Kelsie Small Future Healer Award
“Only in the darkness can you see the stars,” Edward Miller, M.D.
Kelsie Small believed in others as much as she believed in herself. As an aspiring nurse at Northern Kentucky University, the 19-year-old was anxious to start her long and successful career of making a change in patients’ lives while they healed. Her kind-heartedness and willingness to help anyone and everyone would be the exact ingredients needed to achieve that goal. She was well on her way. A tragic and senseless killing took Kelsie’s life on May 9, 2020, but her kindness and goodness remains through the Kelsie Small Future Healer Award. Established in 2021, it honors a medical professional each year that exemplifies excellence, patient-centered care, compassion and commitment to education. The award honors her spirit by commending someone who is determined to make a difference, just as Kelsie set out to do as a nurse and in life.
In 2021, UofL Health – UofL Hospital – J. David Richardson Trauma Center partnered with Christopher 2X GameChangers and UofL School of Medicine Student National Medical Association (SNMA) to establish the Kelsie Small Future Healer Award in honor of Small’s memory and to keep her legacy alive.
On Feb. 23, 2021, a special event was held to present the first Kelsie Small Future Healer Award to Delisa Love, Small’s mother.
“Kelsie aways made me proud to be her mom,” Love said. “She would do anything for anyone and was determined to make a difference in life. In her death, she’s still doing what she always did and that’s being a positive example to all her peers.”
In speaking of Small, Keith Miller, M.D., trauma surgeon remarked, “We not only lost her, but we lost what she was going to give to the world today, tomorrow and everyday thereafter.”
Each year, the award is presented to a medical professional at UofL Health who exemplifies excellence, caring, compassion and commitment to education.
2025
On February 24, 2025, the 5th Annual Kelsie Small Future Healer award was presented to Kiara James, Community Health Worker Supervisor. Kiara was nominated and selected for being an advocate for gun violence victims and survivors, and demonstrating the importance of caring for others.
Kiara has been working at UofL Health – UofL Hospital for five years, starting as one of the only community health workers. Now, she leads a team of four others doing this work. Kiara models trauma informed care, how to connect and build relationships with tough individuals and families, how to support and advocate even when it’s hard and how to hold others accountable to do what's best for the patient. And, when Kiara has identified a need, she has worked untiringly to fix it including starting her own non-profit called Pushing Forward, that builds ramps for victims of violence that have mobility challenges due to their injuries. Last year they built ramps for 10 different houses, and advocating for the Trauma Department to start a new survivor support group for just gun violence victims, which is now a successful program that served nearly 100 people last year in 2024.
Kiara is an outspoken advocate in the community for decreasing gun violence. She continually speaks at meetings, conventions, and forums and goes out of the way to participate in violence reduction initiatives, community health boards, community projects, strategic planning for community organizations and more. Kiara is a tremendous representative for UofL Hospital.
2024
On March 7, 2024, the fourth annual Kelsie Small Future Healer Award was presented to Ashley Zahniser, RN, in the Trauma ICU at UofL Health – UofL Hospital. Ashley was selected because of her dedication to the medical field and her commitment to serving patients each and every day.
“Ashley is an example for above and beyond care when she steps foot onto 8W each time. Ashley takes her job and the care she provides with the utmost responsibility and ensures that every one of her patients receives the best care possible. Some examples of the excellence in care and compassion she provides would include that Ashley is rarely ever seen sitting. I often have to hunt her down because she is always in her patients’ rooms meeting their needs and going above and beyond in their care. I have witnessed Ashley hold the hands of patients passing without friends or family by their sides, I have seen her provide fingerprints and rhythm strips to the loved ones of those that have passed. I have witnessed Ashley give a patient going for organ donation a full spa bath so that when she went for an honor walk, she was seen to the fullest beauty possible after a tragic accident. Additionally, Ashley achieved a big goal this year of becoming a trauma certified RN! She always takes the opportunity to continue growing and knowing more about the care she provides for our trauma patients including attending ATCN, TNCC, Let’s Talk Trauma, KODA Champions classes and wanting to continue to grow by working alongside content experts and learning from them along the way.”
2023
On Feb. 14, 2023, the third annual Kelsie Small Future Healer Award was presented to Kim Wilson, RN, director of Critical Care Services at UofL Health – UofL Hospital. Kim was chosen because of her dedication to the medical field and her commitment to serving patients each and every day.
Kim Denzik, Trauma Program director spoke of Wilson, “Kim is a skilled and compassionate health care worker at UofL Health. She not only demonstrates the mission, vision and values of UofL Health, but also has a huge heart, which is why it’s fitting to present the honor on Valentine’s Day. During her 20 years with UofL Health, helping patients and their families during some of the most difficult times in their lives and having co-workers who have become family has kept her centered. She’s an example of the nurse and leader Kelsie Small aspired to be.”
2022
On Feb. 9, 2022, the Kelsie Small Future Healer Award was presented to UofL Health – UofL Hospital trauma surgeon Dr. Keith Miller and University of Louisville School of Medicine student Karen Udoh. They were named co-recipients of the 2022 Award for exemplifying excellence, caring, compassion and commitment to education.
Dr. Miller lives and breathes our mission. He’s passionate about the students and education throughout the health sciences – interacting with everyone he meets through a mentoring lens.
Udoh is credited as founder of Future Healers whose efforts always go above and beyond especially when establishing the mission of the Future Healers program. She is a shining example to students and our community.
