NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As part of its mission to materially and measurably improve the health of all New Yorkers, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, in partnership with Crain’s New York Business, is pleased to announce the 25 honorees of the 2021 Empire “Whole Health Heroes” Awards. Empire and Crain’s created this program to honor and celebrate individuals and teams whose commitment and exceptional leadership have contributed to revitalizing the city.
“As New Yorkers taking care of New Yorkers, our communities provide inspiration as we come together to revitalize this great city. This year’s class of Empire Whole Health Heroes demonstrate that health goes far beyond the start and eventual end of this pandemic, and we’re excited to recognize them for their commitment to their communities and the city as a whole,” said Alan Murray, President & CEO of Empire BlueCross BlueShield. “We are the largest health insurer in New York, and our mission is to materially and measurably improve the health of all New Yorkers. The winners recognized in the 2021 program exemplify how New Yorkers are collaborating in ways that align with our mission. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to honor this excellent work.”
“Crain’s is proud to be part of the 2021 Empire ‘Whole Health Heroes’ Awards program to honor and celebrate 25 individuals and teams that demonstrated a true commitment to bringing New York City back to life,” said Frederick P. Gabriel Jr., Publisher and Executive Editor of Crain’s New York Business. “It was a privilege to work in partnership with Empire BlueCross BlueShield to bring these remarkable stories to light.”
The awards honor leaders in the following categories:
- Healthcare: Leaders in healthcare delivery or leaders in professional services/technologies supporting the healthcare sector
- Business: Leaders in the private sector
- Essential Workers: Leaders in essential services
The 25 honorees, listed in alphabetical order, are as follows:
- Angeles, Cira; Founder and CEO, L.A. Riverside Brokerage, Inc.
- Babady, Esther; Chair and Clinical Microbiologist, Clinical Microbiology Service Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Bice, Col. Michael; New York Army National Guard
- Boorshtein, Karen; President & CEO, Family Service League
- Bruun, Noah; COO, Medly Pharmacy
- Bryan, Nicole; Manager, Macon Library
- Cioppa Mosca, JeMe; SVP Rehabilitation and Performance, Hospital for Special Surgery
- Dawson, Ava, DNP, RN, CPNP-PC; Health Director/Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Little Red Schoolhouse and Co-President, Independent School Nurses Association (ISNA)
- Dorf, Michael; Founder & CEO, City Winery
- Fletcher-Blake, Debbian; CEO, VIP Community Services
- Gardner, Sara; Executive Director, Fund for Public Health in NYC
- Harinarayanan, Kala; Vice President of Human Resources, American Museum of Natural History
- TEAM RECOGNITION: NYC & Company; Fred Dixon, CEO & President accepting on the company’s behalf
- TEAM RECOGNITION: Hirsch, Andrea, Chief Administrative Officer and Head of Legal, The United States Tennis Association; and, Zausner, Daniel, COO, The United States Tennis Association
- TEAM RECOGNITION: Jones, Roderick; Executive Director, Goddard Riverside and Morris, Gregory; President and Executive Director, Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center
- TEAM RECOGNITION: McColl, Mary; Executive Director, Actors’ Equity Association, St. Martin, Charlotte; President, The Broadway League Inc. and Wankel, Robert; Chairman and CEO, The Shubert Organization
- Ndjatou, Tatiana; Physician, Children's Hospital at Montefiore
- Palitz, Ariel; Senior Executive Director, Office of Nightlife NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
- Pollak, Alexander; CEO, ParaDocs Worldwide, Inc.
- Reich, David, M.D.; President and COO, The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens
- Rigie, Andrew; Executive Director, NYC Hospitality Alliance
- Salas-Lopez, Debbie, MD, MPH; Senior Vice President, Community and Population Health, Northwell Health
- Singer, Brandon; Chief Executive Officer & Founder, MONA
- Tallaj, Dr. Ramon; Founder and Chairman of the Board, SOMOS Community Care
- Woods-Black, Tren’ness; President and Chief Strategist for Tren’ness Woods-Black, LLC and Co-Owner, Sylvia’s Restaurant
All honorees will receive a crystal award to commemorate their selection on this list and will be featured in a print and digital section in Crain’s New York Business and on https://www.crainsnewyork.com/wholehealth2021, published on December 6, 2021.
Crain’s New York Business will also honor these individuals and teams, and their organizations at a virtual celebratory event on December 9, 2021 at 4 p.m. ET (www.crainsnewyork.com/2021empireevent), which will feature remarks by Alan Murray, President & CEO, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, and Fred P. Gabriel, Publisher and Executive Editor of Crain’s New Business. The event will also feature a keynote by Jonnel Doris, Commissioner for the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and Co-Chair of the Small Business Subcommittee of the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity.
The Crain’s New York Business newsroom did not participate in the judging or selection of the honorees.
About Empire BlueCross BlueShield in New York
Serving New Yorkers for more than 85 years, Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) is on a mission to materially and measurably improve the health of New Yorkers. Empire is the largest health insurer in New York supporting more than four million members and more than 38,000 business, union and small employers in New York. Empire is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc., independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serving residents and businesses in the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York State. Additional information about Empire is available at www.empireblue.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at @empirebcbs and on LinkedIn.
About Crain’s New York Business
Crain's New York Business provides news, information, analysis and connections on all facets of New York through the prism of business. Through its daily news coverage on crainsnewyork.com, its weekly coverage in print, its newsmaker forums and topical events that bring together the city's diverse business communities, Crain's New York Business is the leading source of information on the New York economy, the companies, industries and institutions that operate here and the entrepreneurs and innovators who drive the city's growth.
