NHA Awards
For more than three decades, the Nebraska Hospital Association has been honored to bestow awards to hundreds of Nebraska health care leaders, employees and trustees that have risen to the top by providing service excellence and dedication to their profession. These award recipients commit themselves to the betterment of their hospitals and health systems, their customers, their co-workers and their communities. This is a great way to let these exceptional people know how much they are appreciated and valued in Nebraska’s health care organizations.
Excellence in Service award
The Excellence in Service award is the NHA’s highest honor. There are many hospital executives who benefit their communities through their commitment to health care excellence. This award is presented to a hospital/health system administrator or senior executive who has demonstrated outstanding administrative skills, professional performance, health care organization involvement and significant leadership.
Meritorious Service award
The Meritorious Service award recognizes the long-term contributions of members to the Association and their individual hospitals. This award recognizes longevity and breadth of service of an individual, not only to their facility, but to health care in the state. Nominees must be currently employed by a NHA member hospital or have retired from a NHA member hospital within one calendar year or less.
Quest for Excellence award
The Quest for Excellence award is given to one Critical Access Hospital and one non-Critical Access Hospital to recognize them for their efforts in improving the quality of care provided at their facilities. Nebraska hospitals are invited to submit applications, which are judged by a panel of health care professionals. Recipients are invited to display their quality initiatives during the NHA Annual Convention.
Trustee of the Year award
The Trustee of the Year award recognizes outstanding leadership and hospital governance by a trustee. The recipient encourages commitment to excellence in health care and collaborates with community leaders to build support for their hospital.
How are nominations judged?
The NHA Committee on Nominations selects recipients based on the award criteria from the nominations submitted.
Questions regarding the hospital awards, please contact Heather Bullock at (402) 742-8148 or email if you have any questions.
The Caring Kind Award
With its beginning in 1979, the Nebraska Hospital Association has paid tribute to Nebraska’s most caring and dedicated health care employees by presenting them with The Caring Kind award.
Nebraska Hospital Association member hospitals and health systems from across the state select one recipient from within their respective institutions to be recognized at The Caring Kind Awards Luncheon during the NHA Annual Convention. The recipients of this prestigious award go above and beyond the call of duty to demonstrate compassion for patients and dedication to service excellence in their job responsibilities.
These honorees are star performers through their sincere kindness to patients and dedicated teamwork, ensuring that care is safe, quality-driven and cost-effective for consumers, as well as for the organizations they represent.
Hundreds of family, friends and co-workers gather to celebrate those health care employees who exemplify caring, compassion and service excellence at this beloved annual event.
Past Award Recipients
Excellence in Service Award
2000 Donald Zornes - Columbus Community Hospital, Columbus
2001 Sr. Norita Cooney - Alegent Health, Omaha
2002 Brent Peterson - Cherry County Hospital, Valentine
2003 Eldon "Bud" Wall - Memorial Hospital, Aurora
2004 Jerrel Gerdes - Franklin County Memorial Hospital, Franklin
2005 Calvin Hiner, Jr. - Tri-County Hospital, Lexington
2006 Allen Van Driel - Harlan County Health System, Alma
2007 R. Lynn Wilson - BryanLG Health System, Lincoln
2008 Ronald Cork - Avera St. Anthony's Hospital, O'Neill
2009 William Welch - Jefferson Community Health Center, Fairbury
2010 Ken Foster - BryanLGH Health System, Lincoln
2011 Ronald O. Briggs - St. Francis Memorial Hospital, West Point
2012 Glenn A. Fosdick - The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha
2013 Gary Perkins - Children's Hospital & Medical Center, Omaha
2014 Harold L. Krueger, Jr. - Chadron Community Hospital & Health Center, Chadron
2015 Victor N. Lee - Boone County Health Center, Albion
2016 Daniel Griess - Box Butte General Hospital, Alliance
2017 Leslie Marsh - Lexington Regional Health Center, Lexington
2018 Mel McNea - Great Plains Health, North Platte
2019 Roger Reamer - Memorial Health Care Systems, Seward
2020 Marty Fattig - Nemaha County Hospital, Auburn
2021 Mark Rupp - Nebraska Medicine/UNMC, Omaha
2022 Diane Keller - Memorial Community Health, Aurora
2023 Treg Vyzourek - Brodstone Healthcare, Superior
Trustee of the Year Award
2002 Ken Wortman - Memorial Hospital, Aurora
2003 John C. Klosterman - Butler County Health Care Center, David City
2004 Leonard Torson - Warren Memorial Hospital, Friend
2005 Margaret Brawner - St. Mary’s Hospital, Nebraska City
2006 Galen Hadley - Good Samaritan Hospital, Kearney
2007 Robert Berke - Tri-County Hospital, Lexington
Robert Anderson, M.D. - Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, Hastings
2008 Kara Fischer - Valley County Health System, Ord
2009 G. Richard Russell - Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Omaha
2010 Spencer Stevens - Nebraska Methodist Health System, Omaha
Reuben Schleifer - Thayer County Health Services, Hebron
2011 Dave Pederson - Great Plains Regional Medical Center, North Platte
