SYRACUSE — The 2017 Excellence in Healthcare Awards event on Oct. 26 recognized 15 winners from area health-care providers and organizations in 11 categories.

A crowd of 190 attended the 6th annual event at the Oncenter in downtown Syracuse.

From the podium, the various award nominators and event emcee Norm Poltenson took turns detailing the honorees’ background, career achievements, and dedication to patients and their profession. The award winners then came forward to receive their award, pose for a photo, provide brief remarks of gratitude, and tell the crowd a little bit about themselves and their organizations.

The awards program concluded with the 3rd annual Lifetime Health Care Achievement Award, named for Dr. A. John Merola, the first winner of the award in 2015. This year’s recipient was Dr. Zulma Tovar-Spinoza, director of pediatric neurosurgery at Upstate Medical University. She received a standing ovation from the crowd as she accepted her award. 

The full list of Excellence in Healthcare honorees follows:

DENTIST OF THE YEAR
• Dr. Gary S. Greenberg, Pinnacle Dental Group

HEALTH CARE FACILITY OF THE YEAR
• The Nottingham, Loretto 

INNOVATIONS IN HEALTH CARE
• Dr. Stephen Wechsler, Network Healing Arts
• Simple Admit, LLC

NURSE OF THE YEAR
• Vicky Lyman, RN, Loretto

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS OF THE YEAR
• Dr. Chad LaChance, COAST Physical Therapy
• Patrick Remenicky, PT, Nascentia Health

PHYSICIAN OF THE YEAR
• Dr. Sharon A. Brangman, Upstate Medical University

PRACTICE MANAGERS OF THE YEAR
• Kelly LaRocca, RN, St. Joseph’s Health
• Angie Silvers, Nurse Connection Staffing

SPECIALTY CENTERS OF THE YEAR
• Transitional Care Unit, Upstate Medical University
• Community Health & Behavioral Services, Upstate Cerebral Palsy

SURGICAL FACILITY OF THE YEAR
• St. Joseph’s Health

VETERINARIAN OF THE YEAR
• Dr. Marcia Ziegler-Alexander, Stack Hospital for Pets

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

• Dr. Zulma Tovar-Spinoza, Upstate Medical University

For much more information on each of the honored health-care providers and organizations, check out the special commemorative publication in the Oct. 23 issue of The Central New York Business Journal. The event was produced by BizEventz.

The event’s presenting sponsor was Bankers Healthcare Group.           ν