Everyday Excellence: The Impact of UPMC’s ACES Winners
At UPMC, we take pride in honoring and celebrating employees that exemplify what it means to provide Life Changing Medicine every single day. The Award for Commitment and Excellence in Service (ACES) recognizes UPMC employees who consistently go above and beyond in their roles. These individuals demonstrate exceptional dedication and make a meaningful impact on patients, colleagues, and the communities we serve. Recipients embody UPMC’s five core values: Quality & Safety, Dignity & Respect, Caring & Listening, Responsibility & Integrity, and Excellence & Innovation. The ACES program not only celebrates individual achievement but also serves as a benchmark for professional excellence and encourages a culture of compassion, innovation, and integrity throughout our organization.
This year, 226 employees across UPMC received an ACES for their commitment to consistently upholding our UPMC Values through their hard work and unwavering dedication. Here are some of their stories.
At UPMC, we take pride in honoring and celebrating employees that exemplify what it means to provide Life Changing Medicine every single day. The Award for Commitment and Excellence in Service (ACES) recognizes UPMC employees who consistently go above and beyond in their roles. These individuals demonstrate exceptional dedication and make a meaningful impact on patients, colleagues, and the communities we serve. Recipients embody UPMC’s five core values: Quality & Safety, Dignity & Respect, Caring & Listening, Responsibility & Integrity, and Excellence & Innovation. The ACES program not only celebrates individual achievement but also serves as a benchmark for professional excellence and encourages a culture of compassion, innovation, and integrity throughout our organization.
This year, 226 employees across UPMC received an ACES for their commitment to consistently upholding our UPMC Values through their hard work and unwavering dedication. Here are some of their stories.
Melody P.
Patient Care Technician – UPMC Chautauqua
Melody P.’s uplifting personality and willingness to go the extra mile for her patients is a true testament to her passion for caring for others. She continually helps to ease the stress of patients and colleagues by remaining steady and kind in all her interactions.
Melody regularly offers to check in on patients’ pets, plants, and homes when they are unable to be discharged. In one instance, a single elderly woman fell and broke her hip while she was in town and was worried about her car being towed. Melody stepped in, connected with the right folks, and was able to safely get her car back to her home.
As a retired police detective and U.S. Army veteran, Melody remains committed to serving her community. The people she’s met along the way have driven her growth and success in her current role.
Silash S.
Environment Services Associate – UPMC Presbyterian
Silash S. consistently demonstrates UPMC’s values through his professionalism, reliability, and strong work ethic. He shows respect and compassion in every interaction, ensuring that the Operating Room team feels supported and heard. Silash takes great pride in maintaining a clean, safe, and organized environment — an essential part of patient care. By doing this, Silash helps reduce delays, supports infection-prevention standards, and ensures staff can focus fully on patient care.
Silash likes to spend his free time in meaningful ways, like involvement in his church community or making memories with family. He’s always looking for opportunities to stay grounded and bring simple joys into his everyday life.
Brittany H.
Manager, Patient Access, Corporate Revenue Cycle – UPMC Williamsport and UPMC Muncy
Brittany H. first discovered her passion for helping patients and supporting people when her UPMC journey began as a registration clerk in 2015. Over the course of her ten-year career, she has worked as a clerk, a registration supervisor, and now a manager of Patient Access.
As a young leader with responsibility across many departments, Brittany has learned many lessons already and continues to learn daily. She built strong Patient Access teams and working relationships with other leaders, while continuing her passion for serving patients in their moments of need.
Brittany is also a third-generation first responder. She became an EMT when she was 18 and served her local fire department and community. She stepped away from that role to raise her family but continues to help serve her community in her current role and plans to return to volunteering one day.
Brenna J.
Professional Staff Nurse – UPMC Western Maryland
Brenna J. is an exceptional nurse whose dedication, teamwork, and patient-centered approach make her an invaluable member of the Cardiovascular ICU. She consistently demonstrates a commitment to doing things the right way, seeking out learning opportunities, and supporting the continued growth of her team as the unit transitions into a cardiac step-down environment.
One example of Brenna’s outstanding performance occurred when caring for a patient who was receiving peritoneal dialysis. The patient and his family were anxious about how his dialysis exchanges would be managed in the hospital, especially with their preferred cleansing solution that was essential to his care. Brenna took the time to actively listen to their concerns, validated their worries, and immediately went to work to secure the specific solution he needed. She guided the patient and his family through each step of the process with calmness, clarity, and genuine compassion.
Outside of work, Brenna enjoys spending quality time with the people she loves. She also likes cooking, photography, and being outdoors.
