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Outer Banks Health speech language pathologist II Alyssa Villasenor-Avalos has received the prestigious ECU Health Bennett Award, recognizing excellence in clinical practice, mentorship, teamwork and service to patients receiving rehabilitation services. The award is named in memory of Wanda Bennett, a gifted leader, former senior administrator, and occupational therapist at the ECU Health Medical Center.

Villasenor-Avalos is an “exceptional leader who has dedicated her time to mentoring colleagues, providing advocacy, and learning advanced research-based techniques to treat a wide variety of speech, language, swallowing, and voice disorders,” stated the announcement of her award.

“Alyssa embodies our organization’s values, especially the value of compassion,” noted Amy Montgomery, FACHE, senior administrator of operations. “Often patients with speech/language, cognitive, and/or swallowing disorders are emotional about their diagnosis. Alyssa is an active listener who makes sure she understands and addresses each patient’s concerns and does so with expertise and compassion.”

She is also fluent in Spanish and has completed a formal interpreter course so that she can safely and accurately communicate with patients who prefer to do so in their native language.

Outer Banks Health is “proud of the team members who go above and beyond every day to provide the highest quality, compassionate care for our patients,” stated the announcement.

“Alyssa embodies all the characteristics of the Bennett Award and is very deserving of this honor,” added Montgomery.

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