The Mary C. Jackson Award selection process is competitive. Nominations must be submitted by someone other than the nominee. Applicants are evaluated on how they have impacted the health of the underserved population, their commitment to serving a PCC community, the compassion and care they demonstrate in serving those in need, their engagement and enthusiasm, and their track record of collaboration within PCC and the community. Although the award is usually presented to one individual, two employees deserved the honor, so two awards were presented.
Tabitha Gingerich was recognized for her exceptional work advocating for patients' needs and ensuring that healthcare staff have the necessary resources to perform their duties. She played a key role in identifying a gap in women’s healthcare across the safety net clinics. She developed a proposal to fill that gap using her clinical expertise and analytical skills to outline a process for complex gynecological care through Project Access for the nearly 100 low-income women annually estimated to need it annually. Gingerich accomplished this while serving in multiple roles, demonstrating that she is a “servant leader and true enabler of care at PCC,” according to her nomination form for the award, submitted by her supervisor, PCC’s Senior Director of Healthcare Access, Dr. Veronica X. Vela.
Liza Greenberg was recognized for her unwavering dedication and substantial impact on underserved communities through her leadership of PCC’s Workforce Capacity Program. She expanded healthcare access and improved the economic future of underserved communities by guiding more than 70 individuals into training for sustainable careers in healthcare. Greenberg’s “contributions to the future and well-being of Montgomery County’s population directly translate to significant impacts on the health of underserved populations,” said colleague and PCC Administrative Manager Jamal Browne, who nominated Greenberg for the award. “Her work, enthusiasm, and compassion uplift the community and create opportunities for a stronger Montgomery County.”
Read more about Tabitha Gingerich in this month’s People of PCC. Liza Greenberg was the subject of a Pulse feature in October 2023 and shared her story in Stronger Together: PCC’s 2023 Storytelling Show.