Christina Perez, LMFT, integrated care supervisor at Wheeler’s New Britain Family Health & Wellness Center, is the recipient of Wheeler’s third annual Integrity & Ethics Award. Christina was nominated by her peers at Wheeler as part of the 2025 Health Care Compliance Association’s Corporate Compliance & Ethics week, November 2 through 8. She was selected from a field of 15.
Nominated for two consecutive years, Christina embodies integrity and strong ethical values. This year, one of her peers characterized her as demonstrating “unwavering ethical standards, fairness, and transparency in all her professional endeavors” and as a leader who “fosters a culture of trust and accountability, inspiring those around her to uphold high moral and professional standards.”
Linda Russo, LMFT, CPHQ, vice president of quality operations, was pleased with the nomination process, which also invited all of Wheeler’s team to reflect and share their thoughts about integrity. "Christina’s peer nominations for two consecutive years is a testament to her high degree of ethics and integrity,” said Linda. “We appreciate her work, her leadership, and the example she sets for not only her team but all of Wheeler.”
The following individuals received Honorable Mentions as part of the nomination process.
Christina Avino, crisis clinician, New Britain Mobile Crisis Intervention Services. A peer described Christina as consistently embodying “the highest standards of integrity, compassion, and professionalism in her work. She approaches every family, colleague, and situation with a deep sense of purpose and unwavering ethical commitment.”
Deborah Daniel, psychiatric nurse practitioner, Waterbury Family Health and Wellness Center. A colleague said that Deborah “truly embodies integrity, consistently doing the right thing, even when it means going above and beyond what’s expected. Deb’s care is grounded in respect, diligence, and ethical responsibility. She quietly promotes a culture of integrity every day, and Wheeler is truly fortunate to have her.”
Sharon Sakalas, integrated care supervisor, Wheeler’s Plainville Family Health & Wellness Center. In her nomination, a teammate stated, “When I think of integrity here at Wheeler I think of Sharon. She is always considering her decisions to ensure we are doing the right thing - the right thing by policy, the right thing by supporting clients.”
Integrity is one of four institutional values at Wheeler, as well as compassion, diversity and inclusion, and teamwork. All staff were invited to nominate possible recipients for the 2025 Integrity & Ethics Award, and the winner was selected by staff from Wheeler’s Compliance Committee. The goal of the week was to highlight the importance of compliance and ethics within organization.