Dr. Brad Ardell Spirit Award

Dr. Brad Ardell Spirit Award

The Dr. Brad Ardell Spirit Award was created in 2008, in memory of Dr. Ardell who passed away suddenly during his third year of residency. The award recognizes residents who possess the same "true prairie spirit" as Dr. Ardell, a hard-working, compassionate and selfless individual. Nominations open each fall and the award is announced in the new year.

The 2024 winner of the Dr. Brad Ardell Spirit Award is Dr. Kasia Zubkow, a fourth-year-resident in the Neurology program.

Here are some of the reasons Dr. Zubkow was nominated for the award:

"Outside of her clinical practice, her commitment to honesty and integrity is also reflective in her approach to leadership at the program level. She is effective at mediating conflicts and seamlessly manages situations that would otherwise be awkward. Recently, an off-service junior resident told me about a challenging situation they experienced on call, and how they felt comfortable bringing forth these concerns to Dr Zubkow because they knew she would be a supportive listener that would go on to advocate for them. She balances a high degree of emotional intelligence with her clear sense of justice and sensitive communication style. She can be counted on to speak up when it is the difficult-but-right thing to do in a way that compels others to listen and consider her perspective."

"Dr. Zubkow takes great pride in her patient relationships and is the first to stop in for a quick check-in when walking past a patient room. It’s too easy as a busy resident physician to focus on getting your tasks done so that you can move on to the next, but it’s clear that Dr. Zubkow remains steadfast in her commitment to her patients by prioritizing the human aspect of medicine and fostering those important relationships so that she can go beyond treating their pathology, but also helping them cope with their illness and hospitalization."

"If you were to ever attempt to chart review a medically complex patient presenting with altered mental status, you should be hoping to find a previous note from Dr Zubkow. Even if she had seen the patient as her eighth consult in the middle of the night, the history provided would be thorough and accurate, her assessment and plans clear and well-considered. Any of us that have been lucky enough to work alongside her have benefitted from her diligence and organization, traits that feel particularly important for a service as complex and high volume as Neurology.

Simply put, she is that special kind of person that is just incredibly good at everything she does because she puts in such a consistent effort to her work. It is inspiring to see such a clear model of hard work rewarded. Dr Zubkow’s reputation is evidence that genuinely caring about what you do creates positive outcomes. Whether it is our cohort of residents, staff, medical students, or allied health, it’s no secret that everyone loves working with her."

Congratulations, Kasia!