2026 Health-Care Heroes

Healing doesn’t only happen on operating tables or in exam rooms. From EMTs and social workers to acupuncturists and therapy dogs, these unsung health heroes quietly make a lasting impact beyond the walls of Valley clinics and hospitals. 

How We Picked This List 

To honor our third annual class of heroes, we asked PHOENIX magazine readers and editors to nominate caregivers and other behind-the-scenes professionals during a one-month submission period, then selected the 30 we felt were most deserving, spanning a wide spectrum of care.

Nadine P. Baldwin, DAc, L.Ac.

Founder and Integrative Medical Acupuncturist, Arizona Valley Acupuncture  

Fueled by her family’s complex chronic health conditions, Baldwin founded Arizona Valley Acupuncture to provide a holistic, patient-centered approach to wellness. She offers a range of modalities and therapies guided by each patient’s individual health conditions, concerns and goals. “This work has taught me the importance of truly listening, meeting each person where they are with patience and compassion, and recognizing that healing is a process where even small acts of care and kindness can make a meaningful difference,” she says.

Jillian Castro, RN

Advanced Clinical Nurse, Emergency Department at Valleywise Health Medical Center

HBO’s The Pitt gives viewers a realistic and unflinching portrayal of health-care workers enduring long, high-stress shifts in the emergency department of a busy inner-city hospital. Valleywise Health Medical Center, a public teaching hospital in the heart of Downtown, is Phoenix’s answer to The Pitt, where Castro serves as a source of calm amid chaos. “My focus is on providing rapid critical care in high-pressure settings, conducting triage to prioritize patients, and stabilizing individuals with life-threatening injuries or illnesses,” he says. 

Louis D’Angelo

Battalion Chief, Surprise Fire-Medical Department

In 2025, D’Angelo was named Arizona’s EMCT (Emergency Medical Care Technician) of the Year by Arizona Emergency Medical Systems after responding to a shooting involving a 7-month-old infant. D’Angelo arrived first on scene, where he rescued and stabilized the critically injured child before transport. The baby survived – and D’Angelo and his battalion were later honored by Phoenix Children’s and the Arizona Department of Health Services for their heroic rescue. 

Lindsay DeWolfe, NP

Nurse Practitioner, Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates

DeWolfe is an unsung health-care hero, according to her nominator, Dr. Andrew Sharobeem of Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates in Avondale. “She spends countless hours outside of clinical work to do admin work that further enhances our ability to reach more lives and in a manner that allows us to be the best we can be as providers,” he says. “She is a hidden figure in this regard and integral in our everyday processes.” 

Gabrielle Ficchi, Ph.D., PC, LPCS, CRC

Chief Operating Officer, Care 4 the Caregivers

“Caregivers are often asked to hold everything together while receiving little support themselves,” licensed therapist Ficchi says. That belief drives Care 4 the Caregivers, her nonprofit dedicated to supporting families raising children with disabilities. A disabled woman herself, Ficchi leads initiatives that expand access to disability-informed mental-health care, caregiver support, education and advocacy. “The most meaningful part of my work is helping disabled people and their families feel seen, respected and genuinely cared for while also reframing disability through a lens of dignity, resilience and pride,” she says. 

Amy Hall

Chair, Board of Visitors

Hall, a breast cancer survivor, has courageously shared her journey battling an aggressive form of the disease to inspire and advocate for others, championing philanthropic efforts in Phoenix for more than two decades. In her current role as chair of the Board of Visitors, she leads fundraising efforts, oversees grantmaking and acts as a community ambassador for Arizona’s oldest women’s charitable organization, which raises money and awareness for the health-care needs of women, children and the elderly around the state. 

Rose Hanne

Chief Operating Officer, Alliance Urgent Care

“Whether in health care or the community… when people feel seen, supported and valued, they show up in extraordinary ways for those they serve,” says Hanne, who is committed to building compassionate clinical teams and delivering accessible, patient-centered care at Alliance Urgent Care clinics across the Valley. She is also active in her community, serving as the Rotary Club of Mesa president, Visit Mesa treasurer and Mesa Arts Center Foundation chair.

Sarah Beth Herman, MBA

Founder and CEO, Dentistry Support

Herman serves as a “behind-the-scenes support team” to dental practices across the country through her Queen Creek-based administrative and operational services company Dentistry Support. Her mission is to help dental offices “increase profitability and elevate patient experience” through streamlining eligibility, billing and administrative systems. “I have always led with the intention of leaving dentistry better than I found it,” she says. “That means building stronger businesses, supporting teams in a real way and making sure patients feel cared for every step of the way.”

