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8 Worcester Business Journal | December 1, 2025 | wbjournal.com FOCUS H E A LT H C A R E Champions of Health Care 2025 T he level of talent and commitment among the professionals in the Central Massa- chusetts business community is awe-in- spiring. Take, for example, Dr. Crista John- son-Agbakwu from UMass Memorial Health and UMass Chan Medical School. An OB/GYN trained at John Hopkins and Cornell universities, John- son-Agbakwu uses her time and skills to work toward greater health equity, particularly for Black mothers, and partners with local organizations like the YWCA and YMCA to reach marginalized populations. e Greater Worcester community is made better simply by having Johnson-Agbakwu in it. In this edition, WBJ names Johnson-Agbakwu as the Physician of the Year, part of our third annual Champions of Health Care awards. e honorees in 10 categories represent the full spectrum of health- care professionals, including a first responder train- ing the next generation in the difficult profession, a CEO who saved a hospital system from financial ruin, a physical therapy office manager who puts patients and providers at ease, and three community healthcare leaders who are pioneering a new way to treat patients in urgent need of care. All this year's winners represent the best of what we can be. WBJ will further honor these healthcare heroes at our WBJ Champions of Health Care Awards & Forum on Dec. 16 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. e event will be full of great conver- sations about the joys and needs of the healthcare industry, as well as amazing speeches from this year's winners. If you'd like to attend, I encourage you to register at WBJournal.com. – Brad Kane, editor Physician of the Year • Dr. Crista Johnson-Agbakwu, professor, obstetrics & gynecology at UMass Me- morial Health, and executive director of Collaborative in Health Equity at UMass Chan Medical School, in Worcester - Page 9 Healthcare Nonprofit Leader of the Year • Moses Dixon, president & CEO of Senior Connection, in Worcester - Page 10 Mental Health Provider of the Year • Dianne Walsh, vice president of clinical services & director of the Center for Behavioral Health at RFK Community Alliance, in Lancaster - Page 12 Healthcare Administrator of the Year • Rozanna Penney, president & CEO of Heywood Healthcare, in Gardner - Page 14 Healthcare Educator of the Year • Shanan Stratis, assistant dean of the School of Healthcare at Quinsigamond Com- munity College, in Worcester - Page 15 Healthcare Support Staff of the Year • Meridith Kiritsy, office manager at Central Mass Physical Therapy & Wellness, in West Boylston - Page 17 First Responder of the Year • Christopher Hackett, clinical education supervisor for Community EMS, in Worcester - Page 19 Community Healthcare Leaders of the Year UMass Memorial Health's Mobile Integrated Health program, in Worcester - Page 20 • Dr. John Broach, director of the Division of Disaster Medicine and EMS at UMass Memorial Health and associate professor of emergency medicine at UMass Chan Medical School • Julie Inzerillo, lieutenant for UMass Memorial Mobile Integrated Health • Dr. Laurel O'Connor, medical director for UMass Memorial Mobile Integrated Health and associate professor of emergency medicine at UMass Chan Healthcare Innovator of the Year • Tricia Scannell Laursen, president & executive director of DetecTogether, in Westborough - Page 22 Healthcare Volunteer of the Year • David Runyan, president & CEO of the Worcester Free Care Collaborative and chief operating officer of the Worcester Evening Free Medical Service Program, in Worcester and Shrewsbury - Page 27 Dr. Crista Johnson-Agbakwu Moses Dixon Dianne Walsh Rozanna Penney Shanan Stratis Meridith Kiritsy Christopher Hackett Dr. John Broach Julie Inzerillo Dr. Laurel O'Connor Tricia Scannell Laursen David Runyan W