Passavant Hospital Foundation is excited to introduce our 2023 Pittsburgh Marathon Fundraising Team!
Help support our runners reach their fundraising goal of $5,000 to benefit Passavant Hospital Foundation's Cancer Care Fund!
Passavant Hospital Foundation's Cancer Care Fund launched in 2014 to support financially struggling oncology patients pay for basic needs, such as shelter, food or transportation. In 2022, the Cancer Care Fund was able to support 46 patients totaling over $17,000 in support. From 2014 through 2022, the Cancer Care Fund has helped 197 patients with expenses totaling more than $69,000.
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Meet the 2023 Passavant Hospital Foundation Pittsburgh Marathon Team!
Megan Tomaino, MPAS, PA-C is part of the UPMC Passavant Department of Anesthesia APS/PACU. Passavant Hospital Auxiliary which is apart of Passavant Hospital Foundation has supported Megan’s own mission to obtain Stop the Bleed Equipment at UPMC Passavant and disseminate employees in Stop the Bleed Education. The Foundation has also given support to the Advance Practice Providers at UPMC Passavant and has helped implement new education programs and APP recognition. “I am so grateful for the time and commitment the Foundation has made towards my professional and education goals and I just want to give back.” Some of her hobbies are spending time with her two daughters and husband biking, swimming, hiking, walking, and playing sports everyday of the week. When she is not with her family she is working out with close friends. Megan is jack of all trades and an interesting fact about her is that she has been completely deaf in her left ear since birth. Megan has been running for over 24 years and have participated in many Pittsburgh Marathon races from the full, half or relay. This year, she will be completing the marathon relay. She has also completed almost every distance from 200 meters and the full marathon including the 400m hurdles and steeple chase. Her motivation during running is a variety of things during different points of her life. Right now, she is motivated by gratitude for her health, ability to move freely without pain and feeling strong.
Zach Perpetua, MSN, RN, CMSRN, CNL, Clinical Education Specialist at UPMC Passavant. When Zach is conditioning through running, his resting heartbeat is 40, which would scare any nurse with type of heart rate. When he is not running you will find Zach doing LOTS of schoolwork. The advice he would give any new runner would have CONFIDENCE. When you believe in something, you are much more likely to achieve your goal than if you don’t believe. Zach has always wanted to complete the half marathon at Central Park in New York City and run the Great Wall of China. Zach joined the Foundation team to show his appreciation for all the support the Foundation gives to UPMC Passavant and the community and to give his own support as well. He loves running at the North Shore and on the South Side Trails, along with running throughout the city including parts of the Marathon Route. Running 26.2 Miles is not easy, but the feeling of accomplishment Zach gets when he crosses that finish line is like no other. He participates in as many races as he can throughout the year to keep him accountable and staying in shape. He has run many half marathons during the Pittsburgh Marathon but also in Washington D.C., Chicago, New Orleans, and Philadelphia. He has also completed the Great Race and the EQT 10 Miler every year. Zach has been partaking in the Pittsburgh Marathon since 2016 and has run the Full Marathon Four Times. This year will be his fifth time completing the Full Marathon for the 2023 race.
Karlee Babusci, RN, BSN, MS, HSA is an Improvement Specialist in the Patient Safety Department at UPMC Passavant and has been participating in the Pittsburgh Marathon since 2013. This year, she will be participating in the Pittsburgh Half Marathon race this year. Karlee has completed various races here in Pittsburgh such as the EQT 10 Miler, Great Race, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates races as well as the Cleveland full and half marathons. Her favorite places to run are at North Park in Allison Park and Graham Park in Cranberry Township. Her motivation when running/training is setting up a finish line to get a rewarding feeling when she does. Karlee joined Passavant Hospital Foundation’s 2023 Pittsburgh Marathon Team to show support for all that the Foundation does for UPMC Passavant Employees and Community. “Every runner has a purpose for why they do it – never lose sign of this” is a piece of advice she would give a new runner or someone training for a race for the first time. When Karlee is not at work or running you will find her spending time with her dogs and family or spending times outside. An interesting fact about Karlee is that she is a huge homebody, she is always finding something to do around the house. If she could run anywhere in the world would be to run in New York City’s Marathon one day. She loves running in cities with the fans their supporting all the runners.
Michael Bauer is a Pharmacy Technician in UPMC Passavant Pharmacy. Michael loves supporting UPMC Passavant and Passavant Hospital Foundation, showing his support in many ways. His goal this year is to run both the Pittsburgh Half Marathon and 5K Race. He has not participated in the Pittsburgh Marathon since 2017. He loves to train around the Lake at North Park or on a school track. One of his hobbies is boxing. An interesting fact about Michael is that he almost died in motorcycle wreck in 2016, but Michael is here and the Foundation is ready to support Michael as he completes his two races!
Emily Shimko, Ed.D., CSC, ACSM-EP, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences at La Roche University. A marathon in Hawaii is high on Emily’s wish list of where she could run. However, for the 2023 Pittsburgh Marathon she will be completing the Half Marathon. She has been running in the Pittsburgh Marathon since 2009. Not only has she participated in the Pittsburgh Marathon, but she has also completed the Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon, Kentucky Derby Marathon, Cleveland Marathon Rock and Roll Nashville Half Marathon and more! Her motivation for running is COFFEE. Every Friday, she meets friends at 5AM in the Strip District and are the first customers a La Prima when they open. Her favorite place to run/train is Downtown Pittsburgh. Some advice she gives to anyone starting out is to start out slow and then you will progress. Try to go a little further each time and don’t forget to hydrate, eat, rest and strength train. Emily is part of the Foundation and sits on many committees and is the Chair of the Foundation’s Run/Walk Committee. She chooses to run for the Foundation Marathon Team for all the support the Foundation gives to the community, especially La Roche University. When Emily is not running, she is staying active through yoga and hiking and escaping on vacation for better weather.
