2025 Karen Rotondo Award for Outstanding Service – Call for Nominations

The Karen Rotondo Award for Outstanding Service honors the memory and legacy of Karen Rotondo, RN, the “Founding Mother” of the HCH Clinicians’ Network. It is awarded to one exemplary clinician in the HCH field annually at the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference. The Clinicians’ Network will provide support to the award recipient to attend the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference and receive the award.

Award Criteria

The award recognizes clinicians who provide culturally appropriate, high-quality hands-on care to people experiencing homelessness. Clinicians may come from a broad array of disciplines—nurses, social workers, outreach workers, oral health providers, physicians, case managers, behavioral health specialists, health educators, and many more!

  • Current HCH Clinicians’ Network Steering Committee members are not eligible.
  • Any clinician may nominate their colleague, but self-nominations are not accepted.
  • The nominee must be a hands-on caregiver who has advanced the goals of ending and preventing homelessness.
  • The nominee must demonstrate vision and creativity in their work to improve the health and quality of life of homeless people.
  • The nominee must go above and beyond their job description requirements.

Selection Process

  • The Clinicians’ Network Membership Committee will review all nominations and select the award recipient based on the stated criteria.
  • Clinicians’ Network staff will notify all nominators of selection results in April.

Nomination Materials

Please complete the nomination form at the bottom of this page, including:

  • Letter from a patient of the nominee describing how the nominee had a positive impact on their life (upload)
  • Letter of support from a peer or coworker of the nominee (upload)
  • Digital photograph of the nominee that will be used to promote the awards presentation and displayed during the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference (upload)

Application Deadline

Applications must be received by February 28, 2025. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

2025 Karen Rotondo Award for Outstanding Service: Nomination Form

Nominee Information

Is this a self nomination?(Required)
Nominee's Address(Required)

Nominator Information

Nominator's Mailing Address(Required)

Award Criteria

Describe the nominee’s experience providing care to people experiencing homelessness, including job position(s), agency name(s) and service dates.
Provide one to three detailed examples illustrating the creative and visionary work undertaken by the nominee that impacts the lives of people in their community experiencing homelessness. Describe the ways this individual provides culturally competent, appropriate, quality care.
Provide one to three examples that illustrate significant community collaborations that resulted preventing or ending homelessness. Examples might include efforts that increase public awareness and understanding of homelessness; mentoring; working with educational institutions; coalition building on the local, state, regional or national level; etc.
Describe this individual goes above and beyond what is expected in their job description requirements.
Provide any information about the nominee’s interests and activities outside homeless health care that you would like the review committee to take into account. Examples might include community or volunteer service or activities related to the nominee’s interests.
To complete your nomination, please upload the following, or email them to lcatalano@nhchc.org: 1) Letter from a patient of the nominee describing how the nominee had a positive impact on their life; 2) Letter of support from a peer or coworker of the nominee; 3) Digital photograph of the nominee that will be used to promote the awards presentation and displayed during the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference.
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