Countdown to our 2025 Employee of the Year Awards Luncheon…
Save the Date: March 20, 2025 2025 Employee of the Year Awards Luncheon NEW LOCATION: Bethesda North Marriott
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The Employee of the Year Awards and Matthew F. McNulty, Jr. Award Luncheon
Each year, The Healthcare Council hosts an annual Employee of the Year Awards and accompanying Matthew F. McNulty Award Luncheon. This annual event plays a crucial role in acknowledging the dedication, innovation, and outstanding contributions of healthcare professionals across various roles and specialties.
We invite our member organizations and any healthcare provider in our geographical area to participate by selecting an individual to receive this special Award. Each organization that selects an employee to be recognized will accompany them to the luncheon and the nominator will join them on stage as they receive their crystal award. These awards are presented in conjunction with the annual Matthew F. McNulty Award presentation.
The Healthcare Council is excited about the opportunity to recognize outstanding employees and present this important recognition to one individual in your organization who made a significant difference. For member organizations, there is no cost for participation. There is a fee for non-member organizations wishing to participate.
The criteria chosen for soliciting individuals from participating organizations remain the same as was determined by the HR Divisional Group in 2012. Each organization is asked to submit a brief narrative that addresses the following three considerations as part of their nomination:
- Sustainability – an employee’s extraordinary efforts in creating efficiencies or savings that contribute to the financial sustainability of the institution where they work.
- Quality – an employee’s extraordinary contribution towards the improvement of processes that contribute to the financial sustainability of the institution where they work.
- Customer/Patient Satisfaction – either an employee’s contribution to the structural changes in the delivery of care aimed at improving the experience of our customers or a single contribution of such magnitude that it merits recognition on its own.
The Annual Employee of the Year Awards and Matthew F. McNulty Award Luncheon are pivotal events in the healthcare industry, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and celebrating excellence. This event serves as a source of inspiration, motivating healthcare professionals to continue pushing boundaries and shaping the future of patient care. We are honored to hold this annual event bringing together our member organizations for the public recognition of their outstanding employees. If you would like more information about participating in this special annual event, please contact us at thehealthcarecouncil@healthcare-council.org.
Sponsorship Opportunities
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Melissa Mollet – Guest Host
It is a pleasure to welcome special guests as hosts of our annual Employee of the Year Awards Luncheon. We’ve had the pleasure of welcoming Melissa Mollet, anchor of the 4:30 a.m. hour of News4 Today, for the past two events. Prior to that, anchor Jim Handly was our host. We are grateful for their participation and the joy they bring to the event.
About Melissa: Melissa Mollet anchors the 4:30 a.m. hour of News4 Today, News4’s First and Foremost show, and covers traffic throughout the morning.
A lifetime of living, commuting, and telling stories around the Washington area qualifies Mollet to provide up-to-the-minute traffic and transit news to our morning viewers. A native of Gaithersburg High School, Mollet’s journalism career began at NBC4 where she was an intern in three different departments during college. She returned in 2010 as a reporter for News4 Today.
Mollet has earned five EMMY awards, including one for a 2013 story called “Rescuers Rescued” in which she detailed a Beltway accident involving a fire truck. Mollet proudly created two news franchises at NBC4. Finding Families features children in foster care in need of a loving home, and Meet Your Street takes a fun look at how local roads in the Washington area were named. In between stints at NBC4, Mollet reported and anchored the morning show for KDVR in Denver. She covered a wide range of stories — from the 10th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings to the 2008 Democratic National Convention to several American Idol finales in Los Angeles. While at KDVR, she won a Colorado Broadcasters Association award for “Best Breaking News Story”.
Mollet has also reported for Cable News 21 in Rockville, Newschannel 8 in Washington, and NBC25 in Hagerstown, where she was an anchor for every newscast from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. at one time or another and created the station’s consumer segment, Test it Out Tuesday. Melissa lives in Maryland with her husband, Jake, and children Brennan, Barrett, and Colette. Frank, a minigoldendoodle, serves as the family mascot.
Matthew F. McNulty, Jr. Award
Matthew F. McNulty, Jr., Sc.D., had an amazing ability to communicate, organize and lead, a commitment to excellence and unending dedication to providing excellence in healthcare.
Dr. McNulty came to Washington, DC in 1964, as founding Director of the Council on Teaching Hospitals of the Association of American Medical Colleges. In 1969, he became Vice President for the Medical Affairs, Georgetown University and from 1974 to 1986 when he retired, he was Chancellor of the Medical Center. He served for 20-plus years as a leader on the Board and Executive Committee of the Healthcare Council using his ability to manage and govern with a keen wit. Upon Dr. McNulty’s retirement, the Executive Committee wanted to honor Dr. McNulty for his years of direct Council services as well as honor a deserving individual for recognition of significant contributions in the health care field.
On the 24th day of September 1997, Dr. McNulty by Executive Committee Proclamation was bestowed the title of Trustee Emeritus and the Matthew F. McNulty, Jr. Award was created.