Ricardo Simmons – Delgado, MSN, RN is a Clinician/Nurse Leader here at UPMC Passavant. Ricardo loves to read, dance, travel and going out to brunch. His favorite place to run is in Pittsburgh at the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and see the outline of the city when running. Ricardo will be running the Half Marathon this year which will be the second time running the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. He has been participating in the Marathon since 2019. Besides running the half marathon, he has completed the EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler in 2021, the Pittsburgh Great Race in 2021 and the Philadelphia Half Marathon in 2020 and 2021. Advice Ricardo would give to anyone new to running or beginning their training is to be consistent with their runs and listen to your body to prevent injuries. Ricardo has chosen to run for the Foundation because of all the support they give the UPMC Passavant Employees and Community. If Ricardo could run anywhere in the world he would run at the beautiful and peaceful Maldives.
Katie Heinrich, CRNA here at UPMC Passavant joined the Foundation’s team to continue the support given to UPMC Passavant Employees and the Community. Katie said, “being an employee at UPMC Passavant, I have seen the benefits from the support the Foundation gives.” If Katie is not running or training, you will find her traveling where it is warm and there is an ocean nearby. If she lived somewhere with an ocean nearby, she would spend most of her time swimming and surfing. Katie for many years’ hated running. It did not come natural to her but with repeated training it slowly became part of her life. Advice she would give to a new runner or someone in training would be “It will never be easy. The good news is everything that requires some sort of struggle always leads to the greatest results. If you want to quit – you are doing it right!” Katie has completed multiple races throughout her time including the Great Race and the EQT 10 Miler in Pittsburgh, as well as the Rachel Carson Trail Challenge. Her motivation for running is to get to the following places to run one day: Ocean Pass boulevard in Santa Monica, California, Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa and the Olfusa River in Reykjavik, Iceland. Her absolute favorite place to run is along any warm, sunny beach but her favorite here in Pittsburgh is at R.A.W Training. Katie has been running for over 20 years; however, this will be her first Pittsburgh Marathon.
Kevin Marson, MHA, MHS, PA (ASCP), MLS (ASCP) is the manager in the Pathology Department at UPMC Passavant. Over the past 10 years he has run several half marathons and one full marathon, along with several Tough Mudder Races. This year for the Pittsburgh Marathon he will be completing a full marathon. He enjoys setting a goal and doing whatever it takes to achieve success. When he trains, he is motivated by hitting his daily goal and finds motivation knowing it will help him reach his race-day goals. His favorite place to run is locally at North Park. If he could run anywhere in the world it would be somewhere in the Rocky Mountains so he can enjoy the beautiful views, see local wildlife, and would not have to deal with traffic or honking horns. Some advice he would give to any new runner is to do your research and choose a training plan that fits your fitness level and goals. If you over do it in the beginning, you will likely get injured and delay your progress. Kevin has been able to see firsthand Passavant Hospital Foundation’s mission at work for his patients, employees and community which is why he chooses to run for the Foundation. Kevin was born at Passavant back when you were able to have babies at the hospital. When he is not at work, he is hanging out with his wife and two kids, fly fishing, or archery hunting.
Elizabeth Barry, MS, CCC-SLP is a Speech Language Pathologist at UPMC Passavant. Elizabeth is an avid reading of all genres and reads anywhere from three to four books a month. She belongs to a few book clubs and is her favorite hobby. If she is not spending time with her son and family, you’ll find her at a coffee shop with her nose in a book. OR you will find her weightlifting and running and cheering on the Pittsburgh Panthers and Steelers during football season. Elizabeth joined the Foundation team to help promote the support given to UPMC Passavant Employees and Community. She loves to run the 5-Mile North Park Loop. One day she hopes to run in Italy and then to go for a post run pasta meal! Her motivation when running and training remaining active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Some advice she would give is that anyone can run and participate in a race. If you stick to a training program and include weight training, you can achieve your goals. Elizabeth has completed Four Pittsburgh Half Marathon’s, the Great Race and many 5K’s within the Pittsburgh area. She has been running for about 7 years and will be running the Marathon Relay for this year’s Pittsburg Marathon.
Katie McGovern, MS, CCC-SLP is a Speech Language Pathologist at UPMC Passavant. Katie has been running for a few years and completed the 5K and 10K last year. This year will be her first time participating in the Pittsburgh Marathon completing the Marathon Relay! Part of Katie’s training is extending her distances or personal records with time and of course staying healthy. Her favorite places to run are on trails when the weather is nice. Advice she would give any new runner starting out is to make running consistent and habitual which is key. Once it’s a habit, it’s easy to continue. Katie joined the Foundation’s team to support health awareness and outreach in our community, so that UPMC Passavant patients are well-educated and cared for regarding their health. Some of Katie’s hobbies in include baking, reading, and doing anything fitness such as yoga. She loves trying new restaurants in Pittsburgh, especially if they have coffee and ice cream! Katie has also been skydiving! If she could run anywhere in the world, it would be to run on a mountain abroad to see the beautiful views and embracing a new culture.
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