Karman Vulcani, registered nurse, Stewardship Award

Karman Vulcani laughs as she shares her nickname — the “recycling queen.” 

Being a champion recycler hasn’t always been easy. Karman is an RN at PeaceHealth Southwest in Vancouver, Washington. Working in the surgery center, she sees a lot of medical supplies tossed in a single day. "It became an emotional challenge for me to see things being thrown away that were clean,” she says.

At one point she was ready to give up. 

Instead, she got creative, making it easier for her coworkers to collect blue wrap, glass, cardboard and plastics. 

For her efforts, Karman is PeaceHealth’s 2024 systemwide Mission and Values Award recipient for Stewardship. 

MVAs are PeaceHealth's highest annual honor. They recognize caregivers for living out PeaceHealth’s Mission and Values (Social Justice, Stewardship, Respect and Collaboration).

Learn about other 2024 award honorees:

• Respect Award: Colleen Storey, holistic care supervisor, Home and Community, Vancouver/Longview, Washington.
• Collaboration Award: Malena Munroe, clinical educator, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, Bellingham, Washington. 
• Social Justice Award: Kathy Mailloux, environmental services lead, PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, Springfield, Oregon.
• Overall Award: Therese Horan, nurse practitioner, PeaceHealth Medical Group, Bellingham, Washington.