14th Annual Employee of the Year Awards Luncheon and 27th Matthew F. McNulty Award
Congratulations to our 2025 Employee of the Year Awards Luncheon recipients.
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.
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.
Congratulations Kimberly Russo, 27th Matthew F. McNulty Award Recipient
The Healthcare Council Board unanimously approved the nomination of Kimberly Russo to receive the 2025 Matthew F. McNulty Award during its December 9, 2025, meeting. The nomination was presented by Board Trustee Kimberlee Daniels (2024–2025). The award will be presented at the 27th Annual Employee of the Year Awards and Matthew F. McNulty Award Luncheon, scheduled for Thursday, March 19, from 12-2 p.m. at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel. In selecting Ms. Russo for this prestigious recognition, The Healthcare Council honors her longstanding dedication to advancing the organization’s mission and services. She served as Vice Chair of the Board for two years and chaired the Omega Logan Silva Scholarship Committee from 2021 until 2025. Additionally, she played a key role in establishing the Young Healthcare Professionals Divisional Group.
Ms. Russo’s contributions extend to her exemplary leadership in the broader healthcare field. She assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer at The George Washington University Hospital (GW Hospital) in June 2016, following nearly a decade of service at the institution, including seven years as Chief Operating Officer. In April 2021, she was appointed Group Vice President for the D.C. region by Universal Health Services Inc. (NYSE: UHS), GW Hospital’s parent company. Under her tenure, GW Hospital expanded clinical services, strengthened its research enterprise, and navigated significant challenges in the D.C. region’s healthcare landscape, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Les Pitton noted, “She was a leader who had the capacity to translate vision into reality, pushing The Healthcare Council to expand its reach throughout the Mid-Atlantic and beyond.”
A cornerstone of Ms. Russo’s legacy in the District of Columbia is her instrumental role in negotiating a landmark public-private partnership agreement with the District government. This agreement enabled UHS—then the hospital’s majority owner and later full owner—to operate the new Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, addressing a critical shortage of healthcare services on the city’s east side after years of collaborative effort. Her accomplishments have been widely recognized. In 2020, Becker’s Hospital Review named her among the 100 Academic Medical Center CEOs to Know. She was also honored as one of The Washington Business Journal’s 2016 “Playmakers” for her impact on the D.C. area.
With more than 20 years of clinical and operational experience, Ms. Russo has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership. In April 2025, Ms. Russo transitioned to a new executive role as Chief Executive Officer of the Central Region for OSF HealthCare, a Bloomington, Illinois-based integrated health system, where she continues to drive operational excellence and community-focused care.
This marks the 27th presentation of the Matthew F. McNulty Award, established in 1998 to honor Matthew F. McNulty, Jr., Sc.D., Chancellor Emeritus and Professor Emeritus at Georgetown University Medical Center. Dr. McNulty served with distinction on The Healthcare Council’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The award commemorates his extraordinary energy, wisdom, talent, and devotion beyond the ordinary call of duty, and it recognizes individuals who exemplify these same qualities in their service to healthcare.
The Healthcare Council Board is honored to celebrate Ms. Russo’s remarkable contributions at the March 19 luncheon.
Previous Award Recipients
2024 Dr. Norvell ‘Van’ Coots, posthumously | Holy Cross Health
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
Thank you to our 2026 Sponsors
Diamond Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
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.
The 2026 Dr. Omega Logan Silva Scholarship recipient is Hannah Hollis. Hannah is a 2024 graduate of Howard University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. During her time living and serving in Washington, DC, she discovered her passion for public health and developed a deep commitment to service which continues to guide her pursuit of a career in healthcare. In May 2026, Hannah will begin a dual Master of Public Health and Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at The George Washington University. Through this dual-degree training, she aims to integrate clinical practice with population health strategies to better serve her patients.
Congratulations to our 5th Dr. Omega Logan Silva Scholarship recipient, Hannah Hollis!
Previous recipients:
2025: Dr. Edna Normand
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
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 three 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.
