Penn State Health, College of Medicine recognize accomplishments of staff, faculty and students

Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine have staff, faculty and students who consistently show their dedication to their work and studies by earning accolades outside of their regular duties. To recognize these accomplishments, Penn State Health has compiled the following list of awards and appointments from Oct. 1 through Feb. 28, 2025. Photos may be available upon request.

APPOINTMENTS

• Saini named medical director of quality for Penn State Health. Penn State Health has promoted Dr. Ajay Saini, an accomplished leader with a proven track record of enhancing the quality of patient care, to the role of medical director of quality. Saini will be responsible for developing new quality and patient safety initiatives for Penn State Health. He will also ensure compliance with regulatory standards through a culture of safety and high reliability, identifying opportunities for improvement and leading initiatives to enhance patient safety and quality.
• Barker appointed vice president and chief quality officer. Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center appointed Lillian Barker to the position of vice president and chief quality officer, a role she served in on an interim basis for the previous 18 months. In this role, Barker provides oversight of the academic medical center’s efforts in all matters relating to the quality and safety of care. Barker assumed the permanent role on Oct. 7.
• Clebak named associate dean for Graduate Medical Education. Karl Clebak was appointed the new Designated Institutional Official (DIO) and associate dean for Graduate Medical Education (GME) for the College of Medicine and Penn State Health, effective Jan. 1.
• Darbar appointed to Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania board of directors. Mumtaz Darbar, senior vice president, chief clinical and academic integration officer at Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), effective Jan. 13. She is filling the remainder of Steve Massini’s term following his retirement from Penn State Health.
• Sebastianelli elected vice president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. Wayne Sebastianelli has been elected to the position of vice president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) for a one-year term. ABOS is a private, voluntary, nonprofit, independent organization that establishes standards for the education of orthopaedic surgeons. Sebastianelli was elected to the ABOS Board of Directors in 2018 and has served the Board in many roles, most recently as Chair of the ABOS Written Examination and Subspecialty Certification Committees.
• Soleimani named chair of the Department of Surgery. Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center named Dr. Behzad Soleimani, professor of surgery, as chair of the Department of Surgery, effective Jan. 1. Throughout his tenure, Soleimani has distinguished himself as an exceptional leader and an innovator, having pioneered multiple surgical techniques in the cardiovascular space.
• Umali appointed regional director – laboratory. John Michael Umali was named regional director-laboratory for Holy Spirit and Hampden medical centers, overseeing all lab operations. Umali comes to Penn State Health from Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, where he served as laboratory operations manager. Prior to that, he worked at The Johns Hopkins Health System.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

• Penn State Health named to 2024 Best for Vets Employers list. Military Times has named Penn State Health to its Best for Vets: 2024 Employers list, an annual recognition of organizations that excel in creating supportive programs and policies for veterans transitioning to civilian careers. This accolade marks the third time Penn State Health has been recognized on the Best for Vets list. In the 2024 rankings, Penn State Health placed ninth among all organizations in Pennsylvania that participated.
• Penn State Health ECMO program receives gold award for excellence.  The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) awarded Penn State Health’s extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program with a Gold Level ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support. The award recognizes programs worldwide that distinguish themselves by having processes, procedures and systems in place that promote excellence and exceptional care in ECMO.
• Ninety-three Penn State Health physicians recognized as Castle Connolly Top Doctors in 2025. The list represents the top 7 percent of physicians in the U.S., selected through peer nominations, professional achievements and excellence in patient care.
• Borne named to the City & State PA Who’s Who in Government Relations list. Sheilah Borne, vice president of government health relations for Penn State Health, was named to City & State PA’s Who’s Who in Government Relations list for 2025. Borne has represented Penn State Health’s legislative and regulatory interests for 20 years.
• Erkinger honored by American Association for Respiratory Care. Jennifer Erkinger, clinical specialist Respiratory Therapy at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, was named Specialty Practitioner of the Year (SPOTY) for Neonatal/Pediatrics by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). SPOTY awards recognize a member from each of the AARC specialty sections who earns special recognition through professional service, leadership and scholarship.
• Lesher recognized as the 2024 Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy Preceptor of the Year. Mark Lesher, clinical pharmacist, was selected as the 2024 Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy Preceptor of the Year. Chosen through student nominations, this accolade recognizes volunteer and adjunct preceptors who significantly impact student development during their Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences.
• Rojiani earns the 2024 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Amyn Rojiani, PhD, CPE, FCAP, chair of the Department of Pathology at Penn State College of Medicine, was honored with the 2024 College of American Pathologists (CAP) Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes pathologists who have demonstrated leadership in academics, patient care, education and research.
• Lancaster Medical Center Honored for Breastfeeding Promotion Efforts. Lancaster Medical Center has been designated as a Keystone 10 facility by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This recognition highlights the hospital’s commitment to implementing evidence-based maternity care practices that support breastfeeding, improve maternal and infant health, and boost breastfeeding rates. St. Joseph Medical Center has also earned this designation.
• Lancaster Medical Center earns lung cancer screening designation. Lancaster Medical Center has been certified by the American College of Radiology (ACR) as a Designated Lung Cancer Screening Center. This designation acknowledges the hospital’s commitment to meeting rigorous ACR standards and enhancing patient outcomes through early detection and prevention of lung cancer.

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