2012 Collyn Florendo - Crete Area Medical Center, Crete
2013 Margaret Rice - Avera Creighton Hospital, Creighton
2014 Eric Brown - Lexington Regional Health Center, Lexington
2015 Joel Jelkin - Fremont Health, Fremont
2016 Kerry Teetor - Lexington Regional Health Center, Lexington
2017 Galen Wiser - Providence Medical Center, Wayne
2018 James Egr - Butler County Health Care Center, David City
2019 Loren Wiedel - Thayer County Health Services, Hebron
2020 Raymond Huggett - Merrick Medical Center, Central City
Merlin Wehling, MD - Kearney Regional Medical Center, Kearney
2021 Linda Miller - Faith Regional Health Services, Norfolk
2022 F. Thomas Waring - Methodist Fremont Health, Fremont
2023 Deb Hoarty - Fillmore County Hospital, Geneva
Meritorious Service Award
2008 Calvin Hiner, Jr. - Tri-County Hospital, Lexington
Catherine Webber - Franklin County Memorial Hospital, Franklin
W. Michael Kearney - Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, Hastings
2009 Craig Ames - BryanLGH Health System, Lincoln
Joanne Arends - Regional West Medical Center, Scottsbluff
2011 Robert J. Lanik - Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, Lincoln
2012 No award given
2013 Bill Welch - Jefferson Community Health Center, Fairbury
2014 No award given
2015 Marsha Lommel - Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, Lincoln
Marty Fattig - Nemaha County Hospital, Auburn
2016 Dena Klockman - Banner Health/Ogallala Community Hospital, Ogallala
2017 Peggy S. Kennedy - Fremont Health, Fremont
2018 Dr. Richard Blatny, Sr. - Jefferson Community Health and Life, Fairbury
John Fraser - Methodist Health System, Omaha
2019 Lyle Davis - Cozad Community Health System, Cozad
Brent Peterson - Cherry County Hospital, Valentine
Kim Russel - Bryan Health, Lincoln
2020 Leland Lamberty, MD - Great Plains Health, North Platte
2021 Sandy Borden - Brodstone Memorial Hospital, Superior
Rita Jones - Dundy County Hospital, Benkelman
2022 Mel McNea - Great Plains Health, North Platte
Rose Wischmeier - Beatrice Community Hospital & Health Center, Beatrice
2023 Pat Connell - Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha
Quest for Excellence Award
2004
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Saint Francis Medical Center, Grand Island
Critical Access Hospital Category: Brown County Hospital, Ainsworth
Critical Access Hospital Category: Kimball County Hospital, Kimball
2005
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, Hastings
Critical Access Hospital Category: St. Francis Memorial Hospital, West Point
2006
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha
Critical Access Hospital Category: Boone County Health Center, Albion
2007
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha
Critical Access Hospital Category: St. Mary’s Community Hospital, Nebraska City
2008
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Children’s Hospital, Omaha
Critical Access Hospital Category: Thayer County Health Services, Hebron
2009
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Good Samaritan Hospital, Kearney
Critical Access Hospital Category: Jefferson Community Health Center, Fairbury
2010
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Alegent Health Immanuel Medical Center, Omaha
Critical Access Hospital Category: St. Francis Memorial Hospital/Dinklage Medical Clinic, West Point
2011
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Great Plains Regional Medical Center, North Platte
Critical Access Hospital Category: Community Hospital, McCook
2012
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Fremont Area Medical Center, Fremont
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Great Plains Regional Medical Center, North Platte
2013
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Omaha
Critical Access Hospital Category: Memorial Community Hospital & Health System, Blair
2014
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Bryan Health, Lincoln
Critical Access Hospital Category: Memorial Community Hospital & Health System, Blair
2015
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Great Plains Health, North Platte
Critical Access Hospital Category: Chadron Community Hospital & Health Services, Chadron
2016
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Omaha
Critical Access Hospital Category: Nemaha County Hospital, Auburn
2017
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Great Plains Health, North Platte
Critical Access Hospital Category: St. Francis Memorial Hospital, West Point
2018
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Bryan Health, Lincoln
Critical Access Hospital Category: Henderson Health Care, Henderson
2019
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Great Plains Health, North Platte
Critical Access Hospital Category: Butler County Health Care Center, David City
2020
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Bryan Health, Lincoln
Critical Access Hospital Category: Saunders Medical Center, Wahoo
2021
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: CHI Lakeside, Omaha
Critical Access Hospital Category: Providence Medical Center, Wayne
Rural Health Clinic Category: Crete Area Medical Center, Crete
2022
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: Great Plains Health, North Platte
Critical Access Hospital Category: Thayer County Health Services, Hebron
Rural Health Clinic Category: Saunders Medical Center, Wahoo
2023
Non-Critical Access Hospital Category: CHI Health Immanuel, Omaha
Critical Access Hospital Category: Community Hospital, McCook
Rural Health Clinic Category: Bryan Health, Lincoln
