Our system nominated eight employees for the Ohio Hospital Association’s 2024 Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to one Ohio hospital caregiver who personifies a leader, gives back to the community, reflects the mission and values of their organization, and routinely goes beyond the call of duty.

Congratulations to this year’s nominees! Read an excerpt from their nominations below.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”423″ gal_title=”2024 OHA Nominees”]

(Top row, left to right) Judy Schoun, Kwame Sarkodie, DO, Suzanne Sands, Rachael Sammet
(Bottom row, left to right) Carol Pierce, Sharon Merryman, DO, Lisa Hill, Amy Dietz

“Dr. Merryman has a heart of service and has spent her career impacting the lives of countless patients and staff at Kettering Health Dayton and its affiliated locations. Dr. Merryman keeps the patient at the center of her decisions and tirelessly works to improve clinical processes and standards to deliver the highest level of care. Dr. Merryman’s competence is unparalleled, and she combines her expertise with compassion to positively influence staff, patients, families, and the community. From pouring her knowledge into residents to advocating for patients to connecting community members of all ages, Dr. Merryman improves the lives of everyone she comes in contact with.”

“Judy has worked at Kettering Health for over 40 years and embodies compassion. She goes above and beyond to make her colleagues and patients feel seen, heard, and cared for. Judy thinks of others and helps them based on what their actual needs are, not what she perceives their needs to be. She provides care free of judgement and meets patients where they are. To Judy, no moment is too small to help another. From relieving a volunteer so they can grab lunch to traveling to other countries to provide medical attention to people in crisis, Judy answers the call to care with humility, dedication, and compassion.”

“Amy has worked as a nurse for over 26 years, starting as a bedside nurse and advancing to become the administrative director of Nursing at Kettering Health Hamilton. Her work ethic is contagious; she inspires and motivates everyone around her to give their best in every moment. Amy treats all employees with respect and encourages everyone to grow in their career and as a person. From attending morning huddles to creating awards to recognize team leaders, Amy always seeks opportunities to support the staff at Kettering Health. Amy creates a positive work environment to nurture her staff to be their best and deliver the highest level of patient care.”

“After more than 19 years in healthcare—13 of those at Kettering Health—Rachael has transformed patient outcomes through her work in the nuclear medicine field. She embodies excellent technical patient care, coupled with best-in-class management techniques to get the highest performance from her staff. She leads the system’s vision for taking nuclear medicine and PET to the next level with incredible passion and drive.

Rachael puts the patient at the center of everything she does. She has a strategic mind, always looking at the long-term, big-picture perspective while simultaneously possessing an ability to understand the minute details needed to achieve the vision.”

“Lisa Hill is a compassionate caregiver who has maintained a strong sense of humility and desire to do good. From making sure there’s time in her team’s schedules to take part in meaningful community service to positively impacting hospital-acquired infection rates and overall patient satisfaction, Lisa leads through collaboration and motivates her teams to excel in their work.”

“As a former professional soccer player, Dr. Kwame Sarkodie is uniquely positioned to care for patients across the continuum of care. He knows the role exercise, nutrition, and emotional health play in a person’s overall well-being. Dr. Sarkodie is a hospitalist profoundly committed to the care of people young and old, using his strong communication skills to break down technical medical language into simple terms and explain his rationale for patients’ individualized care plan.”

“Carol is a champion of collaboration and teamwork. Her staff knows that she will always act selflessly and in their best interest. She constantly shares her expertise through mentorship and intentionally cultivates great relationships with providers, leading to more coordinated care for our patients. The OR can be a very fast-paced and stressful environment, but Carol has a gift for staying calm in the face of adversity. This quality along with her tenure in mission-driven healthcare make her a leader who can always be relied upon to deliver sound advice and guidance when needed most.”

“Planning, building, and opening a new healthcare facility that houses an emergency department, laboratory, imaging, and physician offices is not an easy feat, but Kettering Health brought these lifesaving services to Springfield, Ohio, improving healthcare for thousands of residents in the Springfield area and beyond. Suzanne was instrumental in the opening of the new facility, Kettering Health Springfield (a service of Soin Medical Center). From the early stages, she was involved in design decisions, equipment ordering, stocking supplies, hiring and training dozens of employees, and guiding staff through the challenges encountered when opening a facility. Suzanne’s consistent leadership, constant motivation, and unparalleled collaboration skills have enabled Kettering Health Springfield to grow, employees to thrive, and patients to receive the highest level of care.”