The Courageous Provider Award annually recognizes a clinician or clinicians providing exceptional family-centered care in circumstances of serious childhood illness. Nominees must demonstrate excellence in engaging with patients, parents or other caregivers, and/or other pediatric specialists in a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to care. They must demonstrate qualities of compassion, tenacity and empathy in journeying with children and their families. Award recipients may be physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, social workers, therapists or others.
2026 Courageous Provider Award Recipient
Vanessa Wrzesien, NP
Pediatric Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Montreal Children’s Hospital, Montreal, CA
Vanessa Wrzesien’s colleague nominators say that “She exemplifies courage through her compassionate leadership, steadfast advocacy for children and families, and deep commitment to advancing pediatric palliative care in practice.” A parent whose family received her care and guidance adds that “She represents everything this honor stands for: compassion, courage, and a commitment to walking beside families through the most difficult moments of their lives.”
Pediatric Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Montreal Children’s Hospital, Montreal, CA
Vanessa Wrzesien’s colleague nominators say that “She exemplifies courage through her compassionate leadership, steadfast advocacy for children and families, and deep commitment to advancing pediatric palliative care in practice.” A parent whose family received her care and guidance adds that “She represents everything this honor stands for: compassion, courage, and a commitment to walking beside families through the most difficult moments of their lives.”
Prior Award Recipients
2025
Courageous Provider Award
Camara Van Breeman, MN, NP Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
2024
Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award
Carol May, RN, MSN, MBA, CHPPN, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Margaret Stewart Lindsay Courageous Provider Award
Zeena Audi-Saba, MD, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, NYU Langone Health
2023
Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award
Frances T. McCarthy, MS, RNC-NIC, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/ New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, New York, NY
Kenneth Pituch, MD, Michigan Partners for Children | C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI
Margaret Stewart Lindsay Courageous Provider Award
Marjorie Curran, MD, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA
Daniel Le, Therapeutic Musician, Coastal Kids Home Care, Salinas, CA
2022
Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award
Erin Flanagan, MD, Advocate Children’s Hospital, Park Ridge, IL
Sara Perszyk, RN, BSN, CHPN, Empath Children’s Health, Clearwater, FL
Margaret Stewart Lindsay Courageous Provider Award
Anne Anderson, RN, CHPPN, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA
David Sine, MD, Hinds Hospice, Hoffman Hospice, Kaweah Delta Hospice, CA
2021
Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award
Hanna Epstein, DNP, CPNP, Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, Charleston, SC
Carly D. Levy, MD, Nemours/AI duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE
Margaret Stewart Lindsay Courageous Provider Award
Monica Holland, PNP-BC, MSN, CHPPN, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Portland, OR
2020
Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award
Kim Juanico, RN, BSN, CHPPN, Holtz Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL
2019
Patricia J.(Pat) O’Malley, MD, MassGeneral Hospital for Children
Courageous Provider Award
Camara Van Breeman, MN, NP Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
2024
Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award
Carol May, RN, MSN, MBA, CHPPN, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Margaret Stewart Lindsay Courageous Provider Award
Zeena Audi-Saba, MD, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, NYU Langone Health
2023
Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award
Frances T. McCarthy, MS, RNC-NIC, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/ New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, New York, NY
Kenneth Pituch, MD, Michigan Partners for Children | C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI
Margaret Stewart Lindsay Courageous Provider Award
Marjorie Curran, MD, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA
Daniel Le, Therapeutic Musician, Coastal Kids Home Care, Salinas, CA
2022
Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award
Erin Flanagan, MD, Advocate Children’s Hospital, Park Ridge, IL
Sara Perszyk, RN, BSN, CHPN, Empath Children’s Health, Clearwater, FL
Margaret Stewart Lindsay Courageous Provider Award
Anne Anderson, RN, CHPPN, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA
David Sine, MD, Hinds Hospice, Hoffman Hospice, Kaweah Delta Hospice, CA
2021
Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award
Hanna Epstein, DNP, CPNP, Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, Charleston, SC
Carly D. Levy, MD, Nemours/AI duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE
Margaret Stewart Lindsay Courageous Provider Award
Monica Holland, PNP-BC, MSN, CHPPN, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Portland, OR
2020
Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award
Kim Juanico, RN, BSN, CHPPN, Holtz Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL
2019
Patricia J.(Pat) O’Malley, MD, MassGeneral Hospital for Children