Several UC Irvine Health co-workers whose displays of deep compassion and support for patients in need were recently recognized at the 30th annual Heroes with Heart gala, hosted by the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) of Orange County.
Dr. Rebecca Coleman, a physician in the UC Irvine Health Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, was honored with the Marianne Cinat, MD Memorial Award. Her fellow honorees from UC Irvine Health were:
- Alexandra Barnette, a nurse in the emergency room at UCI Medical Center in Orange
- Sabrina Coloma, a nurse at the UCI Health — Placentia Linda emergency room
- Mike Ruffalo, a nurse at the UCI Health — Los Alamitos emergency room
The Marianne Cinat, MD Memorial Award was established in 2011 following the renowned burn and trauma surgeon’s sudden death that year. Cinat was the medical director of the UC Irvine Health Regional Burn Center at UC Irvine Medical Center and a professor of surgery. She received the Heroes with Heart Award in 2009 and was a member of the TIP National Board of Directors. The memorial award is TIP’s commitment to honoring her legacy and a tribute to her contributions to medicine.
The Heroes with Heart event each year recognizes individuals from law enforcement, fire and hospitals who have gone above and beyond to provide compassionate care to victims and survivors of crisis.
TIP is a nonprofit organization with 100 trained volunteers available 24 hours a day to provide emotional support and resources to victims, loved ones, witnesses, and bystanders in emergency situations. They are called by law enforcement, fire, and hospital personnel for immediate assistance.