LifeBridge Health was honored to have six employees, the New Bridges To Improve Child Health program and one tuxedo-clad miniature dachshund as finalists for the 2006 Health Care Heroes awards, hosted by The Daily Record. The annual program recognizes exceptional people and organizations in health care around our state, defining heroes as “men and women who put themselves before others, who see problems and who solve them.”

Deanna Gaister, volunteer coordinator for Sinai Hospital, was named Top Winner in the Health Care Professional category during a March 23 awards ceremony. Deanna oversees 300 adult volunteers but still finds time to develop programs for mentoring students and enhancing customer service.

Paul A. Gurbel, M.D., FACC, director of Sinai’s Division of Cardiology and the Sinai Center for Thrombosis Research, was a /winner in the category of Advancements in Health Care. In the Volunteer Hero category, Sandy Cohen, Oncology volunteer at Sinai, was also a winner.

But Brutus, also a Volunteer Hero Winner, stole the show at the awards breakfast when called to the stage. The tail-wagging pooch has been spreading his own brand of comfort and care at Levindale for the past year. Brutus accompanies his handler on morning rounds, and he quickly became one of Levindale’s most popular animal volunteers.

The other award finalists were Marlene Lesley, therapeutic recreation manager for Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home; Ida Samet, vice president of Women and Children’s Services for LifeBridge Health; and Shawn Pamela Barnes, R.N., Northwest Hospital’s senior clerical nurse.