26th Matthew F. McNulty, Jr. Award Recipient
The Healthcare Council Board approved the nomination of Dr. Norvell “Van” Coots, to receive the 2024 Matthew McNulty Award posthumously, by a unanimous vote at the Dec. 10, 2024, board meeting. His name was presented by Kathy Gorman, Board Chair (2022 – 2024). The award will be presented at the 26th Annual Awards Luncheon, Bethesda North Marriott on March 20, 12-2 p.m. In choosing Dr. Coots for this award, The Healthcare Council will not only be recognizing his contributions and service to the organization’s mission and services, but also will be recognizing a dedicated leader, a compassionate humanitarian and a civilian physician-leader, who served as the past president and chief executive officer of Holy Cross Health and the Maryland Region of Trinity Health, for seven years. Dr. Coots’ leadership included oversight of two hospitals (Germantown and Silver Spring). He presided as chair of the Board of Maryland Physicians Care and chair of the National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Center Hospital. He served on the Boards of Directors of the American Hospital Association and Maryland Hospital Association, was a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. “The loss of Dr. Coots is still deeply felt in the healthcare community,” said Les Pitton, President & CEO of The Healthcare Council. “He was an exceptional leader whose service to the country and to the regional communities he served made a lasting impact.” He was affectionally known as “Van.” Not only was he a dedicated executive, a compassionate humanitarian but was a renowned healthcare leader and military leader. Prior to his civilian healthcare career he retired from the United States Army as Brigadier General in 2016 with 36 years of dedicated service. His military service concluded as Commanding General of Regional Health Command Europe while also (continued from page 1) 2024 Matthew F. McNulty, Jr. Award Recipient: Van Coots serving as the Command Surgeon for the US Army Europe and 7th Army. Coots served as the final director of the historic Walter Reed Healthcare System and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, from (2008 – 2011). The board is pleased to offer the first posthumous award to Dr. Coots, who exemplified and achieved an outstanding and sustained level of service throughout his career. He died on June 12, 2024, following a horseback riding accident. Dr. Coots is survived by his wife Claudia, two children, Maximillan and Catalina, and Sister Elizabeth Early. This will be the 25th year we will be recognizing an executive for their significant and memorable contributions to the healthcare field. The award is in honor of Matthew F. McNulty, Jr., Sc.D., Former Chancellor Emeritus and Professor Emeritus Georgetown University Medical Center who served on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of The Healthcare Council. To remember and recognize the legacy of Matthew McNulty for his energy, wisdom, talent, and devotion far beyond the ordinary call of duty, the award was initiated in 1998 to recognize others for the same. The Council Board is honored to recognize such a deserving health care leader at the awards luncheon, March 20, 2025.
Previous Award Recipients
2023 Lori Brigham | Infinite Legacy
2022 Kurt Newman, MD | Children’s National Hospital
2021 Stuart B. Bell, MD | MedStar Health
2020 Mike McDermott, MD, MBA 2019 | Mary Washington Healthcare
2019 John M. Colmer | Johns Hopkins Medicine
2018 Michael M. Barch | Heuro Health
2017 Ronald R. Peterson | Johns Hopkins Health System
2016 Kevin J. Sexton | Holy Cros Health
2015 Dr. Jehan El-Bayoumi | George Washington University Hospital
2014 Sister Carol Keehan | Catholic Health System of the United States
2013 Edward A. Eckenhoff | MedStar National Rehabilitation Health System
2012 Robert L. Sloan | Sibley Memorial Hospital
2010 Marlon W. Wall | Potomac Health Foundation
2009 Donald Sweeney | Montgomery General Health
2008 Fernando Rivera | Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center
2007 Malene Davis | Capital Hospice
2006 Dale Hoscheit, Esq. | Sibley Memorial Hospital
2005 Alexander M. Sloan, MD | Holy Cross Hospital
2004 Virgil McDonald | Fort Washington Hospital
2003 Alice Jones | Prince William Health System
2002 Bill Williams | Laurel Regional Hospital
2001 Ed Van Hise | Holy Cross Hospital
2000 Judith Viorst | The Washington Home
1999 Carl Howe | Brooke Grove Foundation
1998 William Tennant | Inova Health System
Dr. Omega Logan Silva Scholarship Recipient
In 2021, The Healthcare Council celebrated its 75 years of service throughout the region. As part of its commemoration, The Healthcare Council established the Dr. Omega Silva Logan Scholarship Fund in memory of the late Dr. Silva, past board member and passionate advocate of disadvantaged women in healthcare.
The scholarship fund honors the life and legacy of Dr. Silva and her passion for encouraging economically disadvantaged women to pursue a degree in health care – a cause she supported throughout her career. The scholarship is for those interested in pursuing a career in healthcare. The fund helps the recipient to complete an undergraduate or graduate degree or a vocational certification at a medical trade school, vocational health school, college, or graduate school of choice.
Each year The Healthcare Council announces and presents the scholarship award recipient at the annual awards luncheon for outstanding healthcare employees and the award for an exceptional healthcare executive who has made a significant contribution to healthcare in the region. Including the scholarship recipient as a part of this ceremony simultaneously honors the student and endears them to the family of healthcare providers attending the event. The awards luncheon is a magical and memorable event honoring many deserving individuals.
Presenting the student during the awards ceremony is a way to say thank you to the generosity of individuals and health systems who support the scholarship program. The excitement of the recipient receiving the scholarship and the connections they make is palpable during the awards luncheon.
The scholarship award is one of The Healthcare Council’s most important initiatives and a wonderful opportunity to recognize deserving young women pursuing a healthcare degree. Scholarship recipients are carefully selected by the Omega Logan Silva Scholarship Committee and recognized each year at the Awards Luncheon.
Congratulations to our previous Dr. Omega Logan Silva Scholarship recipients!
Previous recipients:
2024: Aleia Manning
2023: Courtney Nelson
2022: Cali Wilson
To learn more about the Dr. Omega Logan Silva Scholarship or donate to the fund visit here
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