Last week, Island Health gathered at the Swinomish Casino for its annual Employee Recognition Banquet, a special evening dedicated to celebrating team members for their years of service and outstanding commitment to the organization. The event also honored recipients of the CARES All-Star award, one of the highest forms of recognition at Island Health.

The CARES All-Star distinction is reserved for employees who consistently exemplify Island Health’s CARES values—Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence and Stewardship. Candidates for the award are selected from employees recognized throughout the year as CARES Champions through the organization’s peer-to-peer recognition program, which highlights staff members making a meaningful impact in the moment. From a pool of 525 nominations, a selection committee comprising Island Health leaders and Morale, Wellness and Recognition (MWR) representatives meticulously reviewed each one to select the five most deserving winners.

Island Health is thrilled to announce the 2026 CARES All-stars and their nominations from fellow co-workers!

Compassion: Collin Richards, CNA, Acute Care Unit
“I can’t express the amount of compassion and empathy for patients Collin possesses. He truly has the compassion value in the forefront of his mind when he cares for patients. During the weekend, this person took his time to have a conversation with a patient who was struggling with expressive aphasia to ensure this patient felt heard, understood and have their needs met. I don’t think I have seen such empathy and compassion in a long time.”

Accountability: Lindsay Harris, PT, DPT, CSCS, CIMI, CFMT, Rehabilitation Services
“I am truly in awe of Lindsay’s dedication. Despite juggling a demanding schedule—balancing patient care, supporting our director, mentoring students and lifting up the entire team—she still brings such incredible warmth and energy to work every day. She provides exceptional care to her patients and is always there to offer thoughtful guidance to those of us on staff. Her support means more than I can express. Thank you for everything you do.”

Respect: Kori Edwards, Information Systems
“Kori actually embodies all of the CARES qualities, but I’ve chosen respect intentionally. When you see this person in a meeting, in the hallway or interacting over email, she is consistent in her active listening, problem solving and knowledgeable support no matter who she is with. As a clinical staff member, I can say that this quality of hers changed the job for us. I don’t say this lightly. We came into the position frustrated with the system and feeling stuck on how to navigate many of the intricacies. Once Kori started, our questions were answered and we can now move through the EMR with efficiency. Each time we bring an issue to Kori, even though she does not work on the clinical side, she responds with respect and compassion, then gets to work to problem solve. I know this is not unique to clinical staff as I’ve had the honor of sitting in on meetings regarding medical records, referrals, and optimization projects. She is consistently helpful, respectful and knowledgeable.”

Excellence: Kiana Domingo, Diagnostic Imaging
“Kiana is incredible at ensuring our community is receiving the appropriate imaging studies in a timely manner. Yesterday, we had a patient who had come from the islands, which most often takes planning for the entire day, for an ultrasound that had not been scheduled yet. The patient had been confused on his instructions from his ordering provider and showed up for the exam. Kiana worked her magic and was able to accommodate the patient. He had lunch on us in the Bistro, had his exam and was able to get out of here in a timely manner to catch the ferry home. This only calls out one of the several times Kiana provides patients with amazing care! She is extremely responsive, kind and understanding of our community’s needs. She has provided this service while she navigates supporting a department that has been extremely short staffed.”

Stewardship: Pete Carter, Engineering
“In an effort to help with budget re-alignment in Facilities, Pete took the challenge seriously. Our team needed to replace seven thermostat regulator boards at a cost of $4,000 each. This person did some research and discovered that we could use a normal thermostat, at a cost of $150 each, realizing cost savings of $26,950. Go Team Engineering!”

“This recognition program is powered by our staff, giving team members the chance to celebrate coworkers who demonstrate our CARES values each day. Reading the nominations and seeing the incredible impact our teams make across the organization is truly inspiring,” said Island Health CEO Elise Cutter.

Island Health is proud to honor the 2026 CARES All-stars with formal recognition and a monetary award.