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University of Arizona Department of Medicine’s Helen Hill was among 11 UA College of Medicine – Tucson employees who were honored at the awards presentation for the 2018 "Lura Hanekamp" Dedicated Staff Awards for Excellence held Aug. 2 in Kiewit Auditorium.
Joining Helen Hill, the Department of Medicine nominee (center at right), for a pre-event photo with UA mascots Wilma and Wilbur Wildcat, are fellow pulmonary admins and coordinators, Carol DeBis-Harrell, Brenda Lambert, Sarah Munoz and Jacque Carrillo. (Photos courtesy of Kris Hanning, UAHS BioCommunications)
All nominees received certificates of recognition. A monetary award and statuette also were presented to the following three nominees singled out for special recognition:
■ Lupe O. Gastelum, Medicine Administration
■ Chan A. Huynh, Department of Surgery
■ Jessica M. Montoya, Department of Surgery
The other 2018 nominees included:
- Marlise E. Bourland, Department of Physiology
- Melissa M. Carton, Department of Surgery
- Richard Chavez, Medicine Administration
- Anne F. De Leon, Department of Neurology
- Sonia Romo, Department of Otolaryngology
- Jennifer A. Ronnebaum, Department of Emergency Medicine
- Lori R. Zimmerman, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Video from the event is archived here.
A photo album also can be found at the UA College of Medicine Facebook webpage here.
A Dozen Years of Dedication
Hill started with the department in January 2005 as an administrative associate with the UA Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine (PACCS). She was promoted to senior program coordinator in September 2013 and fellowship programs manager in July 2015.
Speaking on Helen’s behalf in a video recorded for the event were:
Sairam Parthasarathy, MD, a professor of medicine, PACCS interim chief and director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program as well as the UA Health Sciences Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences and Banner – University Medicine Center for Sleep Disorders, and
James Knepler, MD, associate professor of medicine, PACCS associate chief, and director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Program and Interventional Pulmonology Program at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson.
“She really is the soul and backbone of our division,” Dr. Knepler said. “She has a passion not only for education and the wellbeing of her coworkers and the physicians but really for the fellows as well.”
“Our division is like a family and Helen is sort of the adhesive that keeps that family together,” Dr. Parthasarathy said. “If you look at it top down, left or right, she’s done a spectacular job of bringing this family together.”
Michele Dalmendray, a senior program coordinator in the office of the UA Internal Medicine Residency Program – University Campus, organized a support team to cheer for Hill’s nomination at the ceremony, including mini-posters with her name.
Claudia Duran, executive assistant, DOM Office of the Chair, is a member of the college’s Staff Advisory Council that selected the award winners.
About the Lura Hanekamp Dedicated Staff Award for Excellence
Lura Hanekamp was part of the UA College of Medicine family for 30 years. She served as an administrative assistant in the Department of Physiology until her untimely death in 2010. Her husband, William J. Hanekamp, created an endowment in honor of his late wife to acknowledge and recognize college staff or appointed personnel, like Lura, who dedicate their careers to serving fellow staff, students and faculty.
This permanently endowed fund at the University of Arizona Foundation is designed to help support the COM staff awards in perpetuity.
ALSO SEE:
“College of Medicine – Tucson Recognizes Employee Excellence” | Posted Aug. 6, 2018
“Clerkship Coordinator Contreras among UAHS Excellence Award Nominees” | Posted April 12, 2017
“Angie Hessell among Nominees for UAHS Employee Excellence Awards” | May 25, 2016