A Tribute to Those Who Were Called to Serve

The menu may have featured bacon and eggs, but the 2016 Heroes in Healthcare awards breakfast was really more of a smorgasbord. It served up laughter, solemnity, an occasional teary eye and a whole lot of grateful appreciation for the 21 health-care providers and volunteers whose work helps make Kansas City the Midwestern nexus of quality care and compassion. The March 10 event at the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza drew 200 hospital executives, family members, co-workers and friends, all of whom care to cheer the achievements of the people selected for this annual distinction from Ingram’s. The awards breakfast recognized our 13th annual group of Heroes in Healthcare and was co-sponsorded by Holmes Murphy and GEHA.

1. Honorees for 2016 showed up in force for this year’s awards breakfast. 2. Gary Morsch, of Heart to Heart International and Docs Who Care,
delivered an emphatic note of thanks to all who serve in health-care roles. 3. Honoree Terry Rusconi with colleagues from the University of Kansas Hospital, Patricia Sanders-Hall, Kenny Wilk and Mary Sandt. | 4. Rick Miles, who retired last year as CEO at GEHA, with his lifetime service award presented by Ingram’s Joe Sweeney and GEHA’s Sherry Gibbs.  | 5. Tricia Brashear of Saint Luke’s Hospice House responded to Jack Cashill’s questions about end-of-life care. | 6. Passage of the ACA has impacted  Kansas City CARE Clinic, said CEO Sheri Wood, but the mission to treat the uninsured goes on. | 7. Daljeet Singh, with his Lifetime Service award, noted the warm reception the people of Higginsville gave him as an immigrant 40 years ago.