Saint Joseph London Recognizes Outstanding Medical Staff

LONDON, Ky. (April 26, 2026) – Saint Joseph London recognized its 2026 Physician of the Year, Advanced Practice Provider (APP) of the Year, Employee of the Year and Leader of the Year award recipient during a hospital celebration on Wednesday, March 11. This year’s recipients are:

• Physician of the Year – Sandeep Valluri, MD, Lexington
• APP of the Year – Amerah Rutherford, PA, Corbin
• Employee of the Year – Gladys Cornn, Infection Preventionist, Corbin
• Leader of the Year – Robin Tumpak, Director, Quality-Patient Safety, London

Each year, Saint Joseph London recognizes an outstanding Physician of the Year and APP of the Year who help build healthier communities and exhibit Saint Joseph Health’s core values of compassion, inclusion, integrity, excellence and collaboration. Sandeep Valluri, MD, was nominated for Physician of the Year by his colleagues.

“During the night of the tornado outbreak, Dr. Valluri showed professionalism and leadership. He remained calm, organized, and present at the moment. He provided excellent patient care by ensuring every patient felt seen and supported during the outbreak; his performance was dedicated and committed to helping the patients and making sure they had the right treatment and care,” said his nominator. “He was a great leader–compassionate and committed– in every deed, keeping the patients safe, supported and cared for during an incredibly challenging night.”

The 2026 APP of the Year is Amerah Rutherford, a physician’s assistant at the hospital.

“It’s hard to choose an example of Amerah’s kindness because she is always the same. Whether it’s to give hope to the sick, ice chips, lend a listening ear to those who love to talk, find pillows–whatever a patient needs, she makes sure it’s done and she does not think she is above any of us here in the ER. She doesn’t see herself as a PA, she sees herself as one of us: a patient care provider, advocate, ER team member and a friend,” said her nominator.

Saint Joseph London also recognizes an Employee of the Year and Leader of the Year who go above and beyond their duties and demonstrate the health care system’s core values.

Saint Joseph London’s 2026 Employee of the Year is Gladys Cornn.

“Gladys has served our system for 41 years. She is an example of commitment and loyalty to her profession. Gladys is a team player and she works with each department making sure their needs are met for their job performance. She continues to be a key instrument in making sure staff's needs are met in and outside of the hospital,” said her nominator. “Gladys is always smiling and approachable, staff trust her to reach out to her in their time of need.”

Robin Tumpak has been named the 2026 Leader of the Year, recognized for her outstanding leadership in a managerial position.

“Saint Joseph London’s "A" Leapfrog letter grade, success in achieving the majority of HRIP quality program goals, and positive impact on key clinical scorecard metrics demonstrate Robin’s pursuit of excellence and high-quality outcomes. Her ability to achieve organizational metrics, even those that varied, underscores her dedication to superior performance,” said her nominator.

Additional Saint Joseph Health winners include: 

• Saint Joseph Health Corporate - Mersi Lawhorn, Employee of the Year, Lexington; Elizabeth Sword, Leader of the Year, Lexington

• Saint Joseph Medical Group - Benjamin Neltner, MD, Physician of the Year, Lexington; Jessica McMaine, APP of the Year and overall Saint Joseph Health APP of the Year, Richmond; Julie O’Nan, Employee of the Year, Harrodsburg; Jasmine Ellis, Leader of the Year, Lexington

• Continuing Care Hospital - Ibrahim Shahoub, MD, Physician of the Year, Lexington; Regina Mullins, APP of the Year, Pikeville; Jennifer Osborne, Employee of the Year, Carlisle; Joann Rose, Leader of the Year, Richmond

• Flaget Memorial Hospital - Sanjiv Mehta, MD, Physician of the Year, Louisville; Scott Ohler, APP of the Year, Elizabethtown; Paige Cissell, Employee of the Year, Bloomfield; Sarah Gabeheart, Leader of the Year, Bardstown

• Saint Joseph East - Eric Schafer, MD, Physician of the Year, Charlestown, MA; Ashley Frankowski, APP of the Year, Lexington; Danny Hunt, Employee of the Year and overall Saint Joseph Health Employee of the Year, Lexington; Jen Spegal, Leader of the Year, Richmond

• Saint Joseph Hospital - Kathleen Martin, MD, Physician of the Year and overall Saint Joseph Health Physician of the Year, Woodbury, NJ; Isaac Hughes, APP of the Year, Lexington; Alban Hayden, Employee of the Year, Versailles; Elizabeth Hatfield, Leader of the Year and overall Saint Joseph Health Leader of the Year, Charlestown, IN

• Saint Joseph Jessamine - Joseph Grossman, MD, Physician of the Year, Greenville, NC; Josh Sykes, APP of the Year, Palestine, TX; Stanley Puumala, Employee of the Year, Crab Orchard; Rosetta Tuggle, Leader of the Year, Lancaster

• Saint Joseph Berea - Joshua Huffman, MD, Physician of the Year, Lexington; Kristina Rose, Employee of the Year, Berea; Raylee Kirkland, Leader of the Year, Berea

• Saint Joseph Mount Sterling - Kayla Hollins, MD, Physician of the Year, Lexington; Jenna Newkirk, APP of the Year, Mount Sterling; Amanda Cline, Employee of the Year, Salt Lick; Jim Hamm, Leader of the Year, Richmond

Learn more about Saint Joseph Health.

About Saint Joseph Health

Saint Joseph Health, part of CommonSpirit Health, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 100 locations in 15 cities, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes, home health agencies and an ambulatory Care Center. The hospitals in Saint Joseph Health are Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to providing a wide array of services to build a healthier future for all. Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.

About Saint Joseph London

Saint Joseph London is a 150-bed full-service hospital located in London, Kentucky. Established in 1926, the facility serves patients from southeastern Kentucky, including those from Clay, Laurel, Jackson, Whitley, Knox and Pulaski counties. The current $152 million regional hospital opened in 2010, and offers all private patient rooms, with most overlooking a small lake and garden on the 52-acre healing environment.

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