Four exceptional individuals earned recognition from The Doctors Kienle Center for Humanistic Medicine.
Nominations for the awards are anonymous but highlight the distinct personal and altruistic nature of these awards. We are proud to bestow these awards to these individuals who provide humanitarian care and who exhibit extraordinary empathy in our healthcare settings.
2023 Mary Louise Witmer Jones Humanitarian Award
Simon Johnson, MD, Emergency Medicine Resident
“Having been nominated for this award invigorates me. I’ve noticed that at work I am thinking more often about the impact I am having on my patients, coworkers and students. The biggest impact you can have on a patient is by being kind. Everything else we do is secondary to that.” – Dr. Johnson
“Dr. Johnson is a wonderful example of a humanitarian healthcare provider. Since he first entered our doors in July 2021 to begin his emergency medicine residency, he has consistently demonstrated compassionate care for his patients, colleagues, fellow learners, and ancillary staff. Despite our extremely stressful, chaotic, and unpredictable environment Dr. Johnson always gives 100 percent of himself. He is humble, practices reflective listening, creates an environment of inquiry for learners, and is never impatient with anyone. Dr. Johnson has received countless compliments from patients, ancillary staff, peers, and attendings on his off-service rotations.”
– Nominator
2023 Third-Year Medical Student Humanitarian Award
Tilicea Henry
“Being nominated and chosen for this award filled me with internal gratitude for the kind words spoken about me. Throughout medical school training, it can be challenging to gauge one’s performance, and being chosen for this award has given me a sense of purpose and deep appreciation for being acknowledged in such a positive manner.” – Tilicea Henry
“Tilicea comes from a very diverse background and through the lens of her own lived experience, consistently demonstrates cultural sensitivity with patients and family members of diverse backgrounds. Tilicea is consistently one of the students we can always count on to be present, to lean in, to follow-up and to lead. She adheres to the highest professional and ethical standards. She has an extraordinary moral compass, knowing the fundamental difference between right and wrong. She leads by example in this regard as well. Her teammates look to Tilicea for support and guidance. She is an active upstander and digs in deeply to issues of equality and social justice.” – Nominator
2023 Nurse’s Humanitarian Award in Honor of Lawrence F. Kienle, MD
Nancy Lokey, RN, CRRN, CBIS, Nurse Coordinator, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
“I am deeply honored to have been nominated and receive this prestigious award for my commitment in making a positive impact for our patients, families and community. Humanistic care is important in my career as I work with people who have sustained life-altering injuries or illnesses. Patients also need education and support to reintegrate back into their lives and community with a new normal. Ultimately, I try to empower them to increase their quality of life and live a joyous, abundant life.”- Nancy Lokey
“Nancy Lokey is a dedicated, caring nurse working in the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She joined Penn State Health in 2005. She is both a Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS). Her compassionate, caring spirit, and determination makes positive things happen for individuals with a disability in our community. Nancy is well-respected by her peers and community organizations for her leadership skills. Nancy has a never-ending commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities, in addition to her ongoing learning and teaching mentality.” – Nominator
2023 Joseph and Mary Caputo Scholarship Award
Annika Daya, MD Candidate, Class of 2024
“Receiving the Caputo Scholarship has been such an honor, as I appreciated reading the Caputo family story and how the impact of Joseph Caputo, Sr.’s journey with Alzheimer’s disease encouraged the entire family to become resilient and care for each other with compassion and dedication. I’m incredibly grateful to have received this award, and it serves as a reminder of the responsibility I have toward my future patients, colleagues, and community. I hope to continue to be an advocate for fostering open communication among patients and their loved ones, as well as providing not only physical healing but also emotional support and promoting overall well-being.”
“We are blessed to have a number of humanistic, talented, and hard-working students entering neurology, and Annika shines among the very best. By embracing her family’s past in Zambia, bringing lessons home to guide her fellow resident and student neurologists, and seeking every opportunity possible to engage with difficult conversations to hone her communication skills, she ties together her past and present into a clear professional identity as a patient-minded clinician and thoughtful educator.” – Letter submitted on Annika’s behalf