We’re proud to celebrate the seven OU Health team members named The Journal Record's 2026 Health Care Heroes — a recognition honoring healthcare professionals across Oklahoma who go above and beyond for patients, communities, education and innovation.
We’re proud to share that OU Health has been named one of Becker's Healthcare Hospital Review Top Places to Work in Healthcare for the third consecutive year. This recognition reflects our ongoing commitment as Oklahoma’s flagship academic healthcare system to support the well-being, growth and satisfaction of our employees while delivering exceptional care to the communities we serve. Organizations honored on Becker's list, including OU Health, prioritize professional development, foster diverse and inclusive work environments and provide meaningful resources that help team members achieve balance and thrive. We are grateful for our incredible employees who make OU Health such a remarkable place to work.
OU Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carolyn Kloek, has been recognized by Becker's Healthcare Hospital Review as a “Hospital and Health System CMO to Know” for 2026. Dr. Kloek leads clinical quality, safety, and experience initiatives across the University of Oklahoma academic health system. She has advanced enterprise-wide reliability efforts, strengthened prevention practices, and aligned clinical teams around consistent, high‑performance standards of care. Under her leadership, OU Health achieved top-decile results in hospital-associated infections and a mortality performance index 22% above the national benchmark for complex care. She also implemented enterprise-wide improvements in perioperative safety, patient experience, and operational performance, including a systemwide surgical safety checklist, revised patient care committees, and a triad leadership model. This national recognition underscores her impact on clinical excellence, patient outcomes, and the development of high-performing care teams.
Our Laboratory Leadership Team volunteered their time @ The Kaleo Foundation, making 240 care packs for those in need!
Our Chief Nurse Executive, Stefanie Beavers, DNP, RN, NEA-BC shares an article reflecting on her leadership journey as part of Lippincott NursingCenter's Pathways to Leadership series. "Writing this article gave me a chance to pause and look back on how my experiences, mentors, and the teams around me helped to shape the professional identity and leadership style I have today." "I hope this perspective encourages nurses to recognize the power of their experience, trust their voice, and see the many ways they can lead and influence meaningful change throughout their careers."
We are excited to share that OU Health has been awarded the Platinum Well Workplace® Award by the Wellness Alliance! This recognition places us among the nation’s healthiest workplaces and reflects our unwavering commitment to enhancing the health and well‑being of every employee.
Stefanie Beavers, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nurse Executive at OU Health, has been recognized by Becker's Healthcare Hospital Review as one of the “274 Hospital and Health System CNOs to Know in 2025.” This honor underscores her exceptional leadership and commitment to advancing nursing practice and patient care. During a pivotal period of transition, Beavers has championed cultural transformation across OU Health, fostering open communication and collaboration to drive meaningful change. Her strategic approach has strengthened the nursing workforce, enhanced care delivery, and improved patient outcomes. A passionate champion for nurses, Beavers prioritizes support at the bedside and beyond, working to ensure every team member has the guidance to succeed. Her innovative strategies and unwavering dedication continue to inspire excellence throughout the organization.
OU Health has earned two Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Gold Awards in the categories of Leadership Development and Learning & Development. These awards recognize the impact of our OU Health Leadership Competency Model and the incredible work of our Best Learning Team, which includes initiatives like our Leadership Academies, Guild, and other education programs that empower our team members to grow and lead. This achievement reflects our commitment to investing in people and building a culture of continuous learning and leadership excellence.
At Oklahoma Children’s OU Health, we are proud to honor the incredible work of respiratory therapists through The PHIL Award, a national program that recognizes care team members who understand that every breath matters. This award, created by The FACES Foundation, celebrates professional excellence and compassion in caring for patients with pulmonary illnesses. Each year, one respiratory therapist is selected based on nominations from patients, families, visitors and caregivers. This year, we are thrilled to announce Kadjia Frye as the recipient of The PHIL Award! Kadjia exemplifies dedication and compassion in her role. One nomination described her as “very passionate with her patients… always thinking ahead, very thorough with her assessments, and always willing to go beyond her duty to find ways to help our patients.” Her commitment to excellence truly reflects the spirit of this award. Join us in congratulating Kadjia and celebrating all respiratory therapists who make a difference every day!
"Three recent University of Oklahoma master’s degree graduates have been awarded OU Health Administrative Fellowships. This newly created program serves as a bridge from academic life to professional health care administration. The fellowship is designed to build the next generation of health care leaders through practical and experiential learning opportunities at OU Health, the state’s flagship academic health system. The inaugural fellows, Bethanie Lor, Shawn Long and Safra Shakir, earned master’s of health administration degrees from the Hudson College of Public Health on the OU Health Sciences campus this May."
