HASC is grateful to everyone who took the time to nominate a healthcare star for the 2026 My SoCal Hospital Heroes Awards. The nomination period is now closed, and we look forward to reading about the amazing employees at our hospitals. Please check back for updates in the coming weeks. Thank you!
The My SoCal Hospital Heroes Awards aim to highlight the outstanding day-to-day work of staff at HASC member hospitals in our six-county region: LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura. We encourage our members — and anyone who knows a remarkable HASC hospital employee — to submit nominations!
Who’s your hospital hero and why? Tell us what makes this person special and how they’ve impacted patients, colleagues and the community over the past 12 months. Nominees can work in any hospital area — clinical, administrative, facilities, volunteering and more.
Nominations are due Friday, Aug. 7. Awardees will be honored at the 2026 Awards Gala on Saturday, November 14. More event details will be posted in the coming weeks.
Learn More
View sponsor brochure
To learn about sponsoring the My SoCal Hospital Heroes Awards Gala, please view our sponsor brochure or email [email protected].
Meet the 2025 Hospital Heroes
View gala photo gallery
View tribute journal
It was our great honor to celebrate the 2025 My SoCal Hospital Heroes and four special award recipients!
Alex Acosta, Patient Experience Liaison – Redlands Community Hospital
Crystal Solis, Acute Care RN – Providence Little Company of Mary, San Pedro
Edward Lord, Director of Plant Operations – Providence Holy Cross Medical Center
Esperanza Salazar, Director, Infection Prevention – College Medical Center
Mindi Burfield, Stroke Navigator – Providence St. Mary Medical Center
Olga Taylor, Project Manager, Community Affairs – Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Parien Greenall, Manager of Patient Safety – Dignity Health Marian Regional Medical Center
Patty Nogueda, Community Outreach Health Practitioner – Huntington Health
Peter Goco, Clinical Nurse II – Cedars-Sinai
Tony Marcelli, Interim Chief Nursing Officer – Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center
Vickie Dao, Medical Support Specialist – City of Hope, Seacliff
To our heroes: Thank you for all that you do in your day-to-day work, and for touching and inspiring so many around you — patients, colleagues, your family and friends, and your community. We’re so proud to count you as part of the HASC membership!
In the awards’ first year, HASC had the pleasure of naming 13 Hospital Heroes from our member organizations. The selection committee had a hard time narrowing down the finalists from among so many outstanding employees. But at long last, they selected these awardees:
Amelia Grover, Dignity Health Marian Regional Medical Center
Aziz Zaouadi, Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance
Chico Manning, PIH Health
Cindy Baker-Fox, Children’s Hospital Orange County
Judy Bravo, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center
Kirk Hylton, City of Hope
Lorenz Sumbong, Kaiser Permanente Orange County
Lydia Kreil, Dignity Health St. John’s Regional Medical Center
Michael Majich, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
Minah Jackson, Loma Linda University Health
Paul Cancio, Cedars-Sinai
Rachel Villanueva, MLK Community Healthcare
Tierra Mallory-Sanchez, Southwest Healthcare Rancho Springs Hospital
Learn more about these remarkable employees in the event tribute journal. We’re so proud to have you all within the HASC membership. Your dedication, innovation and compassion set a shining example for all of us.
