L to R, Victor Garcia, MD; Ndidi unaka, MD, MEd, and Uma Kotagal, MBBS, MSc
Drs. Victor Garcia, Uma Kotagal and Ndidi Unaka were all recently honored for their contributions to healthcare in our region.
Victor Garcia, MD Honored by local Black is Excellence group
Victor Garcia, MD, founding director, Trauma Services, and longtime Cincinnati Children’s surgeon, is one of 15 local African American leaders honored in the fourth annual Black Is Excellence (BIE) campaign.
The campaign features community leaders whose contributions have greatly impacted the Cincinnati region. BIE campaign is in collaboration with the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Human Relations (OHR) and Fifth Third Bank.
In an article in Spectrum News, Victor said being honored by Black Is Excellence inspired him to do even more to address the worsening inequities that affect Black Americans. “I am further motivated with this recognition to do not just what I can, but to do what is absolutely necessary to bring about racial equality in this generation,” he added.
Victor is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and studied under former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. He joined Cincinnati Children’s in 1990 as the founding director of Trauma Services. At this time, he had begun to implement the new Trauma Program that was approved by management and the Board of Trustees. 1991 marked the first full year of the Trauma Center.
Victor has been honored with many awards for his service to the community. In 2008, he received a Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service by an Employee. In 2017, the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber honored him as a “Great Living Cincinnatian” for all his work to bring health and equity to the community. At the same time, he was also presented with the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Health Care Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2019, he was honored with a Cincinnati Pediatric Society’s Founder Award.
This year’s theme is “Our Work is Our Legacy.” The honorees will once again be featured on banners that will be on display downtown and in surrounding areas. The BIE campaign aims to acknowledge and promote diversity, inclusion and representation, and to celebrate the achievements of local African Americans.
Uma Kotagal, MBBS, MSc Selected as Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2023 Lifetime Health Care Hero
The Cincinnati Business Courier named Dr. Uma Kotagal as the 2023 Health Care Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award winner. This and the Health Care Heroes awards recognize those who have made a significant impact on health care in our community, through their concern patients, research, innovation, management skills, and program development. Read more about the awards and the upcoming awards dinner on the Business Courier’s website.
Dr. Kotagal is the second Cincinnati Children’s leader in two years to be recognized with the Health Care Hero Lifetime Achievement Award. Last year’s winner was former CEO Michael Fisher.
Jennifer Frey, PhD, BCBA-D, president of Every Child Succeeds and Associate Professor, was selected as a finalist for the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2023 Health Care Hero Award.
Uma Kotagal, MBBS, MSc, is the former Senior Executive Leader for Population and Community Health, and was a Professor in the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at the time of her retirement in 2021.
Ndidi Unaka, MD, MEd honored as a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement
Ndidi Unaka, MD, MEd, medical director of Quality Improvement for HealthVine and associate professor of Pediatrics, is one of several Greater Cincinnati women who will be honored during the 44th annual YWCA Career Women of Achievement awards on May 10.
Honorees were selected for their leadership, community service and professional success.
Ndidi has been recognized nationally for her work in quality improvement, health equity, medical education and community engagement. She has served in several leadership positions including associate director of Cincinnati Children’s Pediatric Residency Training Program, medical director of Quality Improvement for HealthVine and medical director of Medical Unit – A6 North/South.
She also leads several local and national Quality Improvement Learning Networks aimed at improving child physical and mental health as well as eliminating disparities.
Ndidi noted in her nomination that she is passionate about diversity and inclusion and the benefits we can all enjoy when our healthcare workforce reflects the population it serves. “I’m honored to teach and mentor students and pediatric trainees and work to foster their understanding of the importance of health equity. I want trainees to embrace their role as an advocate for children and families,” she said.
A University of Michigan graduate, she did her residency and chief residency at Cincinnati Children’s.
“After graduating from medical school, I was so drawn to Cincinnati because of the community here. During my residency, I had the opportunity to interact with pregnant moms who lived in Avondale with my mentor, Dr. Anita Brentley. This work ignited my desire to work with historically excluded patients and families and mentor other trainees who shared the same passion. Now I want to ensure that all children, regardless of race, income, or circumstance, have the same opportunity to live healthy lives.”
In her nomination submission, President and CEO Steve Davis, MD, said: “Dr. Unaka’s expertise in Quality Improvement and her commitment to health equity are central to our mission at Cincinnati Children’s. Her work makes a difference in the lives of children, and especially those who are most vulnerable and underserved. She has been a special source of inspiration to the many residents that she trained and mentored.”