Here are the finalists in the 2017 Health Care Heroes Community Outreach category.

Honors an individual or team who communicated to the community about a health issue, including treatments and best practices, health threats and other education initiatives.

Patrick Lockamy

TITLE: Physical therapy assistant

ORGANIZATION: New Hanover Regional Medical Center Rehabilitation Hospital

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “Patrick Lockamy is legally blind, only able to see light and shadows. Anything beyond 6 or 7 feet is lost in a haze. Knowing firsthand the safety issues that face many, particularly those with disabilities, Patrick is an outstanding role model as a physical therapy assistant. He serves as a mentor, resource and voice in his work and in the community, advocating for reducing barriers and improving life for those with disabilities.

Always exhibiting a positive attitude, he communicates extremely well with patients, their families and co-workers. He willingly shares his knowledge by teaching a monthly class to all Rehabilitation Services staff during new employee orientation.

As a member of the Rehabilitation Services Safety Council, Patrick goes above and beyond to identify safety issues and thinks outside the box to resolve any problems.

He provides training for nurse educators in all areas of NHRMC; leads tours of the Rehabilitation Hospital and provides education for Camp Med students; serves as a mentor for NHRMC high school and college volunteers and serves as a resource for patients newly diagnosed with blindness or low vision.”

- Iris Baker, NHRMC outreach coordinator

Montrel Miller

TITLE: Prevention specialist

ORGANIZATION: Coastal Horizons Center Inc.

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “Mr. Miller is responsible for educating our clients, the community, and our own agency on topics such as hepatitis C, HIV, AIDS and much more. Mr. Miller executes the on-site testing for clients as well as educating them on prevention measures and treatment options while sitting with them to review their test results. He always makes the client aware that they are in a judgment-free zone. Mr. Miller provides community outreach to our vulnerable populations (college/ high school kids, unsheltered population, active addiction clients and those who have been assaulted).

This work takes a person who truly cares about the health of the individual as well as the health of our community. Mr. Miller always makes time to give out accurate information to his peers at our agency as well as to the client groups our agency has too.

Mr. Miller is able to communicate the information needed in ways that can reach any audience in a way that is powerful and level/age appropriate without losing the focus of the message. He is dedicated to his job and hopes to expand the services he (and our agency) provides to members of the community that are not actively engaged with caring and supportive outlets for information.”

- Tonya Barber, Coastal Horizons Center

LeShonda Wallace

TITLE: Advanced nurse practitioner/ executive director and founder

ORGANIZATION: New Hanover Regional Medical Center/Seeds of Healing Inc.

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “During the day Dr. Wallace [who holds a Ph.D.] works in the infectious disease clinic closing the gap for HIV outcome in the region for the uninsured and underinsured, making a difference in health equity.

There are more than 800 patients, and she implemented a HCV treatment program to cure HCV for those co-infected.

Dr. Wallace is the founder of Seeds of Healing, a 501(c) (3) focused on HIV/AIDS awareness and empowering affected women to self-management through workshops and trainings.

She is also Health Chair of the New Hanover County NAACP collaborating with other agencies on health equity issues to include an inaugural HIV/AIDS Run next year.”

- Deborah Dicks Maxwell, New Hanover County NAACP president