The new Patient Experience team at UTMB Health is kicking off 2026 with a fresh approach to recognizing excellence in care. The team has reinvented the long-standing “Always Award,” introducing the “Compassion in Practice” Award—a quarterly honor celebrating units that consistently deliver care rooted in listening, responding, and building trust with patients and families during their most vulnerable moments.
Every three months, one inpatient and one ambulatory unit will be recognized for exemplifying our commitment to compassion and excellence. To mark the occasion, the Patient Experience team will visit the winning units with a plaque, a banner, and some celebratory cake to thank team members for their outstanding work.
This quarter’s winners are:
Inpatient: Jennie Sealy 11B Neuro/Neurosurgery, led by Nurse Manager Kaysie Stratton, RN; Assistant Nurse Manager Krystal York, RN; Associate Chief Nursing Officer Jason Sheaffer, RN; and Medical Director Patrick Karas, MD.
Ambulatory: UHC Infectious Disease team, led by Nurse Manager Corey Turner, RN; Medical Director Lucas Blanton, MD; Division Chief Miguel Cabada, MD; and Ambulatory Director Michael Johnson, MBA.
Stephanie Guzik, MBA, BSN, RN, vice president of Patient Experience and Patient Services, emphasized the award’s purpose, saying “Compassion in Practice” is more than a new name, but a redefined promise to employees and to the patients under their care.
“By recognizing teams that go above and beyond to listen and respond to patients, we’re reinforcing the culture of empathy and excellence that defines UTMB Health,” Guzik said. “These celebrations remind us that every interaction matters and that engaged employees are the foundation of an exceptional patient experience.”