11th Annual Champions of Healthcare Awards

Description

Join us for the 11th Annual Champions of Healthcare Awards as we honor the individuals, institutions and programs that are making an impact on health and healthcare in Manatee County.

The finalists have been selected.

Two of the nine category winners have been named before the event:

• Lifetime Achievement Award Winner – Daniel Friedrich
• Youth Volunteer Award Winner – Quynh Tran, Braden River High School 

• Jeffrey Gelber, MD, Turning Points
• Carol Lynch, HCA Florida Blake Hospital
• Lin Oakerson, Empath Health / Tidewell Hospice  

• Liz Brown, Manatee Memorial Hospital
• Megan Hawkins, RN, HCA Florida Blake Hospital
• Shirley Parrado, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)  

• Claudia Glover, Step Up Suncoast, Inc.
• Trudy Moon, Air & Energy
• Melvin Price, DPM, MCR Health  

• CAN Community Health
• Heart & Cardiovascular Center at Manatee Memorial Hospital
• Darlene Lobel, MD, NeuroSpinal Associates  

• Academy at Bradenton
• C.A.T.C.H, Step Up Suncoast, Inc.
• We Care Manatee  

• Diane Aubrey, APRN, Manatee Memorial Hospital
• Neshia McClendon, DNP, ARNP-IP, FNP-C, CNE, CAN Community Health
• Melissa Tunc, DNP, RN, CPHQ, PMCP, HCA Florida Blake Hospital  

• Christopher Cooper, DO, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center / Cooper Family Medical
• Fabian Ramos, MD, FIPP, DABA, DABIPP, DABPM, Ramos Center for Interventional & Functional Medicine
• Stellios Rekkas, MD, FACS, FASMBS, Manatee Physician Alliance General & Weight Loss Surgery

The Champions of Healthcare Awards will be presented at a very special breakfast event at GROVE on Thursday, June 12, 2025. 

Reserve your seat now to network with leaders in healthcare, business, non-profit, and government while celebrating the achievements of these Champions in our community.

Individual Tickets:
Individual Ticket | $65 for Chamber Members (Non-member: $80)
Student/Child Ticket | $40 (under 18 years of age)

Cancellations received after June 5 will be invoiced as guarantees will have been made on your behalf.

Award Details:
Awards will be given out in the following categories:

• Lifetime Achievement
• Youth Volunteer
• Physician
• Nurse
• Allied Health Professional
• Adult Volunteer
• Individual of Merit
• Institution / Program
• Innovation / Research