2023 Award Recipients

Cameos of Caring® award recipients are recognized as role models within their facility and beyond.  Each facility selects their 2023 award recipient.  Individuals recognized within the specialty categories (Advanced Practice, Case Manager, Donate Life, Quality & Safety, Research & Scholarship) are nominated by their facility, then designated committees select a limited number of award recipients for these areas. 

The 2023 honorees represent a variety of health systems/hospitals and schools of nursing.  They also span a great number of specialty areas including: anesthesia, oncology, education, intensive care, pediatrics, emergency nursing and many more areas.

The 2023 award recipients are:

Facilities Honorees Award Category
AHN Allegheny General Hospital Elaina Chisom Case Manager
AHN Allegheny General Hospital Taylor J. Criste Advanced Practice 
AHN Allegheny General Hospital Sidney Gropp General
AHN Allegheny General Hospital Mary Anne Richert Advanced Practice 
AHN Allegheny Valley Hospital Mindy Nikolaevich General
AHN Canonsburg Hospital Bridget Vollmer General
AHN Citizens School of Nursing Courtney Klink Nurse Educator
AHN Forbes Hospital Sarah Anderson General
AHN Jefferson Hospital Amy Gentilcore General
AHN Jefferson Hospital Abigail Hebb Quality & Safety
AHN Saint Vincent Hospital Jacquelyn D'Amico Quality & Safety
AHN Saint Vincent Hospital Charles Auen General
AHN West Penn Hospital Claire Roman Madden Advanced Practice 
AHN West Penn Hospital Christopher Fee General
AHN West Penn School of Nursing  Eric Dietrick Nurse Educator
AHN Wexford Hospital Alycia Kerstetter Advanced Practice 
AHN Wexford Hospital  Justyna Wyman General
Armstrong County Memorial Hospital Jacob Opalka General
Carlow University Danielle Curran Nurse Educator
Duquesne University Amber L. Kolesar Nurse Educator
Duquesne University L. Kathleen Sekula Research & Scholarship
Heritage Valley Beaver Jamie Nuske General
Heritage Valley Kennedy Heather Gutt General
Heritage Valley Sewickley  Amy Martin General
Indiana Regional Medical Center Natalie Saemmer General
Robert Morris University Margaret R. Rateau Nurse Educator
St. Clair Hospital Pamela Roberts General
University of Pittsburgh Catherine Bender Lifetime Achievement
University of Pittsburgh Denise Charron-Prochownik Research & Scholarship
University of Pittsburgh Susan W. Wesmiller Nurse Educator
University of Pittsburgh Physicians, Department of Anesthesiology Suellen Jordan Gallegos General
UPMC Altoona Sarah Clark General
UPMC Bedford Tara Wise General
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Samantha M. Norris General
UPMC Community Osteopathic Hospital Casey Hetrick General
UPMC Community Osthepathic Hospital Claire Bethel Research & Scholarship
UPMC East Samara Mowry General
UPMC Hamot Allison Joy DiPlacido Advanced Practice 
UPMC Hamot Jennifer Kaschak General
UPMC Hamot Bradley A. White Quality & Safety
UPMC Harrisburg Jason Farrow General
UPMC Health Plan Maureen Pentz Case Manager
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Carrie Richards General
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Network Sandell Baker General
UPMC Home Healthcare Stacey Schaeffer General
UPMC Horizon Saleena Naper General
UPMC Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione Maria Ziino Colanino General
UPMC Jameson Rachel Buchanan General
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Kristin S. Vitalone Advanced Practice 
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital  Tiarra Smith General
UPMC McKeesport Elizabeth Sorensen General
UPMC Mercy Heather Dixon Quality & Safety
UPMC Mercy Margaret Drahnak Case Manager
UPMC Mercy Valerie Krasneski-Schreiber Advanced Practice 
UPMC Mercy Colleen Yaksick General
UPMC Northwest Katina Drayer General
UPMC Passavant Mariah Kunzelman General
UPMC Passavant Elizabeth Reiser Case Manager
UPMC Presbyterian Kristie Milis General
UPMC Presbyterian Sarah Michelle Ortenzo Donate Life
UPMC Presbyterian Natalie M. Scarmack Advanced Practice 
UPMC Presbyterian Aprille Young Advanced Practice 
UPMC Rehabilitation Institute  Holly Breznai General
UPMC Salvator Mundi International Hospital  Marco Pellegrini General
UPMC Schools of Nursing Allison Hicks Nurse Educator
UPMC Senior Communities Cindy Harrah General
UPMC Shadyside Kimberly A. Klamut Quality & Safety
UPMC Shadyside Nicolette C. Mininni Lifetime Achievement
UPMC Shadyside  Shannon Grainy General
UPMC Somerset Allison Ward General
UPMC St. Margaret Adel Mansour General
UPMC Travel Staffing Stephanie Young General
UPMC West Shore Jennifer L. Kane Advanced Practice 
UPMC West Shore Amanda Messimer Case Manager
UPMC West Shore  Elisabeth N. Howell General
UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Meghan Pale General
UPMC Wolff Center Susan Christie Martin Quality & Safety
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Sarah M. Peebles General