goal to lose weight and improve her health evolved into a team-wide initiative that inspired collective action. Charlotte launched a 12-week step-tracking challenge where coworkers logged daily steps, which she converted into miles and mapped a virtual journey across Carilion. This initiative not only encouraged physical activity and accountability but also fostered team spirit and sparked meaningful conversations about well-being. Charlotte's personal achievement—losing 118 pounds—served as a powerful example of how individual wellness efforts can positively influence an entire team.
• Silver: Oksoon Kwon, RN, Infusion Center
  • Oksoon lost 20 pounds and found increased energy and happiness!  She prioritized hydration and consistently walked 3 miles on the greenway after work. She wakes up 30 minutes early each day to incorporate a stretching session before work. Both her patients and coworkers have recognized the positive impact of her well-being achievements. 
• Bronze: Taylor Medley, Manager, Volunteer Services
  • Taylor invested in her health by pursuing healthy/clean eating and implementing a workout plan with the help of FitRx through Carilion Wellness. She stays active on the weekends by hiking and playing pickleball.  As a result of her dedication to her healthy lifestyle, she lost 75 pounds!
• Honorable Mention: Cara Spivey, R&D Systems and Project Manager, & Dustin Spivey, Physical Therapy  
  • Cara and Dustin are passionate about their own health, as well as the health of their community.  They established "The Wausau Track Club" to promote healthy living through positive movement.  Their community is invited to join them weekly for walks or runs, as well as wellness challenges and events to promote well-being.