Medical care being performed in an ambulance. Photo/Gorodenkoff via Adobe Stock

UC’s ‘Healthcare Heroes’ change lives in and beyond Cincinnati

Over one-third of all winners have ties to the University of Cincinnati

By Stephen Kenney Email Stephen

8 minute read March 3, 2026

The Cincinnati Business Courier released its 29th annual Healthcare Heroes awards in mid-February, and Bearcat talent won big.

UC's 1819 Innovation Hub is at the center of the Cincinnati Innovation District. Photo/Gregory Glevicky

More than a third of all 2026 honorees have University of Cincinnati ties, with the school’s medical professionals transforming lives in the Tristate and far beyond.

This year’s awards honored healthcare leaders across eight categories: health entrepreneur, innovation, nursing, provider, community outreach, executive, manager and patient experience. Whether they’re inventing new products or working on the hospital floor, the Courier notes that honorees are “improving the quality of care for the region in myriad ways.”

Anchors of the Cincinnati Innovation District such as the 1819 Innovation Hub, UC Health, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and UC all play significant roles in strengthening Greater Cincinnati’s medical talent pipeline. For this reason and others, Southwest Ohio is becoming a national leader in life science research and general health care innovation.

Read the Cincinnati Business Courier’s report here, noting that the story exists behind the publisher’s paywall. Below, learn about UC’s Healthcare Heroes award winners and finalists.

Health entrepreneur: Kesha Williams, PhD

UC graduate degree alumna
1819 Venture Lab participant

For years, Williams saw firsthand how women’s feminine health needs are often overlooked or misunderstood. So, she decided to invent a solution: the VPod. Her product became the first over-the-counter Class-1 medical device for feminine care cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), giving women a new option for relief without a prescription.

Williams’ journey started in 2008, when she began designing a product to treat chronic vaginitis, a common, nonfatal condition that can cause significant discomfort for women. For years, she developed her concept on the side while working full time. That changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she lost her job and made the decision to bet on herself.

Vpod quickly became Williams’ full-time role. As a first-time founder, she sought out the tools and sources of entrepreneurial wisdom to turn her idea into a scalable business. It led her to the UC Venture Lab, where she found both a startup accelerator program at the school’s 1819 Innovation Hub and mentorship.

Through the Venture Lab’s nine-week program, Williams gained entrepreneurial insights on topics like refining her sales pitch for investors, building a team and identifying her competitve positioning. The accelerator also connected her with local entrepreneurs in residence, who offered critical startup guidance.

That support paid off. Williams’ time in the UC Venture Lab came full circle in November 2025, when she earned a coveted “golden ticket” from Walmart. Beginning in spring 2026, Vpod will be available in 150 Walmart stores, launching Williams’ innovation onto the national stage and expanding access to relief for women across the country.

Innovation: Cristiano Spadaccio, MD

Attending cardiac surgeon at UC Health
Associate professor of surgery at UC College of Medicine

Spadaccio made history at UC Health in 2025, becoming the world’s first surgeon to successfully use regenerative amniotic membrane to treat an infection caused by a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). While LVADs serve as worthwhile tools to keep blood flowing for those with heart failure, the devices commonly cause infections.

Doctor and nurse in the surgery room with a patient

Spadaccio led a first-of-its-kind, lifesaving cardiac procedure. Photo/TwilightShow

That’s exactly what happened to Joseph Williams, a heart failure patient who received an LVAD while waiting for a heart transplant. As Williams’ health continued to decline, Spadaccio considered a novel solution: using a regenerative, antimicrobial amniotic membrane to replace the LVAD.

Spadaccio’s procedure was successful, giving Williams a reprieve as he waited for an all-important heart transplant. Williams ended up getting one after Spadaccio’s surgery, with the novel procedure at UC Health sustaining him in the meantime.

Nursing: Brandi Ballantye, DNP

UC associate and graduate degree alumna

As the chief health officer at Hamilton, Ohio-based Primary Health Solutions, Ballantyne takes the group’s mission seriously: “Improving community wellness through access to quality, affordable, integrated primary healthcare.”

When access improves, health outcomes follow.

Brandi Ballantyne Chief health officer, Primary Health Solutions

In response, the two-time Bearcat has helped expand access to medical care from Primary Health Solutions by nearly 23% in just one year. Ballantyne strongly believes in breaking down logistical barriers to quality healthcare, telling the Cincinnati Business Courier that “when access improves, health outcomes follow.”

Beyond expanding entry points to medical care, Ballantyne has a strong passion for holistic health. That led Primary Health Solutions to rapidly grow behavioral health services in community clinics and schools throughout the group’s footprint, which stretches from Cincinnati’s northern suburbs to Dayton.

Provider: Christian Gausvik, MD

UC doctoral degree alumnus

Gausvik’s devotion to compassionate care began as a teenager working at a nursing home, where he noticed his genuine concern for older adults profoundly helping their outcomes. That early experience guided him years later to prioritize patient empathy and authenticity as a physician and as associate regional medical director at the Christ Hospital Regional Network.

Home doctor is visiting senior man to check his health. Professional caregiver is assisting old man at his home.

Gausvik is passionate about supporting older adults' well-being. Photo/Photodjo

Advocating for and raising up neglected populations matters deeply to Gausvik. In 2020, he co-founded the Giving Voice Foundation, a charity dedicated to “building connections to support all impacted by dementia.” It serves older adults in the community through cross-generational storytelling, community events and no-cost programs fostering connection, creativity and purpose.

Gausvik is a strong supporter of Cincinnati’s LGBTQ community, which he proudly counts himself among. While he sees consistently meaningful healthcare for LGBTQ individuals as a goal still in progress, his vision is to make specialized care increasingly accessible over time.

Healthcare progress stems from empathizing with and addressing patient needs, Gausvik believes. “As frustration with our current systems grows, it creates space for new ideas and models of care,” he says. “That tension can be a catalyst for innovation.”

Health leaders launch at UC

In addition to the four Healthcare Heroes award winners, five finalists also have ties to UC:

Lori VanDeHatert-Wunder (Manager): UC undergraduate and graduate alumna and director of nursing at the Lindner Center of Hope
Dr. Aram Zabeti (Innovation): UC professor of neurology and director of the Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis
Dr. Mary Allen Staat (Provider): UC professor of pediatrics and director of the International Adoption Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Hannah Brinkmann (Patient experience): Mental heath specialist at the Lindner Center of Hope
Fatima Penda (Nursing): Registered nurse at UC Health

Nine of this year’s 24 Healthcare Heroes winners or finalists are connected to the University of Cincinnati. This track record reflects the school’s success in launching healthcare champions, which speaks to the depth of empathy and innovation embedded into UC’s curriculum.

Nine of this year's 24 Healthcare Heroes winners or finalists are connected to the University of Cincinnati.

Whether as startup founders attracting global retailers’ attention or as surgeons performing novel procedures, Bearcats are powerfully shifting lives and transforming the future of healthcare.

Featured image at top: Medical care being performed in an ambulance. Photo/Gorodenkoff via Adobe Stock

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UC’s ‘Healthcare Heroes’ change lives in and beyond Cincinnati