The 2025 OSMH Board Awards of Excellence showcased a broad spectrum of exceptional individuals and teams. Started 17 years ago, the peer-nominated awards program sees the OSMH Board of Directors select recipients in 4 categories aligned with the hospital’s strategic plan – Trust, Courage, Teamwork and Leadership.
“The Board is extremely proud to support this long-standing awards program that shines a well-deserved light on the truly incredible team members that make our hospital function so well,” said Lawrence Pietras, OSMH Board Chair.
“When reviewing the nominations, you get a genuine sense of the respect and admiration that hospital colleagues have for each other. It also made the selection process very challenging.”
Pietras and 1st Vice Chair Terri McKinnon presented the awards February 11th at an in-person ceremony for all hospital team members that was broadcast simultaneously throughout the organization via Zoom.
2025 OSMH Board Award of Excellence Recipients
Trust – Diana Moczkodan, Director, IT, Clinical Informatics & Biomedical Engineering, Interim Director, Facilities Management
The Trust award was presented to Diana Moczkodan, Director, IT, Clinical Informatics & Biomedical Engineering, Interim Director, Facilities Management recognizing her ability to build strong relationships and foster collaboration among partner organizations, particularly during the modernization of a multi-site Health Information System. Diana also successfully spearheaded the expansion of the hospital’s IT service delivery model into the Couchiching Family Health Team.
Courage – Julie Airth, Nurse Practitioner
The Courage award was presented to Nurse Practitioner Julie Airth, recognizing her relentless advocacy for organizational improvement and unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional patient care. Airth was a pivotal leader in the ‘Optimizing Skin Integrity’ project, where she influenced systemic change, ensuring every patient entering our doors received evidence-based prevention and treatment for skin health.
Teamwork (Co-Winners)
- OSMH Facilities Team
- Jackie Rigarlsford, Clerk, Regional Kidney Care Program
From ice storms to power outages, the Facilities Team was recognized with a Teamwork award for their outstanding efforts in keeping the hospital safe, compliant and fully operational for patients, families and staff throughout the past year. During multiple severe weather events, the team dropped everything, coming in after-hours to clear hazards, secure infrastructure and support emergency preparedness.
Going above and beyond was also a strong characteristic of Teamwork co-winner Jackie Rigarlsford, who is frequently praised for helping out fellow team members and supporting patients in the dialysis and kidney care departments.
She often arrives early to help organize the kidney care clinic before starting a shift elsewhere helping transport patients between locations in the hospital.
Leadership – Sumera Salam, Quality Experience Leader
The Leadership award was presented to Sumera Salam, Quality Experience Leader, for her efforts leading the ‘Information at Care Transitions’ initiative, setting a new organizational benchmark for collaboration, rigor and system-level impact. Her exceptional leadership was anchored in the Quality Improvement Framework and characterized by curiosity, humility and precision, inspiring a level of engagement rarely seen in major process redesign.