Koren Hudson, LPC, NCC

Executive Clinical Director, Horizon Recovery

With a master’s degree in trauma and mental-health counseling, Hudson brings deep expertise and commitment to compassionate, evidence-based treatment. At Horizon Recovery, she leads inpatient and outpatient programs for teens and adolescents struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction, PTSD, self-harm and other mental-health disorders. “I’ve learned that when people feel safe, supported and truly seen and understood, they begin to see themselves differently, and this is where the healing really starts,” she says.

Christopher Johnson, PA-C

Physician Assistant, Fiel Family & Sports Medicine

Tempe’s Fiel Family & Sports Medicine prioritizes continuity of care and movement-based healing, helping patients recover properly and prevent future injuries. Johnson’s clinical skill and bedside manner are praised by patients like his nominator, Kathy Monk, who came to Fiel for severe knee pain initially diagnosed as a strained muscle at the ER. Johnson ultimately determined that Monk had a torn meniscus and broken tibia. “Because of his devotion, true concern and uncanny vision, I avoided surgery,” she says.

Debbie Johnston

Director, Arizona Department of Health Services

Appointed by Governor Katie Hobbs in 2025, Johnston oversees everything from disease prevention and emergency preparedness programs to the licensing of hospitals, assisted living facilities and childcare centers throughout the state. She previously focused on advocacy and policy development at the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association. “I consider myself a problem-solver at heart,” Johnston says. “I’m excited to come to work every day and apply an analytical lens to our state’s public health infrastructure to build a system that works for every Arizonan, from our rural borders to our urban core.”

Benjamin Lalani

Founder and CEO, Pump Avenue Foundation

At just 17, Lalani turned a personal passion into a purpose-driven pursuit by founding Pump Avenue Foundation, a Scottsdale-based nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to life-changing diabetes technology. Recognizing the financial barriers that often prevent patients from obtaining insulin pump therapy, he began collecting and repurposing donated devices and placing them with people in need. Today, the foundation partners with clinics across the U.S., Somalia, Haiti, Tanzania and India, redirecting more than $1 million in critical medical equipment that would otherwise go unused.

Erika Lindsay, CCC-SLP

Speech Therapist and AAC Specialist, United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) specialist Lindsay helps children with complex speech and motor disorders find their voices. Through thoughtful evaluations and hands-on training, she breaks down barriers around communication devices, empowering caregivers to embrace these tools to unlock self-expression. “AAC does not replace speech, it replaces silence,” Lindsay says. “It allows kids of all abilities to hear, speak, be heard and be spoken to. It allows them to show the world who they are, no
matter what their ability level is.”

Emily Lorah, MA, BCBA

Executive Director, Roman Empire Agency

Lorah believes improving the lives of developmentally disabled individuals starts with early, equitable and consistent access to care. In her role at Roman Empire Agency in Scottsdale, she works on the frontlines to deliver critical services and support to children and adults with developmental disabilities, autism and ADHD. She directs multi-state clinical and operational teams, providing applied behavior analysis, adaptive skills training, supported living services and employment support to remove systemic barriers and improve outcomes for patients and their families.

Mwajuma Mkandama

Cultural Health Navigator, Valleywise Health

For the thousands of refugees relocated to the Valley by the federal government, receiving medical treatment far from home can be overwhelming. At Valleywise Health, Cultural Health Navigators make these patients feel safe and supported through interpretation services, health literacy and mediation. “I didn’t know how impactful and valuable I am in my community until I started working as a cultural health navigator,” says Mkandama, a CHN from Tanzania. “As much as they learn from us, we learn from them as well.”

Dylan Moore, RN

Registered Nurse, Arizona Liver Health and Viral ElimiNATION (VEN) Centers

Moore runs Arizona’s leading hepatitis C outreach and treatment elimination program, serving patients who have traditionally lacked access to the health-care system or have been turned away from care. Moore and his team meet patients where they are – in the streets, homeless encampments, prison reentry programs and addiction recovery centers – to provide on-site testing and treatment. “When you… rebuild trust in populations that have historically been stigmatized, you can change outcomes at a scale most people don’t think is achievable,” he says. 

Taylor Myers 

Pediatric Genetic Counselor, Phoenix Children’s

Myers meets families at some of their most vulnerable moments, helping them navigate complex genetic diagnoses and making deeply personal decisions about their child’s future. As a genetic counselor, she doesn’t just deliver information, she deftly balances science with empathy, turning what could be a cold clinical experience into a meaningful partnership. “I can’t control the existence of devastating genetic diseases,” she says. “But I can help ensure families receive their diagnoses in an informed and compassionate way.” 

