The Hospital Association of Southern California is thrilled to celebrate the 2026 My SoCal Hospital Heroes. Please join us at the third annual gala on Saturday, November 14th to honor these health care rock stars! Thank you to all of you who submitted nominations and helped us shine a light on the extraordinary individuals who go above and beyond for patients, colleagues, and communities. This year’s celebration promises to be an inspiring evening where we come together to recognize their passion, resilience, and impact on health care across Southern California.

2026 Hospital Heroes

• Ankit Patel, Director of Nursing, College Hospital Costa Mesa
• April Villarreal, Clinical Lab Scientist, Lompoc Valley Medical Center
• Araceli Rodriguez, Social Worker, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System
• Blake Nunez, Clinical Nurse II, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
• Bryan Sharp, Substance Use Navigator, Bear Valley Community Healthcare District
• Cherie Towers, Director of Volunteer Services, Redlands Community Hospital
• Eyad Wahdan, Nurse Manager, Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center
• Kathy Yoshimura, Director, Laboratory and Pathology Services, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital
• Kevin Germano, Biomedical Equipment Technician, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
• Morinsola Keshinro, Certified Child Life Specialist, Northridge Hospital Medical Center
• Pam Flores, Manager of Community Health and Volunteer Services, Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center
• Paul Kantor, Chief, Division of Cardiology, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
• Paula Gallucci, Clinical Manager, Cottage Health
• Scott Dunn, Maintenance Mechanic, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
• Sunnie Dishman, Clinical Nurse Manager, UCLA Health 

Thank you to our sponsors!