Wilmington staff earn national recognition | va wilmington health care | veterans affairs

VA Secretary Denis McDonough recognized six Wilmington VA staff members on January 4 for their extraordinary contributions to staff and patient experience improvements. Although he was

unable to attend in person, Secretary McDonough congratulated the team virtually and thanked them for their contributions. Stefan King, Roy Cephas, Karen Sotace, Sarah Wilson, Paul Walker,

and Roseann Hiltner were each awarded the VA Secretary’s Coin for playing vital roles in expanding access to care and improving overall Veteran health care at Wilmington VA. “This truly

meant so much to me,” Karen Sotace, administrative officer at Wilmington VA said. “I’ve had the pleasure of working at four VA hospitals but there’s just something special about Wilmington

VA. Having the opportunity to help make Wilmington VA better is just fantastic.” Sotace and Chief of Veteran Transportation Service Roy Cephas were instrumental in launching a new ambulance

program for the hospital and partnering with local first responders. Since its implementation in the fall, the ambulance program has transported more than 20 patients to community hospitals.

The team has one ambulance and plans to obtain more to meet the needs of Wilmington’s growing Veteran population. “Roy is selfless and always puts the Veteran first,” Wilmington VA Medical

Director Vince Kane said during the coin recognition. “He makes sure there’s no interruption to patient care, and he’s transported patients himself. He gets it done no matter what it takes.”

Sarah Wilson, executive assistant to the associate director, and Roseann Hiltner, a registered nurse, made significant strides in Wilmington VA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilson

took immediate action to form the medical center’s incident command while Hiltner shared her clinical expertise to help implement the drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Wilson was also

responsible for reestablishing the VA Voices program and improving the employee workplace and patient experience. After 37 years of federal service at Wilmington VA Medical Center, Hiltner

plans to retire and spend time with her family and beloved animals. “There’s no greater feeling than helping those who served,” Hiltner said. “The coin recognition ceremony was very nice and

means a lot to me.” Stefan King, senior strategic business partner for Wilmington VA, was recognized for facilitating successful hiring and onboarding events to address staffing shortages.

Under King’s direction and leadership, multiple departments worked together to onboard more than 50 new employees. Paul Walker, an administrative officer at Wilmington VA, was responsible

for helping restore the surgical program, as well as supporting the mental health and social work services at Wilmington VA. Walker consistently took initiative to ensure Veterans’ health

care needs exceeded expectations and services were not disrupted.