Ashley Mae
Environmental Health Technician at 78th Medical Group in Robins Air Force Base, Georgia
Ashley revamped the Museum of Aviation's safety program by identifying more than 100 hazardous artifacts and implementing a model radiation safety program that protected staff members and visitors.
Bryson Coleman
Assistant Facility Manager at 19th Medical Group in Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
Bryson wears multiple hats, managing facility maintenance, housekeeping, occupational safety, and physical security in support of a medical campus dedicated to keeping Herk Nation and its warfighters ready to Fly, Fix, and Fight!
Capt. Ariel Miller
Post-anesthesia Care Unit Nurse Manager at 673rd Medical Group in Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
As a multilingual post-anesthesia care unit nurse manager and Language Enabled Airman Program scholar, Miller provides exceptional care to active duty, retirees, and dependents. Her language skills and cross-cultural competency foster trust with patients and foreign partners, which is vital for our national defense.
Capt. Raelene Copello
Registered Nurse at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii
Copello leads initiatives aimed at enhancing emergency department operations and clinical outcomes with her unit’s Unit Practice Council. The council, which collaborates across the hospital, streamlines workflows, enhances efficiency, and improves patient care and satisfaction, recently reduced door-to-EKG times and improved triage efficiency.
Capt. Taylor Cone
Dentist at Kamish Dental Clinic at Bassett Army Community Hospital in Fort Wainwright, Alaska
Dental health is vital to deployability. Cone ensures soldiers are dentally fit to deploy and remain mission capable. Through timely care, prevention, and education, she minimizes dental emergencies that could disrupt training or deployment, allowing soldiers to focus on the mission while supporting their overall health.
Dana Hieskill
Accountable Property Officer at Medical Education and Training Campus in Fort Sam Houston, Texas
Dana’s commitment to METC’s vision and goals ensures resource readiness and directly supports operations and education. He managed medical devices for training courses and the purchase of simulation equipment that benefits 37 military treatment facilities. His leadership was critical in purchasing medical equipment for 19 courses, delivering purchasing solutions and cutting wait times by 33%.
Danielle Kirkland
Government Purchase Card Holder at Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas
Danielle coordinates and delivers critical supplies that keep medical and operational teams mission ready across all the locations she supports. She responds rapidly to urgent needs, manages complex logistics, and ensures the seamless flow of materials vital for patient care and operational continuity.
Hailey R. Ingram
Lead Medical Technician Phlebotomist at 88th Medical Group in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
Hailey identified and rectified a critical procedural flaw in blood sample collection, authoring two standard operating procedure updates and training 15 staff members, which culminated in an 83% reduction in patient recalls for additional blood collection. She was pivotal in the rapid deployment of 23 Joint Force members by expediting their medical clearances, and her exceptional leadership and commitment to excellence have safeguarded countless patients and streamlined critical medical processes.
Heidi Morrison
Managed Care Supervisor at Naval Branch Health Clinic Portsmouth in Kittery, Maine
As a dedicated registered nurse and retired Nurse Corps officer, Heidi expertly navigates the complex health care system in support of beneficiaries, finding creative solutions to improve referral accuracy while leading command initiatives that boost engagement and morale. Her leadership was instrumental in her team’s nomination for a DAISY Team award for nursing excellence, and she is a passionate advocate for patients and staff alike.
James Enderby
Occupational Health Program Manager at 88th Medical Group in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
James developed a hazard-prediction tool that reduced evaluation time by 80%, saving more than 250 man hours annually and earning a Best Practice recognition. He pioneered the Air Force’s first collaborative ergonomic evaluation, protecting cardiologists and safeguarding patient care, while resolving a water contamination concern that impacted 135,000 local patrons. He also mitigated 160 hazards, protected more than 3,800 personnel, revitalized the Occupational Health Program, eliminated a two-year backlog, and ensured compliance.
Jonathan Willey
Physical Therapist at 436th Medical Group in Dover Air Force Base, Delaware
Jonathan created a user-friendly booking wizard and led a pilot program that surpassed appointment targets by 87% and is projected to save nearly $1 million annually. He also helped reverse a three-year trend of unnecessary spinal imaging, preventing 40 scans per month and saving $756,000 each year. His innovative care models expanded the clinic's scope by 19%, cut wait times by 90%, and were a cornerstone to the 436th Medical Group being named Air Mobility Command's clinic of the year for two consecutive years.
Julie McGrath
Nurse Clinic Manager at 41 Area Marine Centered Medical Home at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton in Camp Pendleton, California
Julie's clinical expertise provides innovative solutions for mission-focused patient care and clinical opportunities. She was instrumental to the success of the 2026 Joint Commission inspection of Marine Centered Medical Home clinics. By disseminating best practices and filling critical staffing vacancies, she elevated readiness and ensured continuity of high-caliber care across multiple clinics. Her actions continue to cultivate a culture of excellence and exemplify unwavering support for the warfighter.
Louis E. Sueing
Chief Information Officer at Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center in Fort Huachuca, Arizona
Louis supports warfighter readiness through information technology, human resources, performance management, and fiscal responsibility. He recently led his team through a successful Cyber Health and Readiness Inspection Program inspection and consolidated functional area requirements into comprehensive information systems compliant with Great Plains Regional Medical Command, Medical Command, Department of the Army, and Department of War guidelines. He also ensures his team remains 100% compliant with HIPAA, cyber security, and other trainings.
Maj. Nicole Grow
Multiservice Unit Flight Commander at 48th Medical Group Royal Air Force in Lakenheath, United Kingdom
Grow consistently takes on multiple roles within her squadron and across the 48th Medical Group. She recently acted as interim patient safety manager, quickly learning how to manage multiple patient safety processes and ensuring a robust program aimed at “Just Culture” and zero preventable harm.
Maj. Tyler J. Gale
Family Health Flight Commander at Maxwell Medical Group in Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
Gale provided medical assistance on a commercial airline flight when a fellow passenger experienced a medical emergency. With limited space and resources, he quickly assessed the patient and delivered care while coordinating with the flight crew and ground medical support, ensuring the patient remained stable for the remainder of the flight.
Marie H. Rajala
Chief, Education & Training and Military Training Program Administrator at 88th Medical Group in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
Marie’s leadership was the driving force behind her team earning six wing and five squadron-level awards. She managed a $4 million budget and 60 programs, empowering 21 personnel to train 2,000 medics. Her guidance led to a key training program achieving the highest board exam pass rate among all six sites and 230,000 patient encounters, enhancing warfighter readiness.
Master Sgt. Jasmine A. Gyurnek
Medical Readiness Flight Chief at 374th Medical Group in Yokota Air Base, Japan
Gyurnek ‘s leadership aligns medical training, inspection preparedness, and contingency response efforts with wing priorities, ensuring airmen are medically ready to deploy, and driving Yokota Medical Group to top-tier performance.
