Regent’s Award
Each year, the Northern and Central California Regent’s Advisory Council (RAC) recognizes outstanding healthcare executives with the Regent’s Award. The awardees have demonstrated leadership in their organizations and in their communities and supported key ACHE’s goals. In 2026, the RAC will be selecting awardees in 4 categories: Early Careerist, Emerging Executive, Senior Executive, and Community Impact. Individuals can be nominated by colleagues or self-nominate, based on the criteria presented below:
For all awards:
- • Nominee must be a current member of ACHE residing within the Regent’s Northern and Central California geography (i.e. 50 of California’s 58 counties, as far South as Kern County and San Luis Obispo and North to the Oregon border).
• Nominee must clearly demonstrate they have worked and contributed within this geography for at least 12 months before the application deadline. This geography is the same as the California Association of Healthcare Leaders chapter.
• Nominees who are highly engaged and visible with the local chapter or national organization (volunteering, speaking, etc.) will be given strong preference for recognition within an award category.
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Criteria:
- 5 years or less of formal leadership experience
- Demonstration of leadership ability in current role
- Examples of behavior of living out ACHE’s Code of Ethics
- Demonstrated leadership in community and civic engagement and/or fostering belonging within healthcare organizations and the communities they serve.
- Examples of developing one’s organization and promoting its growth and stature in the community
- Participation and leadership in ACHE (national and chapter) activities
- Participation and/or leadership in hospital or health association activities (local/regional/state/national)
Emerging Healthcare Executive Award
Criteria:
- 6 or more years of formal leadership experience
- Demonstration of leadership ability in current role
- Examples of behavior of living out ACHE’s Code of Ethics
- Demonstrated leadership in community and civic engagement and/or fostering belonging within healthcare organizations and the communities they serve
- Examples of developing one’s organization and promoting its growth and stature in the community
- Participation and leadership in ACHE (national and chapter) activities
- Demonstration of innovative and creative management
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Criteria:
- A Fellow of ACHE
- A CEO, COO or other senior level executive within their organization
- Demonstration of leadership ability in current role
- Examples of behavior of living out ACHE’s Code of Ethics
- Demonstrated leadership in community and civic engagement and/or fostering belonging within healthcare organizations and the communities they serve
- Examples of developing one’s organization and promoting its growth and stature in the community
- Participation and leadership in ACHE (national and chapter) activities
- Demonstration of innovative and creative management
- Leadership in hospital or health association activities (local/regional/state/national) and civic/community activities and projects
- Contributions to the development of leaders in the healthcare profession
Community Impact Award
Criteria:
- Describe how the nominee has improved quality or access to healthcare or health services centering around underserved populations.
- Describe how the nominee has advanced initiatives that improvement engagement and belonging across the workforce and community including recruitment, retention, workplace environment, clinical practice, or research.
- Provide examples of how the nominee has actively participated with their healthcare organizations to partner with other organizations to remove barriers to access to care.
- Describe how the nominee has promoted education and community to build skills in empathy and responsiveness in their organizations to varied patient needs.
- Please describe how the nominee has participated and provided leadership in ACHE (national and chapter) activities
Application Details
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- The nomination deadline for all awards is 11:59 PM PST on June 30, 2026.
- All nominations are required to be submitted directly to NS.ACHEregent@gmail.com
- A nominee can be considered for multiple categories (e.g., early careerist and community impact, emerging executive and community impact, senior executive and community impact). Nominees must complete and submit the appropriate form for each award category they wish to be considered for.
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Documents to be submitted for each award:
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- Current resume or CV
- The completed nomination form for the appropriate award with all sections completed to articulate how the nominee meets and exceeds the criteria set forth. Please attach additional pages as necessary.
- Only complete nominations will be considered
PAST REGENT AWARD WINNERS
CAHL is pleased to recognize our past winners of the Regent’s award
2024 Winners
DEI Leadership Award
Kimberly Browne, LCSW, ACM-SW, ACSW, FACHE
Executive Director, Patient and Family Services
Stanford Children’s Health | Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Abraham Cicchetti, MSHA, CHEP
Chief Operating Officer
Health Career Connection (HCC)
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Clair Kuriakose, MBA, PA-C, FACHE
Vice President – Chief Advanced Practice Officer
Stanford Medicine | Stanford Health Care
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Antonette Shockey, MHA
Operations Executive & Site Administrator
Mission Bernal Campus; Sutter CPMC | Sutter Health
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Dr. Kimberly C. Long, DHA, MSN, FNP, RN, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL)
2023 Winners
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Jei Africa, PsyD, MSCP, CATC-V, FACHE
Director, Behavioral Health & Recovery Services
County of San Mateo
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Corina B. Clark, MPA, RCP, RRT
Executive Administrator/VP of Integrated Rehabilitation & Health at Home
Department of Public Health-San Francisco Health Network
DEI Leadership Award
Deborah Austin, MPA
Director, Patient Experience & Engagement
John Muir Health
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Rachael McKinney, MHA, FACHE
President, Greater Sacramento Market
Sutter Health
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Baljeet S. Sangha, MPH, FACHE
Chief Operating Officer & Deputy Director
San Francisco Health Network
2022 Winners
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Nikhil Singal, MHA
Vice President of Operations
Sierra Health and Wellness Centers
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Aemal Aminy, MSHA
System Director Operations
Security, Parking and Transportation
Alameda Health System
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Sheila Baxter-Lamb, MPH
Principal of Business Development
Kaiser Permanente
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Debra Flores, FACHE
Senior Vice President and Area Manager
Kaiser Permanente
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Siri Nelson, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Marshall Medical Center
2021 Winners
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Kiren Sakina Rizvi Jafry, MPA
VP Operations/Area Operations Executive
Sutter Bay Medical Foundation, San Francisco & Marin Region
Cardiovascular Service Line Executive
Bay Area Division, Sutter Bay Medical Foundation
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Navpreet Atwal
Senior Business Consultant Analyst
Pathfinder Program, NCAL Financial PLanning & Performance
Kaiser Permanente
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Bryanna Gallaway MPA-HHSA, CPXP
Director of Patient & Family Engagement
Sutter Health
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Tosan O. Boyo, FACHE
Senior Vice President of Operations
John Muir Health
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Tracey L. Taylor, MPH, FACHE
Chief Operating Officer
Stanford Health Care Valley Care
2020 Winners
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Sachin Gangupantula FACHE, MBA
Valley Diabetes & Obesity
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Vaughn Williams
Sutter Medical Foundation
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Philip D. Chuang, FACHE
Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Kelly B. Flannery, FACHE
Veterans Affairs Sierra Pacific Network
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Sylvia Lozano, FACHE
Alameda Health System
2019 Winners
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Ida Bezabeh
Kaiser Permanente
Early Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Andrew Pete, FACHE
Sutter Medical Center Sacramento
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Darrielle Ehrheart, FACHE
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
Senior Careerist Healthcare Executive Award
Kim Brown Sims, RN, FACHE
KBS Interim Executive & Leadership Consulting Inc.