Patient Access Collaborative
2026 Member Awards
We recognize the trailblazers, innovators, and leaders in patient access — the people driving meaningful change in academic health systems, children's hospitals, and cancer centers nationwide.
2026 Cycle — Top Honor
Access Leader of the Year
Vivian Zhao, MHS
Chief Patient Access Officer
Johns Hopkins Medicine
"As the academic health system's first ever chief patient access officer, Vivian Zhao has defined what modern access leadership truly looks like. Her vision, strategy, and execution have reshaped patient access across the health system and set a new national standard for what is possible."
Lisa Griffin, MBA, CCCM
Chief Consumer Officer
University Hospitals
"Ms. Griffin's career of more than three decades reflects sustained innovation, measurable impact, collaborative influence, and strategic foresight, all grounded in a deep commitment to improving the patient experience and advancing equitable care. Espouses her nominator: 'She does not simply manage access operations; she transforms them.'"
2026 Cycle — Rising Talent
Emerging Access Leader of the Year
Mariah Yannerella
Senior Project Manager
Texas Children's
"Mariah played a central role in launching a no-show probability model, template maintenance and security changes, and designed a practice management training series at Texas Children's. In addition to her organizational impact, Mariah has become an active, respected, and engaged member of the Patient Access Collaborative — helping to shape national conversations in access to pediatric care."
Austin Loomis, MHA
Associate Vice President of Ambulatory Access & Analytics
OU Health
"In the OU Health ambulatory leadership meetings, Austin presents a section called AAA (Ambulatory Access with Austin), where he has blossomed as a transformational leader and subject matter expert. If there is anything that solidifies his qualifications for this award, it is in his own words with which he concludes every AAA session: 'Patient access is not something we do, it is who we are.'"
2026 Cycle — Best Practice
Best Practice in Access Award
Winner
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Practical Application Training
Winner
Stanford Health Care
Precision Access
Honorable Mentions
Mayo Clinic
Expedited Record Retrieval
Stanford Medicine Children's Health
ROGER
2026 Cycle — Innovation
Access Innovation Award
Winner
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Scheduling Services
Winner
Mayo Clinic
Optimizing Knowledge Access
Honorable Mention
Mayo Clinic
AI Workflow in International Access
2026 Cycle — Community Impact
Community Impact Award
Winner
Mayo Clinic
Primary Care on Demand
2026 Cycle
2026 Access Champions
Thirty-two access professionals recognized for exceptional contributions to patient access at their institutions.
Ana Lecksiwilai-Smalls
Program Manager III, Access Optimization
Seattle Children's Hospital
Andy Johnson
Principal Access Advisor
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Annette Reimers
Supervisor — Access Operations
Mayo Clinic
Ashley Streiff
MSAS Supervisor
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Brandy Rojas
Program Manager, Ambulatory Strategic Initiatives
VCU Health System
Bryce Odegarden
Assistant Supervisor
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Carrie Gosky
Patient Access Coordinator
The James / OSU Wexner Medical Center
Darin Rogers
VP, Provider and Network Services
WVU Medicine
Dick Argys
Chief Operating Officer
Boston Children's Hospital
Emily Franceus
Operations Coordinator
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Emily Cubbage
Sr. Practice Manager, Plastic Surgery
Penn Medicine
Heather DeYoung
Supervisor — Desk Operations
Mayo Clinic
Heather Kudsk-Rinehart
Lead Patient Access Specialist
University of Iowa Health Care
Jennifer Brady
Director of Patient Access
Penn Medicine
Jess Bryson
Quality Analyst
University of Iowa Health Care
Jesse Nelson
Supervisor — Desk Operations
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Jon Burgardt
Desk Supervisor
Mayo Clinic
Justin Schlee
Supervisor — Access Operations
Mayo Clinic
Kimberly Pikschus
Technical Development Manager
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Laura Nelson
Supervisor — Access Operations
Mayo Clinic
Mary Jordan
Coordinator — Clinic Operations
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Mendela Paulsen
Access Operations Supervisor
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Michael Tudor
Director, Access Operations
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Michael Thurman
Manager, Capacity Management
VCU Health
Minh Tran
Product Owner II
Mount Sinai Health System
Nick Gudmundson
Senior Manager — EOAM
Mayo Clinic
Nicole Smith
Supervisor — Access Operations
Mayo Clinic
Renea Schouweiler
Access Operations Supervisor
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Tammy Nigro
Supervisor, Contact Center Access
Hackensack Meridian Health
Tari Errthum
Principal Analyst
Mayo Clinic
Tricia Comer
Associate Director, Financial Clearance & Transcription
OSU Physicians
Trisha Stanford
Lead Patient Access Specialist
University of Iowa Health Care
Archive
Past Cycles
Browse Member Award winners from previous years.
2025 Award Winners
Access Leader, Emerging Leader, Innovation, Best Practice, and 35 Access Champions from the 2025 cycle.
View 2025 Winners