Arizona News – Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) and OneAZ Credit Union are thrilled to announce the 2024 Mason Award winners. This distinguished honor celebrates nurses and patient care technicians who have displayed excellence through their outstanding patient care. The awards include a Nurse of the Year, Tech of the Year and a Friend of Nursing awarded to a person who supports patient caregivers. A nurse and a tech are also recognized for upholding each of NAH’s five values. The recipients are from both Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) and Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) in Cottonwood.
OneAZ Credit Union is the exclusive sponsor of the 2024 Mason Awards and has committed to fund the Mason Awards for five years, which commenced with the 2023 Mason Awards. A breakfast event celebrating this year’s Mason Awards recipients was held on Friday, Feb. 7. At the breakfast, Findlay Toyota surprised the Nurse of the Year and the Tech of the Year with a Toyota Tacoma one-year lease.
“The Mason Awards give NAH the chance to recognize our colleagues who truly represent our values in their daily work to care for patients,” said Tyffany Laurano, NAH chief nursing officer. “The recipients are nominated by their peers for their heartwarming and touching patient care, plus their encouraging support for their teams. It was such a pleasure to be able to recognize the importance of their work and the impact they have on the people they care for each day,” Laurano added.
“We are honored to partner with Northern Arizona Healthcare for the Mason Awards,” said OneAZ Credit Union President Greg Russo. “This program carries deep meaning, inspired by a heartfelt story of care and resilience that reminds us why supporting those who care for others is so important. A special thank you to the NAH Office of Philanthropy for facilitating the partnership with OneAZ Credit Union to elevate this program to new heights.”
Congratulations to the 2024 Mason Award winners:
- Kristie Riebe – Nurse of the Year – FMC – Radiation Oncology
- Judah Landavaso – Tech of the Year – VVMC – Operating Room
- Suzi Olsen-Zwick – Friend of Nursing – FMC – Special Care Nursery
- Caitlin Boren – Nurse, Be Better Together – FMC – Education
- Lori Honyaoma – Tech, Be Better Together – FMC – Medical Intensive Care Unit
- Nely Esparza-Gutierrez – Nurse, Build Community – FMC – Pediatrics
- Alendra Logan – Tech, Build Community – FMC – Transfer Center
- Holly Zeitler – Nurse, Do Amazing Work – FMC – Operating Room
- James Corso – Tech, Do Amazing Work – FMC – Behavioral Health Adult Psychiatric
- Kerstin Keller – Nurse, Respect Differences – FMC – Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
- Evangeline Yazzie – Tech, Respect Differences – FMC – Surgical Intensive Care Unit
- Chyna-Mae Sablan – Nurse, Show Compassion – FMC – Behavioral Health Adult Psychiatric
- Autumn Hamud – Tech, Show Compassion – VVMC – Emergency Department
Previously known as the Nurse and Tech of the Year Awards, the Mason Awards seek to capture and highlight the spirit of health care that makes a real difference in the lives of patients and their families. Recipients exemplify NAH values, deliver outstanding care, and make a significant impact on colleagues and patients. This prestigious recognition was renamed in 2018 in memory of Jessica Diefenbach’s son, Mason, who was lost in a tragic accident. Jessica and Mason were profoundly affected by the outstanding care they received at Flagstaff Medical Center on that terrible day. Learn more about their story here.
Each year, nominations are submitted by colleagues across the organization who wish to recognize a true hero they work alongside, someone who lives our NAH Values. Nominations are reviewed by a selection committee consisting of nursing leadership and front-line clinical staff from across NAH.