Vicki Giambrone honored with the Elsie T. Mead award

Congratulations to the 2021 Elsie T. Mead award winner, Vicki Giambrone, MPA, FACHE!

The Elsie T. Mead Lifetime Achievement award, the hospital's highest and most prestigious honor, recognizes a current or former Dayton Children’s employee who has made an outstanding contribution to Dayton Children’s and the community. After 23 years and counting, Vicki will forever be a part of the Dayton Children's story.

This story began in 1992 when Vicki was welcomed into the Dayton Children's family as the director of marketing and communications. Twenty-three years later, she officially retired in 2015 as the vice president of strategic partnership and business development.

Here's just a glimpse into the chapters of her Dayton Children's story.

There are so many examples of Vicki’s creativity, ingenuity and innovative thinking ingrained in the hospital’s culture. Through the development of an ambulatory strategic plan and referral physician program and leadership in community outreach, marketing, strategic planning and the Foundation, Vicki implemented and managed the hospital's successful business development and strategic partnerships. She developed the hospital’s advocacy and government relations program that allows policy makers to hear the voices of families and staff as they make important decisions.

However, most notable was Vicki's work in the development of the children’s advocacy centers starting with CARE House, Dayton Children's Advocacy Center. When Libby Nicholson, 2019 Elsie T. Mead award winner, proposed the idea to Vicki, together they made it happen and then worked to bring the model to Greene and Warren Counties. Today, CARE House, Michael’s House (the Greene County Center) and Warren County Children’s Advocacy Center, all offer support and hope to children and families in the community serving hundreds of victims of child abuse each year. Vicki cites this program as her greatest accomplishment at Dayton Children’s.

"In the nearly 25 years I have known Vicki Giambrone, I have admired her as a relentless champion for children," said Libby Nicholson. "I am grateful for her advocacy on behalf of vulnerable children in this region. Their lives are better because Vicki Giambrone cared."

Vicki has also gone above and beyond to help our region's children outside of the hospital walls. As a native of the area and multiple cancer survivor, Vicki teamed with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and won their Woman of the year award and came third in the country in fundraising. She's also served on the Ronald McDonald Children's Charities of Dayton Board, Boys & Girls Club of Dayton and many other local non-profits focused on supporting children and families.

She worked to develop strong relationships with legislators and stakeholders to further the mission of Dayton Children’s, give kids a voice and strengthen funding for children’s health through her efforts. During her tenure at Dayton Children’s, Vicki was seen as highly knowledgeable about Medicaid and child health policy issues, and served on children’s health advocacy committees at the local, state and federal level. She led the efforts to establish the Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education Program to support more training funding and worked with Senator Shannon Jones to secure a booster seat law and continues to fight for a bike helmet bill.

This is just a glimpse into the work and service that are captured in Vicki's time at Dayton Children's. She continues to work with the hospital as a government relations consultant.

"Elsie T Mead was a force to be reckoned with during Dayton Children’s creation. She challenged the status quo, fought for children, and used her influence to create something incredible," said Jessica Saunders, director of the Center for Health Equity. "Vicki Giambrone carried this torch forward during her time at Dayton Children’s and today as she navigates board rooms, the halls of Capitol Hill, and complicated relationships to give children a voice."

"What these women have achieved in their lifetimes leaves an unparalleled legacy of community commitment, innovation and determination that has impacted the lives of countless children in our region."