(Left to right, back row) Karen Ballen, Sheila Boiling, Róża Przanowska, Alycia Yowell-Many (gray dress) Roslyn Croswell, Susan Carter-Smith, Parchayi Dalal, and Dina Gould Halme
In celebration of Women’s History Month this past March, UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center staff nominated their colleagues for the Phenomenal Women Award. Here are our winners along with nominations that highlight their contributions to a more inclusive and excellent workplace.
Karen Ballen, MD, Chief, Hematology/Oncology
“Karen is a truly dynamic woman and an ally to minorities. If it were not for her intentionality and support, I would not have lasted at the cancer center as long as I have. It is good people like Karen that make it easier to come to work every day. I cannot put into words how much I appreciate her efforts.”
Sheila Boling, Scheduling Coordinator OR for Head & Neck
“Sheila is a compassionate team member and leader who embodies patient centered care. She’s loved by patients and has become a friendly face and voice amongst many. She is trusted, reliable, and has been an advocate for members of her team an across the center. Sheila is committed to the mission of the Cancer Center and exudes excellence.”
Susan Carter-Smith, Patient Friendly Access
“Susan is the face and heart of our department; she is upbeat, funny, and kind. She welcomes everyone who enters ECCC 2 East Women’s clinic with a calm, reassuring voice, and she puts everyone at ease. She delivers excellent customer service at all times. She always has a smile on her face as she greets patients every day, all day long. Susan definitely makes a difference in everyone’s life, no matter the walks of life someone comes from.”
Roslyn Croswell, Patient-Friendly Access Supervisor
“Ros is fearless, and she stands up for what is right. She steps in to help when people are overwhelmed, and she cares about each person she is in contact with. She took the time for Black History Month and shared Black History facts with each of us. Ros treats everyone with respect regardless of job role here at UVA. It is because of who she is as a person that makes her great!”
Parchayi Dalal, MPH, CCRC, Director, Office of Clinical Research
“Parchayi is a compassionate, supportive, transparent leader. Parchayi was an integral piece in helping the Cancer Center gain the NCI comprehensive status. She encourages her employees to think outside the box and supports employees fully, and champions personal growth. She has been able to foster a sense of community and teamwork in a department with staff in multiple different roles. She’s built a diverse and inclusive team and encourages diversity of thought.”
Kelly Davidson, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine
“Kelly is our sickle cell MD. This is a very sick population that has been historically overlooked. She has worked very hard to establish a sickle cell center of excellence at UVA and received a Virginia Department of Health Grant recently to support this work.”
Dina Gould Halme, PhD, Director of Research Administration and Strategic Planning
“Dina is incredibly hard-working, inclusive, positive, and forward-thinking. She puts trust and faith in her employees – and empowers them to grow in their own careers. Dina is the glue that holds the cancer center together and the secret ingredient behind its success.”
Traci Hedrick, MD, MSc, Associate Professor of Surgery, Division Chief of General Surgery
“Traci is patient, kind, thoughtful, and a strong leader. She speaks up for equity in conferences and other public settings and actively works to improve gender equality in our field. Her commitment to mentoring and supporting junior faculty, residents, and medical students has made a significant impact on the future of women in oncology.”
Keyri Lopez-Godoy, Outreach and Engagement Specialist
“Keyri strives to promote equity through her community outreach work. She utilizes her diverse background to provide perspectives about different ethnic groups and educate her coworkers to provide cancer outreach to minorities. She is incredibly open-minded and thoughtfully provides perspective.”
Róża Przanowska, PhD, Research Associate
“Roza is kind and always willing to help others. More importantly, she is not afraid to fight to change the world around her to make it a better place for everyone. She successfully fought to create a lactation room in MR5 and MR6 buildings. She is engaged in the Green Labs program at UVA and the Buy Nothing program outside of UVA – it supports sustainability and environmentally friendly transformations.”
Alycia Yowell-Many, MSN, FNP-C, Nurse Practitioner
“Alycia practices with a population that requires an intimate level of care- women with cancer of the female reproductive organs. She treats her patients with the utmost compassion, respect, and attention. She cares for her patients with the same level of exceptional care without regard to social class, race, or gender identity and treats each patient as a whole person. She is the walking definition of compassionate, evidence-based, professional medical care. She has received praise from patients who have transitioned for her compassionate, unbiased, and thoughtful care.”
This award is supported through a grant from the Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center and by UVACCC.
Filed Under: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Honors & Awards