Honoring Our Values
The Kudos Awards are more than recognition—they reflect the values that guide the GRC every day. Nominated by their peers, award recipients are recognized for the meaningful ways they strengthen teams, improve processes, advance public health, and help create an environment where colleagues can thrive.
The stories shared through nominations highlight not only individual accomplishments, but also the collaborative culture that helps make the GRC successful. This year's recipients demonstrate the passion, expertise, and commitment that drive the GRC's mission forward.
The 2026 Awardees
This year’s exceptional recipients represent the very best of the GRC’s mission-driven work:
This award recognizes someone who goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service to partners, sponsors, and community stakeholders. They build strong, trusted relationships through professionalism, integrity, and care.
Haley Moorman was recognized for her unwavering commitment to serving project teams, partners, and stakeholders. Known for her responsiveness, organization, and proactive communication, Haley has built a reputation as a trusted colleague who consistently goes above and beyond to help others succeed. Whether supporting complex projects, solving unexpected challenges, or anticipating the needs of partners, she approaches every task with professionalism and care. Haley’s nominator shares this:
"One of Haley's greatest strengths is her ability to serve as a trusted resource for partners and stakeholders. She has become a primary point of contact across several initiatives because people have confidence that their questions and concerns will be addressed thoughtfully and promptly. OhioAAP, ODH, and ODM all consistently voice appreciation for her proactive communication and ability to quickly act upon requests."
The quality award goes to an individual who consistently delivers high-quality work and takes pride in getting the details right. This person approaches every responsibility with professionalism, dependability, and a strong work ethic while exceeding expectations through exceptional performance and dedication.
Sara May received the Quality Award for her ability to turn complex quality improvement strategies into meaningful results that improve care for Ohio's Medicaid population. Through her leadership, mentorship, and expertise, Sara helps health care providers and colleagues achieve shared goals while fostering growth and collaboration across teams.
Her nominator praised both her technical expertise and her ability to bring people together.
"Sara perfectly exemplifies what it means to drive operational excellence, translating complex quality methodologies into tangible, improved healthcare outcomes for Ohio’s Medicaid population and beyond. She has directed at least four to five large-scale QI initiatives at any given time, spanning critical sectors such as maternal and child health, behavioral health, and adult chronic disease."
The research-driven award goes to an individual who uses data, evidence, and research to solve complex challenges and improve outcomes. This individual helps teams make informed decisions through analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving. They apply research to drive collaboration, innovation, and meaningful impact.
Krista Wurscher was recognized for her dedication to using data, analytics, and research to strengthen both projects and people across the GRC. Throughout the year, she generously shared technical expertise, helping colleagues build confidence in data visualization, analytics, and programming skills. Krista has invested significant time in mentoring new staff and leading staff-focused initiatives such as development of the GRC Staff Explorer dashboard and analysis of the GRC Staff Survey.
Colleagues highlighted Krista's unique ability to make complex concepts approachable while helping others grow.
“On the SUD 1115 Waiver Evaluation, Krista led a technically complex analysis of access to substance use disorder treatment, working through challenging methodological and data quality issues, conducting extensive research, and engaging with experts in a specialized field. Her approach produced analyses that directly informed discussions with Medicaid state partners and strengthened a key component of the evaluation. Her work benefits project teams, GRC leadership, researchers, and external partners alike, resulting in better processes, higher-quality products, and stronger decision-making throughout GRC.”
This award goes to a person who builds and strengthens partnerships that advance the GRC’s mission. The award celebrates new collaborations that expand funding and expertise and honors the power of partnerships that grow impact and extend the GRC’s reach.
The Partnership Award was presented to Xhonela Suli for her exceptional ability to build meaningful relationships that strengthen projects and create opportunities for collaboration.
“Xhonela has done a tremendous job this year growing many new partnerships and sustaining established relationships. A prime example is her collaboration with CDC Foundation, the Utah Department of Health, and Philadelphia Department of Health as part of the Ohio SOARS project. She has established trusted relationships with representatives at these various agencies through her consistently strong, organized, collaborative approach to leadership on the project. Additionally, she has reached other national partners through the project’s Community of Practice calls, which bring together healthcare providers, researchers, policy makers with an interest in preventing stillbirth.”
This award celebrates an individual for bringing fresh ideas and creative thinking to help the GRC adapt and grow. They explore new technologies, trends, and approaches to improve our work while challenging the state quote to inspire others to think differently.
Adam Grooms received the Fostering Innovation Award for transforming the way GRC operates through creativity, technology, and forward-thinking problem solving. Adam led the development of Atlas, creating a centralized resource for project, operational, and employee information. He also streamlined numerous administrative processes by replacing manual workflows with user-friendly digital solutions.
“Adam led the creation and implementation of the GRC Atlas, a centralized platform that standardized project, staff, and operational data across GRC. This transformed previously fragmented information into a single source of truth, improving consistency, compliance, and decision making. He demonstrated forward-thinking problem solving by designing and piloting efficient and user-friendly processes while improving consistency across teams. Beyond launching the Atlas, he developed automated workflows and request forms and continues to expand automation capabilities and plan future enhancements. Each of these results has had a huge impact on the operations of our organization and makes many aspects of our work effective and efficient.”
Named in honor of former GRC leader Heather Reed Robinson, this award recognizes individuals who create a culture where colleagues feel supported, valued, and empowered to grow. Throughout her career at GRC, Heather championed mentorship, collaboration, and a people-first approach to leadership. The award celebrates those who carry forward that legacy by investing in others and helping create the supportive workplace culture that defines GRC.
This year's recipient, Alicia Rooney, was recognized for her dedication to creating an environment where people feel valued, supported, and encouraged to grow. Through mentorship, trust, and a genuine investment in the success of others, Alicia helps colleagues develop confidence, pursue new opportunities, and reach their professional goals. Her nominators emphasized the way she creates space for collaboration, learning, and authentic connection across teams:
“Alicia invests in each person's success by taking the time to understand our strengths, interests, and career goals. Rather than simply assigning work, she thoughtfully connects people with projects, mentors, and learning opportunities where they can have the greatest impact while continuing to grow professionally. She trusts our expertise, gives us meaningful responsibility, and remains approachable and responsive whenever guidance is needed. Her steady investment in people has fostered a culture of trust, collaboration, and continuous growth. We know we have a manager who genuinely wants us to succeed, and that culture has had a lasting impact on our team and the broader GRC community.”
Celebrating Our Colleagues
The awards ceremony was a moment of pride and celebration, recognizing individuals whose contributions make a lasting difference across the organization. While each award reflects a different GRC value, together the recipients demonstrate the collaboration, expertise, innovation, and dedication that fuel the GRC's work every day.
In addition to being recognized during the All Staff Advance, the 2026 award recipients will have their names added to the GRC Kudos Awards plaque, ensuring their achievements are celebrated and remembered for years to come.
As in previous years, the Kudos Awards serve as a reminder of the power of recognition and the importance of living our values. The stories behind these awards highlight not only individual achievement, but also the collective strength of a team committed to service, innovation, partnership, quality, and excellence. Through their dedication and leadership, the 2026 Kudos Award recipients inspire all of us to continue advancing GRC's mission to improve the health of all Ohioans.
