MLearning awards staff for excellence in education, teaching

Each year, MLearning and the UMHS Educator Advisory Committee award staff members for their excellence in education, teaching and fostering learning for the UMHS community.

UMHS Adolescent Health Initiative Team: Lauren Ranalli, Vani Patterson and Jennifer Lane

These annual awards are given to individuals and teams who demonstrate passion, excellence, creativity and innovation in support of staff education.

The UMHS Excellence in Learning Award for Outstanding Staff Educator recognizes an individual, or team, that actively engages in staff or faculty education and training. The 2015 team winner of this award is the UMHS Adolescent Health Initiative Team: Jennifer Lane, Vani Patterson, Lauren Ranalli and Margaret Riley.

This collaborative, high-functioning, multi-disciplinary team has worked together to design and facilitate trainings, providing technical assistance and support for providers and health center staff across 13 UMHS primary care sites. The team has focused on the needs of their learners and participants, with an eye to quality, and level of detail and care.  Through their work, the team recognizes that health center staff can have a positive impact on patient outcomes.

There were two winners this year for the individual UMHS Excellence in Learning Award for Outstanding Staff Educator.

Cary Kalowick is a nurse educator in the University Hospital Operating Rooms. She is responsible for providing all orientation to new nurses as well as ongoing staff development for OR nursing staff. Cary was awarded for being passionate, persuasive and hardworking. She comes in early, stays late and has worked on weekends to help with planning and execution of projects.

Barbara Eckstein, Kristen Schuyten and Julie Agbabian.

Kristen Schuyten is a physical therapist for MedSport specializing in Performing Arts Rehabilitation which includes dance, figure skating, gymnastics, cheerleading, diving and instrumentalists; from the novice, to studio level, and elite Olympic athletes.

She has created presentations which include videos of all different styles of dance, skating, instrumentalists and musical theater performances to be able to visualize the demands placed on these patients.

The UMHS Excellence in Leadership Award in Fostering Staff Learning is given to a manager or
supervisor who demonstrates passion in supporting learning and continuously fosters excellence and innovation in staff and/or faculty personal and professional development. This year’s winner is Kiirsa Pokryke from ULAM.

Dr. Melissa Dyson and Kiirsa Pokryke.

Kiirsa manages a team that provides workplace learning for ULAM staff and the research community of the proper care and use of laboratory animals.  Her team provides learning for 2,000 individuals per year.  She has made vast improvements in the provision of training, support for CE for the training staff, management and accessibility of training program data and documentation processes.

This year each winning recipient received $200.00 and a plaque. All nominations received a certificate of recognition.