We salute our Health Care Heroes!
BizTimes Media LLC presents a series of impactful public events throughout the year, and our calendar always wraps up with the Health Care Heroes Awards Breakfast.
It’s a perfect bow to wrap around our year and a gift-wrapped way to get into the holiday spirit.
Every year, we are amazed by the contributions of our Heroes to the quality of life in our community.
This year, we are saluting Heroes who are making a difference in so many ways, from tending to the homeless and people with mental health issues, to improving the chances of survival for premature babies and providing hospice care.
This year’s Grand Achievement Award goes to Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital. The new hospital on Milwaukee’s east side culminates years of planning and construction. This breathtaking structure will improve the quality of care in the city for generations to come.
Once again, BizTimes is blessed to have a fantastic panel of judges for our Health Care Heroes Awards program. These judges, who are so generous with their time and their commitment to this program, include: Phyllis King, Ph.D., associate dean, professor and associate director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Ergonomics; Heidi Mayer, executive director of the Lutheran Home Foundation; Karen Ordinans, executive director of the Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin; Dr. Sarah Pratt, a pediatrician who is the past president of the Medical Society of Milwaukee County and a past member of the Wisconsin Medical Society Board of Directors; and Connie Roethel, R.N., wellness expert and president of Core Health Group in Mequon;
Kudos also go out to Julie Sneider, an independent journalist who compiled the profiles of the Heroes in this special section.
I want to thank our sponsor, Humana, for once again recognizing the value of this program and the inspiration these Heroes provide for the community.
Finally, I want to thank each of our Health Care Heroes. We present their stories and this special program as holiday gifts to our readers.
Dan Meyer
Publisher, BizTimes Milwaukee
Grand Achievement Award
Advancements in Health Care
- Mark Rakowski, executive director, Children’s Community Health Plan
- Ilse Tikkanen, RN, CBN, coordinator, Bariatric Center of Excellence, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – Elmbrook Memorial
Community Service
- Tricia Burkett, MSW, CSW, Safe Place for Newborns coordinator, Safe Place for Newborns Program, Wheaton Franciscan – St. Joseph
- John Cary, executive director, MACC Fund
Corporate Achievement in Health Care
- Acres of Hope & Aspirations, Rehabilitation Specialists
- Channing Tassone, MD, Orthopedic Center staff, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Health Care Staff
- Dan Baker, director, Crisis Resource Center, Transitional Living Services Inc. (TLS) an affiliate of MCFI
- The Horizon Rehab Team – Lori Baeckman, Lisa Birch, Jan Mechanic, Horizon Home Care & Hospice Inc.
Nurse
- Elizabeth Hill-Karbowski, certified nurse midwife, clinical site co-director of Medical Student Education, Wheaton Franciscan – St. Joseph
- Ellen Krueger, nurse, St. Ben’s Clinic for the Homeless (Columbia St. Mary’s)
- Jim Peters, R.N., R.N. case manager, Horizon Home Care & Hospice Inc.
Physician
- Dr. Michael McCrea, M.D., Ph.D., director, ProHealth Care Neuroscience Center and Research Institute
- Dr. Traci Purath, M.D., physician, Wheaton Francsican Medical Group
Volunteer
- Dr. Basil Jackson, psychiatrist on staff at Community Memorial Hospital, Jackson Psychiatric Center, S.C.
- Geny Kroll, volunteer, Bobbe’s Gift Shoppe, Froedtert Hospital
Stories written by: Julie Sneider
Photos by: Paul Gaertner, White Dog Photography
