WDHA President, Santiago Valdez, was honored as a “Healthcare Hero” by the Puget Sound Business Journal this past Thursday (8/2/2026). As our Public Relations chair, Heidi Peters, RDH attended the event with our Speaker of the House, Susan Savage, RDH, BSDH, FADHA and our Lake Washington Component President, Alex Styles, RDH. Heidi posted photos, sharing “Our leaders wear many hats in our communities. You are in amazing company Santiago.”
Health Care Heroes is an award program put on by the Puget Sound Journal, yearly they select recipients recognizing those that have made significant contributions and impact in healthcare. This year, they selected 16 awardees, all who have “…shown exceptional concern for patients, led groundbreaking research, exhibited outstanding management skills, developed innovative programs for employees, provided service to the poor and uninsured, and supported patients and their families in numerous other ways in the past year,” (Puget Sound Business Journal).
For more information about the 2026 Health Care Heroes program, visit the Puget Sound Business Journal‘s Health Care Heroes webpage: https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/event/172269/2026/health-care-heroes