PBN announces 9 Health Care Heroes

PROVIDENCE – Eight health care professionals and one health education program have been named honorees in Providence Business News’ inaugural Health Care Heroes awards program.

The honorees were chosen from a pool of applicants, and are recognized for their work and making a difference in the health care sector in both Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Honorees will be recognized during PBN’s annual Health Care Summit on April 6 at the Providence Marriott Downtown.

Profiles of the honorees will be published in the April 14 print edition of PBN. The honorees, and their categories, are:

  • Career Achievement: Dr. Pablo Rodriguez, Nuestra Salud Productions LLC founder and CEO
  • Advancement in Health Care: Dioscaris Garcia, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School assistant professor of orthopaedics, assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion; and director of the Center for Student Belonging, Recruitment and Retention
  • Health Care Administrator: Dr. Jennifer Ritzau, HopeHealth vice president, medical staff
  • Health Care Educator: University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy
  • Mental Health Provider/Advocate: Patricia Fiske, The Groden Network senior director of adult services and director of nursing
  • Nurse: Meghan McCoy, Newport Hospital registered nurse
  • Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant: Kacia Yazbak Toussaint, Westerly Hospital physician assistant
  • Home Health Care: Brenda Brassard, PACE Organization of Rhode Island lead certified nursing assistant – home care
  • Physician: Dr. Kwame Dapaah-Afriyie, The Miriam Hospital director of the Division of Hospitalist Medicine

A buffet breakfast will be served at the summit, which will feature a panel of health experts and business leaders discussing multiple facets and challenges within the health care sector. Among the topics to be discussed will be workforce shortages, access, affordability and health care inequities, as well as collaboration and innovation. Panelists will be announced at a later date.

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Tickets for the event cost $75 and can be purchased by visiting PBN.com.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is the presenting sponsor for PBN’s 2023 Health Care Summit and Health Care Heroes awards program. Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island; Lifespan Corp.; UnitedHealthcare of New England; Tufts Health Plan, a Point32Health Co.; and Commonwealth Care Alliance of Rhode Island are partner sponsors.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.