Celebrating Healthcare Excellence in North Texas

Individuals

Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert Walker, CEO of Scottish Rite for Children. Robert Walker started his healthcare journey at Parkland and later joined Scottish Rite. In 1979, he received a call and joined the hospital shortly after its opening. He served in various leadership positions and in fiscal year 2023, the Dallas and Frisco campuses hosted a large number of outpatient visits and surgeries. U.S. News and World Report ranked it highly. An avid runner, he has dedicated 45 years to building the hospital into a global leader in pediatric orthopedics and related fields.

Outstanding Healthcare Advocate: Erica Olenski, August's Artists. She is the mother of a three-time brain cancer and stroke survivor. She managed her son's complex care while advocating for vulnerable populations and started a nonprofit using art as a trauma-recovery tool. August's Artists began at Children's Health and is now expanding nationwide.

Outstanding Healthcare Practitioner

Winner: Dr. Christopher Berry, Oak Street Health. He is the senior medical director of a value-based primary care provider with an elderly and vulnerable patient population. He balances leadership and personal engagement, overseeing 45 medical professionals. He goes the extra mile for patients, from home visits to organizing psychiatric care. His DFW clinics have grown significantly.

Finalists: Dr. Shaun Garff, Methodist Mansfield Medical Center; Dr. Alan Podawiltz, JPS Health Network; Dr. Gregory Smith, Texas Health Physicians Group; Dr. Robert Smith, Baylor Scott & White Health.

Outstanding Healthcare Executive

Winner: Freda Mowad, Quality Rehab Management. She founded her company in 2018 to enhance outcomes in the skilled nursing industry. She started as a speech-language pathologist and grew her company to 160 full-time employees, helping with various aspects. Her balance of clinical knowledge and business acumen is key to her success.

Finalists: Michael Adams, 7-Eleven; Mark Hebard, Spine Team Texas; Luke Hejl, TimelyCare; Brian Tyler, McKesson Corp.; John Zutter, Lantern.

Outstanding Health System Executive

Winner: Michael Horne, Parkland Health Foundation. He has dedicated the last five years to making healthcare more accessible in Dallas County. He led a $48 million campaign to construct a Center for Breast Health and a $12 million campaign for pediatric health treatment. He ensures his organization is at the forefront of health equity.

Finalists: Allen Harrison, Medical City Healthcare; Pete McCanna, Baylor Scott & White Health; Pam Stoyanoff, Methodist Health System.

Outstanding Healthcare Innovator

Winner: Kathi Cox, Texas Health Resources. Her innovation in healthcare spans three decades. She has implemented real-time location technology, centralized electronic health records, and an integrated virtual behavioral health service. Since 2022, she has focused on expanding acute care at-home programs and virtual urgent care.

Finalists: Dr. Karl Csaky, Retina Foundation of the Southwest; Scott Hurst, Patient Physician Network/LibertatemHoldings; Raji Kumar, Crescent Regional Hospital; Alfonso Montiel, SilverStone Health.

Outstanding Volunteer

Winner: Mike Koenig, Methodist Mansfield Medical Center. As president and in other leadership roles for the hospital's auxiliary, he has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for hospital initiatives. A retired Lieutenant Colonel and commercial pilot, he has contributed 3,300 hours of service and helped with medical mission trips and budget-related programs.

Finalists: Karissa Beauvais, Children's Health; Orise Kopnak, Baylor Scott & White Health; Mike Stovall, Texas Health Resources/Texas Health Dallas.

Organizations

Achievement in Community Outreach

Winner: JPS Health Network. It collaborates with an organization to provide stability and resources to homeless individuals and supplies community health workers. The program has reduced emergency room visits and helped many find permanent housing and healthcare.

Finalists: Methodist Mansfield Medical Center; Prism Health North Texas; Texas Health Resources.

Achievement in Innovation

Winner: Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation. Since its founding, it has been at the forefront of healthcare innovation in North Texas. One of its latest contributions is a program to store and analyze patient information securely. Led by Dr. Steve Miff, it uses AI to enhance healthcare decisions.

Finalists: Health Wildcatters; Texas Health Physicians Group; Transworld Systems; Verily.

Outstanding Healthcare Collaboration

Winner: Baylor Scott & White Health and Uplift Education. This collaboration arose from a grant to create a healthcare-focused public charter school. Students get hands-on healthcare experience and can fast-track their healthcare careers.

Finalists: JPS Health Network and Hear Fort Worth; Methodist Midlothian Medical Center and Midlothian ISD; Parkland Health and Childhood Poverty Action Lab; Texas Health Resources and Austin Street Center.

Achievement in Medical Research

Winner: Scottish Rite for Children. It employs leading researchers and is working on improving bone healing and regeneration. The winning research team has received significant grant funding and a physician has made significant contributions with 160 research papers.

Finalists: Alpha Cognition; Scottish Rite for Children; UT Southwestern Medical Center; UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth.

Achievement in Wellness Programs

Winner: Texas Health Resources. It has removed the stigma around mental health treatment for healthcare workers and provides onsite counseling. In 2023, its employee assistance program had high satisfaction rates and responded to critical incidents.

Finalists: JPS Health Network; Salience Health; Whitley Penn.

Outstanding Health System

Winner: Baylor Scott & White Health. It has led in patient service with an industry-leading healthcare app and a new customer experience office. It is also building new hospitals and expanding its reach.

Finalists: Medical City Healthcare; UT Southwestern Medical Center; CHRISTUS Health.

Outstanding Medical Real Estate Project

Winner: JPS Health Network's Thrive on Crawford. It created a public-private partnership to build a 67-unit residential development with affordable and market-rate units. The development includes various support programs to address the affordable housing crisis.

Finalists: Baylor Scott & White Health's new Frisco campus; Children's Health's Plano campus expansion; Methodist Health System's Celina Medical Center; Texas Health Resources' Rockwall expansion.

Outstanding Merger or Acquisition

Winner: Medical City Healthcare's acquisition of Wise Health System. It completed the acquisition of a rural health system, increasing the number of inpatient hospitals in North Texas. The acquisition helped stabilize a group and provide quality care to rural patients.

Finalists: Baylor Scott & White Health's NextCare acquisition; Platinum Dermatology Partners acquisition of Skin & Cancer Associates; Addus HomeCare acquires Tennessee Quality Care.