“Nursing can be hectic, so being able to slow down, connect, and recharge is important to me,” Brenna shared. “Having a creative outlet helps me reset and show up more presently for my patients and makes me a better nurse.”
John K.
Senior Learning and Development Coordinator – Corporate Learning and Development
John K.‘s work has a ripple effect across UPMC. His influence is felt in the quality of our learning programs, the strength of our culture, and the growth of countless employees and leaders. John has directly enhanced the value and effectiveness of UPMC’s learning offerings in many ways, like extending course durations to allow for deeper learning and skill practice.
At UPMC, we teach others how to live our values as they pursue excellence. John doesn’t just teach it — he lives it. His name often comes up as an example of what it means to lead with integrity, compassion, and innovation. John is an exceptional teammate and a true asset to his team. His ability to facilitate meaningful discussions, create substantiative learning experiences, and collaborate effectively with everyone is remarkable.
In his free time, John is an avid runner and hiker. He has completed countless races and has hiked across England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, in the Alps through France, Italy, and Switzerland, and all around the U.S.
Josephine R.
Senior Patient Service Coordinator – UPMC Mercy
Josephine R. started her career with UPMC 50 years ago at UPMC St. Margaret’s original location in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. She returned to school while working at UPMC and transitioned to work for UPMC Health Plan in the Insurance Services Division before eventually returning to her passion for patient care.
Josephine demonstrates the UPMC Values in her daily work and truly makes an impact in her office. Every day she runs morning huddle where she not only informs everyone what the day ahead looks like, but also puts on upbeat music and dances, encouraging everyone to join her and have a good day.
In her free time, Josephine enjoys serving and working in her church community and liturgical flag dancing. Most of all, she has a passion for patient care and advocating for patients and their families. She loves sharing smiles with patients, even when they are having their worst days. It brings her happiness to sing “Happy Birthday” to patients and spread joy and positivity in otherwise uncertain circumstances.
Doris D.
Assistant Chief of Physics at Shadyside, Principal Medical Physicist, Clinical Instructor – UPMC Shadyside
Doris D. joined UPMC as a regional physicist, covering many sites across the organization before being permanently positioned at UPMC Shadyside. Even in a single-site role, Doris remains the go-to person for more than 50 physicists across UPMC. Her continued support for the network isn’t tied to any official title or position, but it comes from a genuine, intrinsic commitment to improving work for everyone. This reflects her true character as a dedicated, collaborative team player who lives our UPMC Values every day.
During the early implementation of Mobius as a second-check software for radiation therapy plans, she took a major role in adjusting parameters to make the software compatible with stereotactic radiosurgery plans for multiple metastases. She trained network physicists on its use and served as the primary resource for troubleshooting Mobius for over a year, until all physicists were comfortable with the system. Doris’s continued positive, team-first attitude has forever changed the culture of the physics team and the dynamic within the department.
Outside of professional work in physics, Doris’s hobbies emphasize creativity and craftsmanship. She enjoys woodworking and furniture building, which allow her to work hands‑on and engage in detailed, practical problem‑solving. She also has a strong interest in cooking and is an active member of her church choir.
Justin G.
Behavioral Health Therapist II – Second Avenue Commons Health Center
As a behavioral health therapist at UPMC’s Second Avenue Commons Health Center, Justin G. is one of the only therapists in Pittsburgh who provides care specifically to people who are experiencing homelessness. He meets with people who are coping with unbelievable amounts of stress, loss, and trauma, and helps them to process their emotions and find hope and a way to move forward.
In addition to providing the highest quality care to patients, Justin has continuously sought to improve the mental health service continuum, both within Second Avenue Commons, and throughout Allegheny County. Within the shelter, he has established connections with community partners like Mercy Behavioral Health, Resolve Crisis Network, and Point Park University’s Mobile Thriving Respite, among many others, to not only bring more resources and programming to the shelter, but to improve communication between providers, too.
Before moving to Pittsburgh and working at UPMC, Justin was a radio DJ for 12 years and produced a traveling arts festival in five different major U.S. cities. He has also visited over 40 countries and worked as a social worker in three different countries. Justin continues to use his life experiences and skills from his travels to help those in his community and beyond.
Congratulations, ACES winners!
Although these are just a few of the amazing stories from this year’s ACES winners, we congratulate all of UPMC’s 2025 ACES winners on their successes and achievements. These stories highlight the power of going the extra mile and leading with heart. Each honoree represents the very best of who we are — people who show up, lift others up, and make a meaningful difference every day.
Their contributions remind us that excellence isn’t just achieved — it’s lived through showing up for the people in our communities, making a positive impact, and setting an example of what it means to live our values.