Kendra Riley 

Patient Rights Advocate

Ahwatukee mom and PR pro Riley has spent more than two decades leading national campaigns for businesses and nonprofits. After her two daughters were diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) in 2020, she added “global rare disease advocate” to her résumé. She has since testified at conferences and congressional briefings, helping accelerate FDA approval and driving legislation to expand treatment access and advance newborn screening for families like hers. “I tell stories for a living, but sharing my own is what turned our family’s tragedy into triumph,” she says.

Tony Rodarte 

Co-Founder, Compassion Alliance

After 20 years in law enforcement, former Gilbert homicide detective Rodarte hit a mental breaking point. He sought therapy, where he was able to overcome the overwhelming stress and isolation first responders often shoulder in silence. He then co-founded Compassion Alliance with his physician wife, Melody, to connect other police, fire and EMS professionals, retirees and their spouses with free, confidential trauma therapists. “I’ve learned you can’t carry this job alone, and you shouldn’t have to,” Rodarte says. “That’s why this work matters.”

Cheryl Simmons, FNP

Owner/Provider, Naturally Balanced

Wellness isn’t one-size-fits-all. At Naturally Balanced in Gilbert, Simmons takes a personalized, functional approach to health, offering adrenal support, thyroid regulation, hair restoration, nutrition guidance and hormone optimization that addresses root causes instead of simply treating symptoms. “I am passionate about caring for the whole person, helping each individual learn how to uniquely support their body in a way that restores balance mentally, emotionally and physically,” Simmons says. 

Martin & Danielle Solomon 

Authors, The Nursing Home Survival Guide

This Phoenix father-daughter attorney team represents families in lawsuits against nursing homes and assisted living facilities, ultimately working to prevent harm before it happens – keeping clients in safe care settings and out of the courtroom. Leading voices in elder abuse and advocacy, the Solomons co-wrote The Nursing Home Survival Guide, a free resource that helps readers identify risk factors, recognize red flags and make informed decisions when choosing a facility for an aging loved one.  

Diana Thomas

Founder and CEO, The World Egg and Sperm Bank

Thomas endured a 15-year infertility journey before using an egg donor to conceive her eldest child in 1996 – one of the first 100 babies worldwide born through egg donation. She went on to establish the nation’s first independent, woman-led egg bank, The World Egg and Sperm Bank, in Scottsdale in 2004. Since its founding, the organization has helped more than 7,000 individuals and families realize their dreams of parenthood, in Arizona and beyond. “What started as my own struggle became my life’s purpose,” Thomas says. 

Comfort Animal Quartet

Elsa

Therapy Dog, The Rubin Center

When child psychiatrist and autism specialist Arielle Rubin adopted Elsa from Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, the 4-year-old German Shepherd-Husky mix was anxious and timid. “Now she helps kiddos with some of the issues that she had,” Rubin says. “They really connect with her.” Rubin brings Elsa into the office to help her young patients with emotional regulation, social skills, sensory processing and self-esteem. “She can read kids and families… in a way that others – including humans – can’t.”

Stella

Trained Service Dog, S & C Dental Scottsdale Ranch

Valley dentist Bri Stoterau initially rescued Stella from Mexico, hand-feeding the malnourished newborn puppy formula to nurse her back to health. Stella is now a trained service dog at Dr. Stoterau’s Scottsdale practice, where she helps patients with dental anxiety feel calmer and more comfortable during their visits. Stella is part of S & C Dental Scottsdale Ranch’s spa-like, comfort-centered experience, designed to reduce the stress often associated with medical offices and dental care.

Gumby

Facility Dog, Banner Thunderbird Medical Center

Gumby, a 2-year-old Standard Poodle, recently became Banner Thunderbird Medical Center’s first Facility Dog – an important member of the medical staff who provides comfort, motivation and distraction to patients before, during and after clinical procedures. Specially trained by Paws with a Cause through grants to the Banner Health Foundation, Gumby provides support to patients of all ages. “Dogs have a magical healing power that can truly make a difference in a patient’s journey to recovery,” says Wendy Pauker, associate director of Child Life at Banner Children’s at Thunderbird. 

Teddie Bug 

Compassionate Canine, Honor Health Hospital & Terra Pointe Memory Care Center

Known for her signature “paw hugs” and sassy outfits, lovable Beagle Teddie Bug takes her job as a therapy dog very seriously. “She has a unique gift sensing patients’ needs,” says Teddie’s owner Kimberly Smith, who regularly takes her to visit schools, hospitals, VA centers and memory care facilities around the Valley. “She brightens the day of the residents at Terra Pointe Memory Care… the staff is amazed how they remember her name.”