Honors anyone working in health care who may not fit in other categories but whose performance is considered exemplary by patients, colleagues and other health care providers.

KAREN MONROE         

TITLE: Device Clinic Coordinator

ORGANIZATION: Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute

WHAT A NOMINATOR SAID: “Karen Monroe, BS, CCDS, is a remarkable teammate who should be recognized as an ‘Unsung Hero’ for her contributions to the health of the coastal North Carolina community.

Karen is the (coordinator) of the Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute-Cardiology Cardiac Device Clinic. In this role, she leads a team that provides analysis and programming for over 6,000 patients in our area who have implanted cardiac devices (pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, and implantable loop recorders). She has been an outspoken advocate for her patients, pushing her team to clinical excellence, and encouraging formal certification. Likewise, she has been a strong advocate for her staff, ensuring that their compensation is commensurate with their unique skillset. …

She has taken the examination from the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners to become certified as a Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (CCDS). She has advocated and assisted other colleagues to obtain this certification and other education to perform at the highest clinical level.”

– William Smith, clinical physician executive, Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute

NICHOLAS POWERS

TITLE: Physical Therapist Assistant

ORGANIZATION: Well Care Health  

WHAT A NOMINATOR SAID: “Selflessly serving patients for over 17 years as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Nick Powers is the epitome of an unsung hero. Working quietly behind the scenes, his hard work and dedication to helping others have helped countless patients across the Cape Fear area regain their lives.

Nick has been a PTA with Well Care Health for over 10 years, and his background includes work not only in home health but in rehabilitation and at skilled nursing facilities as well. The skill and knowledge he possesses as a PTA make him a true asset to our patients, his fellow clinicians and our community. He continually strives to provide excellent patient care. ... His empathy and service to his patients is beyond measure, and he truly does always go above and beyond his responsibilities, whether it’s a simple visit to a patient who’s just been discharged from the hospital, bringing flowers to a patient after surgery, installing bedroom lights in a home to make a patient more comfortable and so much more.

His coworkers describe him as the ray of sunshine in the team, noting that his humor and witty remarks can provide much-needed levity ...”

– Well Care Health

MARIA RODRIGUEZ

TITLE: Volunteer Interpreter 

ORGANIZATION: Red Cross & Christ Community Clinic

WHAT A NOMINATOR SAID: “As director of the Community Spanish Interpreter program at CFCC, Maria trains and educates future Spanish interpreters to work in the community. Maria was raised in Puerto Rico and works hard to help reduce language and cultural barriers to health care for all residents … She reinforces with her students and others she interprets with the importance of having the speaker maintain contact with their interlocutor rather than with her, the interpreter, to help ensure that the person receiving the interpretation feels like they are a part of the conversation and that they are being heard.

Maria is a reliable, consistent volunteer with the Sound the Alarm program with the Red Cross. She can be found regularly walking through neighborhoods with the Sound the Alarm team. … more families now have working smoke detectors and have developed a fire escape plan in Spanish thanks to her dedication and assistance. ...

Maria also volunteers at Christ Community Church’s free clinic as an interpreter. Without her interpretation services at the clinic, it would be very difficult for the patients ... to receive the health care services that they need.”

 – Amanda Boomershine, UNCW Spanish professor, co-leader of UNCW Latino Alliance, NHC HLC vice-chair

Read more about all of the 2024 Health Care Heroes finalists here.