Celebrating Excellence: ARC Awards Recognize Outstanding YSM Staff Teams

At the second annual Staff Appreciation & Recognition Champions (ARC) Awards ceremony on June 10, 2026, Yale School of Medicine (YSM) honored 57 staff members representing four teams whose work exemplifies collaboration, community service, initiative, and inspiration.

Selected from dozens of nominations submitted across the school, the awardees support every aspect of YSM's mission, from helping investigators secure research funding and improving patient experiences to advancing community outreach and creating opportunities for professional growth.

The ARC Awards are sponsored by YSM's Offices of Collaborative Excellence and Finance & Administration, in partnership with the Culture Committee. Award recipients were selected by the ARC Awards Committee, a subgroup of the YSM Staff Culture Committee, which was formed in 2023 as an outcome of Staff Development Strategic Plan with a mission of identifying meaningful opportunities to foster a culture of personal and professional growth, connection, appreciation, recognition, and high performance.

Dean Nancy J. Brown, MD, addressed the room, saying, “There are very few jobs where what you do for a living is teach the next generation to take care of patients and make discoveries that change the lives of others, and everybody in this room Is integral to those missions.” She continued, “There are the people in our lives who are important to us, and of course, families are first among them. But we all come to work and spend a lot of time here, and doing that with people whom we respect and admire and with whom we share life's events, is really important.”

John Whelan, Yale University vice president for human resources, added, “Here's the thing about a place like Yale School of Medicine. The mission is written down: care for patients with compassion, advance discovery, improve the health of all people. But a mission statement has never won a grant, or protected a kid on a playing field, or fixed a billing system. The mission lives or dies in thousands of small decisions when no one is watching. The decision to step in when a colleague is underwater. The decision to catch a mistake before it reaches someone. The decision to lift up another person. That is exactly what I saw in your four teams.”

Prita Patel, YSM deputy dean of finance and administration, opened the ceremony, saying, “Since joining YSM last September, I've been inspired every day by the talent and dedication of our staff. ... To our awardees, and to every team nominated this year, thank you. You represent what makes our community exceptional, and your contributions matter deeply.”

Darin Latimore, YSM deputy dean for collaborative excellence, concluded, “I only ask two things of you. One: Keep up the good work. And, two: Please continue to model the, ‘Together, we can accomplish anything’ attitude. Because together we can.”

Award citations for each of the four winning teams

Award: Collaboration

Honorees: Brittney D. Pruitt Agwu, Tamara Anne Barker, Courtney M. Blair, Teresanne R. Bohan, Scott Bullock, Marcos Carvahlo, Allison Reh Casas, Matthew James Cook, Sarah Corley, Alisha Cosgrove, Michele Deschino, Jill Ely, Molly Holbink, Dana Kalina, Myra Armon Keeble, Maria M. Marin, Courtney Michelle Gomez, Varaidzo M. Nhundu, Kristin R. Ott, Shibali Patra, Kristi Renae Pickering, Uma Raman, Navieta Ramasami, Christina L. Rios, Alli Saravanan, Shilpa Shukla, Meredith Smith, Mathew Sproles, Kourtney Thibodeaux, Karla Woodard, and Kathryn S. Young.

The mission of the YSM Pre Award Team, or YPAT, is to assist investigators with the preparation and submission of grant and contract proposals. Serving 18 clinical departments in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment, the team thrives on trust, responsiveness, coordinated problem-solving, and shared accountability. In FY 2025, YPAT supported approximately 2,700 proposal submissions totaling over $3B in requested funding and contributing to more than 1,000 peer-reviewed publications. YPAT credits this to their cross-coverage and shared portfolio model. While each member develops expertise and independent departmental partnerships, YPAT operates as a unified team. Members share knowledge, seek input, and step in during peak submissions, absences, and complex proposal cycles. This approach ensures continuity, reduces errors, and fosters innovative solutions. Faculty members have commented, “Their patience and kind, timely assistance with my grant submission…made a significant difference and helped keep everything on track,” and “They approached each application as a true partner in the process.”

Award: Community Service

Honorees: Sharon Anderson, Kaitie Biggs, Julianna Butler, Maryol Carmona, Vera Da Silva, Jeffrey Errico, Ashley Frisina-Deyo, Anthony Guglielmo, Anthony Iannucci, Renato Locks, Kristin Moriarty, Joe Poletsky, Philip Stevenson, Hannah Vieira, and Nicole Zurlis.

The Yale SportSafe program was created to expedite patient care, expand much-needed services for local athletes, and strengthen the Yale sports medicine division’s impact and visibility in the community. Their impact is felt through annual cardiac and musculoskeletal screenings for high school athletes, rapid access to care after an injury, specialized knowledge for female athletes, and the standardization of evidence-based protocols. Through a coordinated set of clinical, educational, and outreach initiatives, Yale SportSafe has improved access and continuity of care and has elevated health and safety standards for athletes in New Haven and across Connecticut.

Award: Initiative

Honorees: Howard Bibbins, Kathy Bunko, Linda Canales, Kendra Griffin, Karn McKane, Claudia Meyers, and Terri Stenquist.

Imagine this: You have made the selfless decision to donate an organ, and then you get a medical bill. It’s obviously a mistake, but one that compounds the stress of this crucial moment. To Yale Medicine’s Special Payor Team, anticipating and preventing this moment is about compassion, integrity, and mutual respect among colleagues. Special Payors is not just a billing unit. They are a dedicated support system, frequently sought out for their specialized knowledge and collaborative approach. Through a detailed audit of claims that were caught in a bottleneck or misdirected, they built sophisticated automated workflows that reduced the queue by 85%. This means faster processing, a seamless experience for patients, and time freed up for complex tasks. The team has cultivated a culture around developing constructive relationships, nurturing their colleagues’ professional growth, and collective problem-solving.

Award: Inspiration

Honorees: Victoria Dagostino, Kimberly Blackman, Yudilyn Jaramillo, and Varaidzo M. Nhundu.

Through the Leadership Meet and Greet Series, members of the Department of Psychiatry’s ARCH Task Force have created a sustainable model for directly connecting with and learning from leaders. The series creates the opportunity to engage top leaders in meaningful discussions, ask questions, and gain insights. Each leader has shared the challenges, surprises, and joys along their paths; the role of mentors and sponsors; their visions for investing in and nurturing the potential in others; and the daily habits and leadership qualities that have contributed to their successes. The series has fostered unity among staff, faculty, and trainees. The team hopes it inspires their colleagues to volunteer and to offer mentorship in the local community.

The ARC Award is co-sponsored by YSM’s Offices of Collaborative Excellence (OCE), and Finance & Administration, and the Culture Committee. It was made possible by the members of the YSM Staff ARC Awards Committee who have brought the program to fruition:

Michele Carpenter – Senior Program Manager, OCE

Ryan Curran – Associate Director, Leadership and Staff Development, YMTD

Chelsea Gomez – Program Manager, OCE

Sarah Hagans – Associate Director, Administration, Internal Medicine

Paula Maguina – Senior Research Finance Manager, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery

Franny Puglisi – Lead Administrator, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis