Sixteen employees named YNHH Heroes

The Rev. Nicholas Sollom, chaplain, Spiritual Care, is a member of YNHH’s eighth class of Heroes. In June 2021, he shared remarks in a service to mark the transition of the hospital’s longest-running COVID-only unit, NP-15, back into a Surgical Oncology unit.

At Yale New Haven Hospital, a hero is an employee, physician or volunteer who deeply embodies the health system’s values and goes above and beyond to exemplify the Standards of Professional Behavior in their interactions with patients, clients, colleagues and visitors. Now in its 15th year, the YNHH Heroes program recognizes these individuals, who were nominated by their peers.

“The Heroes program highlights exemplary employees who embrace the Yale New Haven values in their work each day,” said Keith Churchwell, MD, YNHH president. “While we are grateful to have many employees who display these commendable traits, let us use the stories of the employees selected for this class of Heroes as models for providing excellent service and care for our patients, and as encouragement for enhancing the patient experience for each and every patient we serve.”

After reviewing more than 200 nominations from employees, the hospital’s Heroes Nomination Review Committee has chosen 16 of YNHH’s finest to be members of the eighth class of Heroes: 

Leonard Barraco, lead plumber, Plant Engineering 
Larry Cooper, patient transport associate, Patient Transportation
Kwame Davenport, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategic consultant, DEI
Jennifer Foreman, unit associate II, Surgery (SLA 2)
Steven Hernandez, security specialist, Protective Services 
Georgia James, patient care associate, Neurosciences 
Marjorie Lazarre, executive director, Pharmacy Business Practices
Mark Morriar, ambulatory care associate, Children’s Specialty Center 
Thomas Murray, MD, associate medical director, Infection Prevention, Yale New Haven Children's Hospital
Lakiya Nichols, interventional tech II, Heart and Vascular Center 
Antonio Onofrio, RN, assistant patient services manager, Emergency Department 
Courtney Onofrio, RN, nurse, Medical Intensive Care Unit 
Maureen Owen, manager, Virology Lab 
Mary Quinn-Devine, Reiki volunteer, Volunteer Services 
Stephanie Rivera-Vargas, environmental services aide, Environmental Services 
Nicholas Sollom, chaplain, Spiritual Care 

“As the committee reviewed nominations for this class of Heroes, it became very evident that there are many employees throughout the hospital who are respected and admired for their exemplary work standards and high levels of performance. Yale New Haven is very fortunate to have so many extraordinary employees,” said Tina Bennett, interim leader/system director, Patient Experience. “Congratulations to the new YNHH Heroes!”

The new class of YNHH Heroes will be honored at a ceremony in early 2022 and their portraits will hang in several locations throughout both hospital main campuses and offsite locations.