Huntington Health Presents Heart of Huntington Award to Recipients and Finalists

Recently, Huntington Hospital held its fourth ceremony to honor team members with the Heart of Huntington Award. The quarterly presentation recognizes two finalists and two recipients that have been nominated by their peers for their outstanding compassion, caring and collaboration. To acknowledge the vast and varied contributions by team members, there is a category for those who work at or around the bedside (clinical) and those whose efforts support care for our community in other ways (non-clinical).

During the ceremony, Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, president and CEO, Huntington Health, presented Heart of Huntington Awards to Rida Selbak Rivera, physical therapist and Luis Malpica, intake coordinator at Huntington’s Della Martin Center.

Rivera received the clinical Heart of Huntington Award for her mission to provide, model and teach compassionate care. Giving exceptional care to her physical therapy patients in the hospital’s 4 West unit is just one aspect of her work; she also extends this care to her colleagues. She welcomes new employees with open arms, gives helpful instructions on how to improve skills and build trust with patients, and even takes time out of her busy day to write appreciation notes to employees in the department. A consummate teacher and team player, Rivera was also one of Huntington’s Language of Caring trainers for the empathy communication model, Heart-Head-Heart, launched in 2019. Rivera was lauded for “living” Huntington’s mission to provide excellent health care and compassionate service to each person.

“Whether it’s working with colleagues or caring for patients, Rida embodies the spirit of our community in her commitment to treating others with respect, kindness and by upholding integrity in her actions,” said Dr. Morgan.

Luis Malpica received the non-clinical Heart of Huntington Award for his commitment to Mental Health Month, and leadership and teamwork at Huntington’s Della Martin Center, which provides inpatient and outpatient mental health services. Malpica has worked at Huntington for 14 years – seven of those in the emergency department as a patient access representative. At Della Martin Center, not only does he admit and register incoming patients; he champions the mental health field, making it his mission to educate staff and the community. Most notably, he was recognized for the impeccable job he does each year spreading awareness during Mental Health Month through planning events, organizing speakers, promoting patient well-being and providing resources to the community.   

“People like Luis – thoughtful, kindhearted and genuine in their desire to help others – are changing the world. And we are so lucky to have him at Huntington,” Dr. Morgan said.

Dr. Morgan also recognized clinical finalist, Gina Bardo, RN, nurse care manager, Senior Care Network, and non-clinical finalist, Cathy Hock, manager, inpatient clinical solutions, Huntington Health.

Bardo was commended for establishing lasting relationships with clients and performing acts of kindness that fill people with hope and happiness. Dr. Morgan gave an example of one such act:  when Bardo learned that a former client had recently become unhoused, Bardo bought food and gave it to the client to ensure nourishment throughout the weekend.

Cathy Hock was honored for always putting her team first with a commitment to health, safety and satisfaction. One nominator referred to Hock as the “heart” of their team. She was also revered for her ability to problem-solve, effectively communicate and step in and support different departments, particularly IT. Dr. Morgan described Hock as an “excellent role model and a great example of someone who represents Huntington values.”

For more information about the Heart of Huntington Award, go to: www.huntingtonhealth.org/hoh

---