Meet Our Champions of Healthcare for 2024
These awards recognize outstanding contributions to the field of healthcare, and honor individuals and organizations that have demonstrated excellence, innovation, and a commitment to whole-person care.
At our Annual Conference on October 8-9, the following honorees were announced.
Awards Categories
Legislator of the Year Award
Rudy Yakym - US Representative - Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District
There are few responsibilities we task our federal government with delivering more important than making sure our nation’s citizens and veterans are properly cared for – it can be a matter of life or death. Unfortunately, in a system that is large and complex that involves navigating bureaucratic layers and coverage requirements, people are frequently left without timely access to the quality care they need and deserve. Congressman Yakym has actively focused his legislative efforts on improving access to medical care, mental health care, and lowering the cost of care for seniors.
Provider of the year
Beena Joseph, MD
Open Door Health Services
Dr. Joseph has served as a pediatrician at Open Door since early 2018, when she hit the ground running as a leader in the clinical space and spearheading new ways our teams can provide wraparound support to children and families and currently serves as Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Joseph's advocacy for access to social support spans her work at Open Door as well as in the community. Internally, she has spearheaded holiday meal distribution for patient families, creating "Helping Hands" shelves with household and pantry items patients can take home from an appointment, collecting handsewn face masks for patient distribution, and a Code Red menstruation supply drive. In the community, Dr. Joseph serves as a board member for Preventing Child Abuse of Delaware County and Healthy Families of Delaware County. She also volunteers with Pies for Peace, a local organization promoting acceptance of diversity.
Provider of the year
Shannon Shuman, FNP
Neighborhood Health Center
Since 2019 Shannon has worked at UCMC in rural Union County. In that tiem she has increased number of patient visits by 30%, in 2021, she had 2,600 visits and is on track to provide 3,700 visits in 2024.
Shannon has mentored her team to recognize patients who would benefit from remote patient monitoring and chronic care management services. She currently has 96 of her patients in Chronic Care Management (CCM) and 15 of her patients benefiting by remote patient monitoring services. Shannon and her care team's work has decreased disparities and increased health outcomes. This is demonstrated by patient success in the program. Three (3) of Shannon's patients receiving CCM services graduated from the program in 2024 due to improved health. Overall, hospitalizations for Neighborhood Health Center's CCM patients have decreased by 12% over the past year.
Employee of the year
Alicia Wilson
Open Door Health Center
Many Muncie residents don't receive regular healthcare services; high poverty rates and other barriers like transportation and distrust keep a significant number of people away. Alicia Wilson, Community Health Worker at Open Door Health is one of two trained community health workers and certified Indiana Navigators embedded as "neighborhood ambassadors" in Muncie's most under-resourced neighborhoods as part of the Open Door Connections program. Serving onsite at libraries, youth centers, food pantries, and other community locations, she works tirelessly to connect Muncie residents to resources like quality care, housing, food, transportation, and employment. In her work, Alicia is responsible for 75% of connection encounters, changing lives and uniquely improving health outcomes.
Special Exemplary Project
Food as Medicine – HealthLinc Community Health Center
This year, we recognize HealthLinc for their Food as Medicine Program. The program focuses on using food to prevent or manage chronic conditions, reduce food insecurity, and increase access to educational resources. Patients enrolled in the program work with their Provider to begin a health journey that includes access to healthy food, nutrition education, the opportunity to take cooking classes, and potentially receiving cooking supplies to assist them in healthy food preparation. The food is designed for patients with chronic disease or severe health conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Guided by a registered dietitian, the program has made a difference in 827 patients' lives, resulting in significant weight loss and improved A1c levels.
Navigator of the Year
Kelli Fuller
Hamilton Center
“When I was at my lowest, living in the woods and needing food, my therapist referred me to Kelli Fuller.
That day, she brought food to me and my dog. I could not go into a shelter because of having a dog. Kelli immediately helped me apply for services through Reach on the Rapid Re-Housing program. She made sure I was prepared to speak and follow through with my attorney while pending my hearing for SSDI benefits. Kelli made sure I addressed legal issues when I had not followed through. I did not know how to address them,”
Patient statement.
Kelli is a Care Manager at Hamilton Center, Inc in Terre Haute IN. She not only works tirelessly as State Navigator but also spends much of her personal time advocating for and supporting the most vulnerable of our population. She is one of the Co-Chairs of the Homeless Council of the Wabash Valley (HCWV), served as chaired the Point in Time Count Annual Count, help develop the White Flag/Red Flag Program emergency shelter for dangerous life-threatening weather. Kelli has helped organize the “Homeless Memorial’ which acknowledges those individuals who passed while still living without safe housing.
Debra Meers Grassroots Advocacy Award
Carrie Miles
Neighborhood Health Center
In 2017, Carrie Miles recognized the need in our community to decrease disparities and increase access to health care by removing barriers for those who need us most. Carrie has a vision and continuously works to add services to fill in the gaps for our at-risk populations. Neighborhood Health Center obtained Look-A-Like status in early 2019 with one clinic in Wayne County, expanding to Union and Fayette Counties by 2022. Over the past four years, Carrie has been an advocate and strong voice for local, state, and national community health centers. Carrie has been highly involved at the local, state, and national levels, serving on and leading numerous committees and task forces and presenting at conferences.
At her core, Carrie believes her advocacy work for health centers is the best way to care for patients today and ensure their health for years to come.
Philip L. Morphew Dedication Award
Brittany Stout
Southern Indiana Community Health Cares
Brittany is an exemplary provider who combines a passion for substance use recovery with her primary care practice. Brittany is a Nurse Practitioner and Quality Director at Southern Indiana Community Health Cares. After losing her brother to the disease of addiction, she began the relentless pursuit of providing treatment with harm reduction at its core. She led SICHC in the formation of an integrated mental health and medication-assisted recovery program where 40% of the providers now have the necessary training to prescribe buprenorphine. She was also one of the founders of Safe Haven Recovery Engagement Center, which focuses on recovery in rural communities. Since 2018, she has served on their Board of Directors as President and Executive Director. Safe Haven's team has been named the state's regional recovery director of nine counties and has received numerous grants to bring intensive outpatient treatment and a sober living facilities to these rural communities.
Brittany believes that whole-person high quality care is best achieved by offering medication assisted treatment for recovery in the primary care practice setting.
By doing so, barriers can be taken down, and the stigma associated with substance use disorder can be lowered. Brittany provides education to all the different levels of staff in a wide variety of practice settings. From local rural community settings to larger state and national audiences. We express our deep appreciation for her work and life-saving impact on our Hoosiers.