Friday, October 30, 2026
Healthcare professionals, first responders, community leaders and innovators from across Long Island gathered at the Heritage Club at Bethpage on Sept. 23 for the fifth annual 2026 Herald’s Excellence in Healthcare Awards, recognizing their contributions to patients and the communities they serve.
The evening honored representing hospitals, medical practices, human service agencies, emergency medical services and other areas of healthcare.
Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter Kristin Thorne served as master of ceremonies.
Stuart Richner, publisher of Herald Community Media and president of Richner Communications, welcomed the honorees and guests.
“Tonight’s honorees represent that extraordinary commitment to others. They are physicians, nurses, healthcare executives, innovators, caregivers, first responders and community leaders,” Richner said. “While their roles may be different, they share something important. A commitment to improving the lives of others.”
Richner also highlighted the Sofia Valsamos Foundation, which empowers youth, combats bullying and promotes mental and emotional well-being in memory of Sophia Valsamos.
Among those recognized was Aaron Tomlinson, police medic supervisor with the Nassau County Police Department, who received the Excellence in Emergency Medical Care Award, sponsored by Suffolk Credit Union. Richard Robertson, a police medic with the department, was also honored with the award.
For Tomlinson, the work is driven by the opportunity to help patients and see the results of the care provided in the field.
“It's great to be able to follow up on patients and know that the care that we did, and bringing them home safely, can lead to a positive outcome,” he said.
He said providing care also allows him to serve communities he has known throughout his life.
“It's nice to be able to serve our friends and family,” Robertson said. “I've grown up here my entire life, mostly in Suffolk, but it's nice to come over to Nassau side and be able to provide care for the community as well.”
Laura Racioppi, vice president of corporate and community partnerships at Suffolk Credit Union, said the medics aligned with the credit union's community giving priorities.
The credit union's giving pillars include education, health and wellness, military and first responders, including fire, police and veterans.
“Suffolk Credit Union is all about people helping people,” Racioppi said. “And what better way to honor two police medics. That's what they do every day. They're always out there, helping people.”
The Excellence in Leadership Award recognized Theresa Dillman, vice president and chief nursing officer at Northwell Plainview and Syosset hospitals, and Lisa Burch, president and CEO of the EPIC Family of Human Service Agencies.
For Dillman, the recognition also reflected the people she leads and works alongside each day.
She said developing other healthcare professionals is one of the most meaningful aspects of her role.
“It's the ability to leave a legacy behind,” Dillman said.
Burch, who leads EPIC Long Island, South Shore Guidance Center and the Epilepsy Foundation Long Island, said the award was particularly meaningful as she approaches three years as CEO.
“It's just really wonderful to have peers and other people around, and to be recognized for doing something that, to me, I'm just privileged and honored to do,” Burch said.
The Community Impact Award recognized Mark Soberman, field sales consultant at Henry Schein, Inc.
“Hopefully, I made an impact not just on the sales side,” Soberman said. “We sell equipment and technology, but just helping people build their practices and helping develop a lot of customers and health centers.”
The Mariwalla family was recognized with the Clinical Care Excellence Award for its longstanding contributions to health care across Long Island.
Together, the four physicians have spent more than four decades caring for patients across Long Island, creating a family legacy that spans multiple generations and medical specialties.
Technology and its role in healthcare also emerged as a theme throughout the evening.
PointVOIP, a telecom sponsor of the event, was represented by JP Panetta, partner and CEO of PointVOIP LLC, and Danielle Scotti Belli, vice president of business development.
Panetta said the company has long-standing ties to healthcare after initially providing telecommunications services to healthcare organizations.
The 2026 Herald’s Excellence in Healthcare Awards were supported and sponsored by Episcopal Health Services, Maple Pointe Senior Living, Henry Schein Inc., The Stroke & Brain Aneurysm Center of Long Island, Plattduetsche Senior Living, Suffolk Credit Union, Primary PartnerCare Physicians, PLLC, Women’s Health Care of Garden City, Complete Neuropsychology, P.C., Vibrance 360, Spring Fertility, LiveOnNY, Ayur Interventional & Vascular Care, Northwell Health, Nurse Connect, Mariwalla Dermatology, Gurwin Healthcare System, Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation, The Bristal Assisted Living and PointVOIP.
