Pastor Mark Reeves transformed the UCSD Medical Center culture to embrace the importance of spiritual support as a critical aspect of patient care. As the first chaplain, he created a program with more than 50 volunteer spiritual care providers who are available 24/7 to support patients, staff and physicians and conduct more than 1,800 visits per month. 

He recruits and trains volunteers; developed a comprehensive Patient Wellness and Spiritual Care manual; and conducts training for patient-care staff to teach them to be sensitive and responsive to spiritual needs.

As a volunteer for the Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Pastor Reeves has been called upon to minister to the victims of some of our nation’s most horrific disasters—Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina. More recently, he was a constant presence at the UCSD Medical Center during the October 2007 firestorms and he supported the volunteer teams at Qualcomm Stadium and other community sites providing care and respite for the thousands of evacuees.

Diana Bergen is a friendly, well-respected individual in her department and the San Diego community. Her passion for the environment is infectious. Through her efforts to bridge communication and balance resources, she has been instrumental in ensuring the preservation and enhancement of the natural environments of our campus and community.

Bergen dedicates herself to the conservation of trees, with a particular interest in the Torrey pine. She coordinated the salvaging of numerous trees facing destruction.  She also exhibits leadership in the responsible use of water. Her ongoing efforts to transplant trees and irrigate by using recycled water have contributed to significant savings for the university.

Bergen is the public representative on the Los Penasquitos Lagoon Foundation board; contributed to the Del Mar Heights Road median landscape design project; and is past president of the Torrey Pines Association. Bergen’s tireless dedication, enthusiasm and stewardship inspire Landscape Services Staff and imbue them with true job satisfaction.

As an experienced social worker and administrator, Christine Brown-Taylor makes an excellent supervisor, trainer and UCSD representative. Her performance has advanced San Diego’s Safe and Livable Communities initiative by reducing recidivism amongst mentally ill and substance-abusing offenders through Senate Bill 618.

Her comprehensive, dynamic, multi-disciplinary and evidence-based case management efforts are instrumental in working with participants from pre-sentencing up to 18 months post-release. She has carefully selected a multicultural team which actively practices the UCSD Principles of Community in its work with numerous professionals, inmates and their family members. Also, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Brown-Taylor rushed to New Orleans for several weeks to rescue uprooted people in need.

Being where she can be the most useful is characteristic of all of her efforts. Her solutions-oriented approach provides positive collaboration between our academic institution and the community in order to reduce the gap between research and practice.

As Facilities Manager, Kathy Caro’s innovative problem solving produces significant cost savings. Caro has single-handedly generated more surplus sales activity than anyone within the School of Medicine. Her creative reuse of materials, equipment and furniture for all of her renovation projects has saved thousands of dollars.

As departmental security administrator, Caro continues to provide outstanding support for the campus’ largest department and ensures that the business process functions smoothly. The amount of payroll hours saved, the quick access to information in urgent situations and the total commitment to going above and beyond in customer service are benchmarks of Caro’s work.

She is also involved in the Staff Association—serving as Logistics Committee Chair for the 2007 Staff Appreciation Picnic; playing an active role in the first supply drive for disadvantaged K-12 schools; and assisting with the annual Holiday Pancake breakfast. She is a second-generation recipient; her father, John Caro, received an award in 1993.

Lisa Dacey raises the standard of patient care to new heights with her tireless efforts to deliver quality services. Her commitment to development and service make her a role model. She works to ensure that staff members are educated in best practices; instructs visiting students; educates nurses through written material and onsite training; cocreated a formal Mentoring Program; and organizes monthly department literature review meetings, which encourage an interest in research.

Dacey contributes a great deal of time and energy to quality care. She finds creative ways to meet the patients’ needs, treats every patient as family, learned Spanish to better communicate and created patient educational handouts.

