The Blessing Health System Patient Experience team proudly shares the winners of the 2026 Exceptional Provider awards. These are physicians and advanced practice providers nominated by patients and staff for their skill in the areas of service, quality, patient experience, teamwork and access.
More than 40 nominations were received this year. The Provider Advisory Council selected the following nominees as this year’s award winners:
Category: Quality
Winner: Dr. Thejeswi Pujar, Nephrology
Dr. Pujar was nominated by staff members who said: “Dr. Pujar consistently demonstrates exceptional medical knowledge and clinical judgment while maintaining a patient-centered approach. Patients frequently express gratitude for his empathy, professionalism and ability to make the most complex situations feel manageable.
He will help patients with prescription costs, working with them to try to find a covered medicine. Dr. Pujar is very informed about costs, convenience and the needs of his patients.
He is always available for patients and calls many of them with results personally.
Beyond direct patient care, Dr. Pujar is a valued team member who fosters collaboration and mutual respect among colleagues. He is always willing to support and educate staff, contributing to clinic workflow and leads by example through integrity and accountability.
His impact on the patients, staff and the organization is truly exceptional.”
Category: Service
Winner: Lindsay Hoebing, APRN, FNP-C, Family Medicine
Lindsay received several nominations, including one from a staff member who is the other of the patient featured in the nomination. The nominations all featured Lindsay’s care of an 11-year-old who received an MRI. The scan occurred on a Tuesday:
“Lindsay isn’t in on Tuesdays. As soon as the results were known, her nurse, Haley Mester, called Lindsay at home to come to the office as soon as possible.
She broke the news about our daughter’s symptoms. I will never forget hearing those words, our daughter had a brain tumor. Both of these providers (Lindsay and Haley) showed true compassion in an extremely difficult time. They kept their composure to be strong for us. That very same day our daughter arrived by helicopter at Children’s Hospital PICU, admitted for further testing and help.
With the help of these amazing compassionate and wonderful individuals I don’t know that our daughter would still be here today. They were instrumental in the success of her story.”
Category: Teamwork
Winner: Dr. Alborz Javadzadeh, Psychiatry
Dr. Javadzadeh was nominated by coworkers who said:
“Dr. J makes a point every morning to sit down with the staff and go through the patients and ask individually about them. Even though he is the doctor, he respects the thoughts and ideas of the entire treatment team. Whether it is sitting down next to the secretary to make sure he fills out his second certs for patients that need it, or chatting about potential med changes with the nurses, Dr. J always includes the entire team in his decisions.
His ICARE is also phenomenal. No matter how many times you call him when he is on-call, he is always pleasant and takes the time to make sure you get the answer you need.
To him he is just doing his job, but to everyone around Dr. J, he is being exceptional.
Category: Access
Winner: Dr. Emmanuel Bessay, Surgery
Dr. Bessay was nominated by a staff member who is the daughter-in-law of the patient featured in the nomination. The patient was undergoing chemotherapy, cordinated between Blessing Health System and Siteman Cancer Center:
“In order to begin treatment, my mother-in-law urgently required placement of a specific central line. With Siteman being over two hours away, our family hoped to have this procedure done at Blessing to avoid additional travel, hotel stays and missed work—especially as we were coping with a life-changing diagnosis.
The specific central line requested by Siteman was not routinely stocked at Blessing. Rather than defaulting to a referral elsewhere, Dr. Bessay went above and beyond. He worked closely with the operating room staff to order the exact central line needed and offered to do the surgery. Thanks to his efforts, the correct central line was obtained and my mother-in-law was scheduled for surgery within the same week.
Dr. Bessay’s actions reduced stress, delays, and travel during an already overwhelming time. We are deeply grateful for his compassion, responsiveness, and commitment to ensuring patients receive the care they need, when and where they need it.”
Category: Patient Experience
Winner: Dr. Gayatri Sonti, Neurosurgery
Dr. Sonti was nominated by a staff member who is the mother of the patient featured in the nomination:
“Dr. Sonti received a call from a Burlington, Iowa, emergency physician regarding a patient (my daughter) with spinal cord compression. My daughter had been sent home.
Dr. Sonti called my daughter to have her come to the Blessing Emergency Center immediately. My daughter could not drive, so waiting for me to arrive from Illinois to drive her to Blessing caused us to arrive late.
After I parked the car, we were greeted at the Emergency Center door by Dr. Sonti who ushered us to the consultation room where she had my daughter’s images pulled up on the computer. Dr. Sonti discussed the severity of the cord compression along with multiple other concerning findings in my daughter’s cervical spine. She was very thorough with her assessment and explanation of surgery, which was scheduled as the second case the next morning.
The patient and the rest of our family were extremely happy and grateful for Dr. Sonti, as my daughter could have been paralyzed if she had not had surgery.”
The second annual Exceptional Provider program also recognized 77 Medical Staff members who reached career milestones at Blessing Health System, ranging from 5 to 30 years, between the dates of April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. Those photos and recipients are listed below.
On behalf of everyone on the Blessing Health System team, thank you to each member of the Blessing Medical Staff for the exceptional skill, compassion, and dedication to quality care they share with each of us and our patients every day.
Five Year Service Anniversary Award Recipients
Ten Year Service Anniversary Award Recipients
Fifteen Year Service Anniversary Award Recipients
Twenty Year Service Anniversary Award Recipients
Twenty-Five Year Service Anniversary Award Recipients
Thirty Year Service Anniversary Award Recipients
