For 15 years, Vegas Inc’s Health Care Headliners has honored some of the most dedicated and innovative doctors, nurses, EMTs, administrators and other medical professionals working day in and day out to ensure the best health care can be found right here in Southern Nevada. These 10 headliners are leading the way—and making a mark in the industry and the health of our community as they forge their path.
Warren Wheeler, MD
Warren Wheeler
Lifetime Achievement
Senior Medical Director of Palliative Care, Nathan Adelson Hospice
While many doctors enter the medical profession to save lives, Dr. Warren Wheeler finds gratitude in giving patients a peaceful, comfortable death. As a pioneer in the field of hospice and palliative care, Dr. Wheeler’s philosophy remains steadfast: caring for the dying is with the knowledge that we are caring for the living.
Jeffrey Murawsky, MD, FACP
Jeffrey Murawsky
Manager/Administrator
Chief Medical Director, SilverSummit Healthplan
Dr. Jeffrey Murawsky provides medical leadership for managed Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Marketplace health plans. But his focus is on improving the health of the community, one person at a time.
Tamara Saldana, RN
Tamara Saldana
Nursing
Manager of Clinical Services & Quality, Cure 4 the Kids Foundation
When the pandemic hit, Tamara Saldana, RN, jumped into action to ensure her primary patients—immunosuppressed children fighting cancer—could count on safe and continued care.
As a gatekeeper for the Cure 4 the Kids Foundation clinic, Saldana maintains compliance and regulatory standards and oversees infection prevention and control measures. More often than not, you’ll find her in the parking lot coordinating COVID-19 testing for patients, families and employees. This organized process ensures prompt test results so patients can safely receive chemotherapy and other treatments. Saldana is also responsible for cleaning and disinfection practices within the clinic, successfully preventing COVID-19 transmissions to date.
John Brosious, MD
John Brosious
Innovation
Plastic Surgeon, Director and Founder, Gender Surgery Program, UNLV School of Medicine
Dr. John Brosious doesn’t back down from a challenge. In fact, he doubles down.
When Dr. Brosious saw the transgender community struggle to access health care in Southern Nevada, specifically access to gender-affirming surgeries, he made it his mission to create a gender surgery program that could dramatically improve surgical care and provide life-changing services for these individuals.
Angelica Honsberg, MD
Angelica Honsberg
Physician
Chief, Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, UNLV School of Medicine
Pulmonary medicine has never been so critical than during a pandemic caused by a respiratory virus. Dr. Angelica Honsberg has played a central role in coordinating and providing care for many of the most critically ill COVID-19 patients in UMC’s Intensive Care Unit. She is also taking her first-hand experience and using it to further the knowledge and treatment of patients across the country.
Michael Daubs, MD
Michael Daubs
Education
Professor and Chair, Department of Orthopaedics, UNLV School of Medicine, Chief of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, Medical Director, OptumCare Orthopaedics and Spine
As a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Michael Daubs specializes in treating adult and pediatric spinal disorders, but outside of the operating room, you’re likely to find him in a classroom. Thirty years ago, he set a career goal to return to his hometown of Las Vegas and start an orthopaedic program—and he has.
Amy Runge, MED, BSN, RN
Amy Runge
Community Outreach
Clinical Nurse Manager, COVID-19 Testing Site Manager, University Medical Center of Southern Nevada
Despite her immense responsibility managing one of the state’s largest COVID-19 testing sites, Amy Runge maintains her unique ability to truly connect with community members, offering her undivided attention and unwavering compassion. Runge’s holistic approach to nursing and health care has led to a career working in community nursing—something Southern Nevada has greatly benefited from this past year.
Jennifer Vanderlaan, PH.D., MPH, CNM, FNP
Jennifer Vanderlaan
Research/Science
Assistant Professor, UNLV School of Nursing
Dr. Jennifer Vanderlaan is dedicated to building a maternity care system that provides families with safe and appropriate options for care. Not only does she train advanced practice nurses and advocate to expand the midwifery workforce in Nevada, she also completes vital research necessary to improve care for the entire population.
Zdenka Prus, MA, LCPC
Zdenka Prus
Emergency Services
Mobile Assessment Supervisor, Seven Hills Hospital
Suicide is consistently ranked among the leading causes of death in the United States—one of few that is 100% preventable. Zdenka Prus spends long, 14-hour days driving around the Valley to meet with suicidal individuals and put them on a path of recovery before they become another tragic statistic.
By its very nature, the job of a mobile mental health assessor is challenging. Prus has worked with individuals impacted by 9/11, and on the night of the October 1 shooting, she became a first responder to counsel victims. Now in the midst of a global pandemic, she visits as many as 14 emergency departments everyday—evaluating patients and assisting ER staff with next steps in their care.
Terri Chandler, RDH
Terri Chandler
Dentistry
Founder and Executive Director, Future Smiles
For someone who has always loved science and wanted a career that could better the lives of others, dental hygiene offered the perfect opportunity for Terri Chandler. Through her nonprofit, Future Smiles, Chandler saw her calling fulfilled beyond her dreams.