Honors an individual or team behind a new scientific discovery, procedure, treatment or device that can save lives or improve the quality of life for a large number of people.
KATHLEEN C. LEONE
TITLE: Board-Certified Ophthalmic Surgeon
ORGANIZATION: Wilmington Eye
WHAT A NOMINATOR SAID: “Dr. Kathleen C. Leone has devoted her career to going above and beyond for her patients, colleagues and community. For more than 25 years, she has been a driving force in advancing vision care in Wilmington, combining surgical excellence with compassion that changes lives.
“Her commitment to service began long before her arrival in Wilmington. After graduating cum laude from Georgetown University School of Medicine, she served eight years in the U.S. Navy, treating service members and their families….
“In Wilmington, Dr. Leone distinguished herself as a pioneer. In 2006, she performed the first Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) in Wilmington. In 2013, she became the first surgeon in the region to perform laser-assisted cataract surgery, offering patients a safer procedure with faster recovery and improved results. She continues to bring advanced options such as bladeless LASIK, ICL EVO, TORIC ICL and refractive lens exchange to her community….
“What sets Dr. Leone apart, however, is not just her surgical skill but the way she treats people. Patients consistently describe her as attentive, reassuring, and deeply caring.”
– Amber Fowler, marketing specialist, Wilmington Eye
DEVIN LESSARD
TITLE: Physical Therapy Assistant
ORGANIZATION: Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers
WHAT A NOMINATOR SAID: “Devin Lessard is the physical therapy assistant at Fyzical and is also the founder of NSEA Swim. I know her because my children swim for them and we are deeply connected to the wonderful work NSEA does to provide free swim lessons for all Wilmington residents. However, I have come to adore and respect Devin even more this summer while she and the team at Fyzical have provided PT to my son, Mason, who had major surgery on his leg this summer. After leg-lengthening surgery at UNC Children’s, Mason has not been able to put any weight on his leg for 90 days but has had two appointments at Fyzical per week since mid-June. We chose Fyzical because of the innovative services they provide. Devin became the first physical therapist in our area to be certified to provide aqua therapy to patients. She worked with groups outside of our area to do this so that she could provide aqua therapy at the Earl Jackson Pool – same pool NSEA uses – for patients.
“This innovation allows patients who cannot be weight bearing to have safe and effective PT…In addition to aqua therapy, Devin introduced us to Fyzical’s Bertec CDP machine….”
– Alexis Hunter, executive, strategic relationships and foundation, Wilmington Health and parent of a patient
AJ TRELEASE
TITLE: Founder & CEO
ORGANIZATION: CareHome Health
WHAT A NOMINATOR SAID: “When most people see a 97-year-old taking 20 medications a day, they see a daily challenge. AJ saw his grandma, Graciela, and recognized that her struggles with memory, arthritis and feelings of dependency reflected a much larger crisis: over 40 million doses of medication are missed each year in the U.S., leading to millions of hospitalizations, 100,000+ deaths and overwhelming stress for both patients and caregivers. Instead of accepting that as ‘the way things are,’ AJ set out to innovate in one of the most overlooked areas of health care: medication nonadherence among seniors.
“As the founder of CareHome Health Solutions, AJ developed the ‘Graciela’ device: a provisionally patented, fully functional prototype that goes far beyond traditional pill dispensers. The device dispenses both medications and water, operates hands-free without buttons and reduces barriers for seniors struggling with arthritis or mobility issues. Most importantly, it automatically tracks adherence data in real time, creating a reliable record for doctors, pharmacists and caregivers. What once required guesswork is now transparent, measurable and actionable.”
– Lukas Kyc, co-founder-compliance, CareHome Health
Read more about all of the 2025 Health Care Heroes finalists here.