In her personal life, Dacey volunteers for various charitable organizations including the Susan B. Koman Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk and the Race for Autism. Finally, this summer, Dacey is foregoing traditional wedding keepsakes and will be donating money in her guests’ names to charity instead.

Mary Darling has had a phenomenal impact on the cohesion, morale, effectiveness and fundraising success of the Scripps Development Office (SDO) over the past two years (including the record-breaking FY 2006-2007).  Her creativity and problem-solving abilities have fostered effective modes of communication; improved SDO budget and reports management; improved the donor and prospect tracking systems; and lightened the atmosphere in a high-pressure environment. 
   
Darling’s efforts have resulted in a well-trained, well-organized, focused and energized SDO that is ambitiously expanding the role of private support. She has been instrumental in the roll out of Scripps’ development efforts in other cities as she eagerly takes on additional responsibilities.

Her many community-involvement activities include participating in local government; advocating for the Hispanic community; and participating in a variety of organizations and committees. But of all her accomplishments, if Darling were asked what her most important role is, she would share her pride in being the mother of four.

Thomas Gilkison’s dedication to college preparation inspires the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) staff. When budget reductions closed the Imperial County satellite, Gilkison was left alone to continue providing precollege outreach services in that region. Through connections, he secured an office and continues to create, implement and evaluate direct precollege services.

Gilkison works daily to help young people realize that if they take challenging courses in high school and receive good grades, they can earn the right to attend the college of their choice. His dedication to student achievement is evident through his positive attitude and willingness to take on new and challenging work assignments.

As one of the few UC employees located in Imperial County, many UCOP and UCSD offices have relied on Gilkison to serve as the “UC” or “UCSD” representative for events. Without his committed efforts, UCSD would often go unrepresented at college preparation events and activities in Imperial County.

Heather Herman is fearless in her eagerness to learn new skills, engage patients and families and teach others how to incorporate palliative care in a comprehensive cancer center. She is a role model and arguably the best at what she does in any comparable program in the nation. Through her skills and creativity, she established nurtured, and continues to develop this innovative program.

She has trained nurses and health professionals and recently received funding to be trained as a nurse educator for the national End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) train-the-trainer program. She already has plans to use this training to develop an instructional program in pain management.

Her drive and determination inspire the others on the team. She easily earned the trust of the physician faculty, nurses and social work colleagues in the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. More importantly, she has the trust and admiration of the many patients and family members with whom she works.

Blanca Melendez worked tirelessly to establish a partnership between Community Pediatrics and the Latino community as coordinator of the Network for a Healthy California’s Latino Campaign, which exceeds outreach expectations yearly. Due to her effort, she is now regional director of this organization.

Melendez applies creativity and commitment to initiatives such as a vending-machine toolkit promoting healthy vending machine options; the Healthy Kids' Choice Initiative, creating healthy restaurant menu options for kids; and leading the opening of San Diego’s first County Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), a food-stamp accessible and culturally relevant Open Air Farmers' Market in City Heights.

Melendez challenges her team to collaborate, prioritize and streamline tasks on limited finances. She is a team player who is comfortable rolling up her sleeves and is considered as a partner and role model, rather than a supervisor or manager. Melendez has impacted her staff, her community partners, and the community as a whole through her commitment and positive attitude.

Christi Middlesworth is the glue that holds together the department of psychiatry Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Program. In addition to her duties as the administrative coordinator/office and lab manager, she schedules research studies; oversees scheduling staff; creates various accounts; publicizes and creates speaking events for doctors; and books travel for those coming to the clinic.

Middlesworth has saved thousands of dollars by creating a medical record system and accounting procedures which allowed the department
 to track down and reclaim thousands of dollars; renegotiating contracts with insurance companies and vendors; and establishing a tax ID number for the program.

Middlesworth is very friendly and knowledgeable and helps patients and their families feel appreciated and at ease. Her care and concern for others extends to the doctors and her coworkers. If someone is having a rough day, they can count on Middlesworth to either cheer them up or help them get through.