About Andrea Castell

Co-founding staff member Andrea Castell, RN, BSN, MBA has devoted her life to health care and increasing access to appropriate care. As lead operations nurse at Project Access Northwest, she uses her vast expertise to help people get the care they need.

“Andrea is an integral part of our organization,” says Gary Renville, Executive Director. “Her commitment to our mission and vision is apparent in everything she does.”

Driven by her belief in health care access, Andrea remains an active champion for patients in need—and the specialists who serve them.

In honor of her years of service, we presented founding staff member and lead operations nurse Andrea Castell with the first annual Andrea Castell Health Care Leadership Award.

This award, in Andrea’s name, will be presented annually to individuals who work for improved health care access for all members of our community.

Past award recipients include: Michael Brush, MD, Kaiser Permanente of Washington; Deborah Jefferson, EvergreenHealth; Cassie Sauer, Washington State Hospital Association; and Leanne Berge, Community Health Plan of Washington.

The 2024 award goes to…

This year's award will be presented at the Strike Down Barriers to Health Care event.

But who will the winner be?

Our distinguished nominees include:

Sue Birch

Sue Birch is the Director of the Washington State Health Care Authority. She is focused on transforming the health care delivery system to better serve those for whom we purchase care, while keeping health care costs in check.

A nurse by training, Sue is passionate about improving population health and reducing overmedicalization by focusing on the social determinants of health. Under Birch’s leadership, Washington implemented Cascade Care, the first-in-nation public option aimed at improving access to high-quality, affordable health care.

Before joining HCA, Sue spent nearly seven years as the executive director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, where she led the state’s successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act. She also served as chief executive officer of the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association.

Rebecca (Becky) Carrell

Rebecca "Becky" Carrell serves as the Deputy Division Director for the Medicaid Programs Division at the Washington State Health Care Authority, where she has worked since 2018. With 13 years of state service, Becky leads teams in implementing innovative programs and policies that improve the quality of and increase access to care for nearly two million Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) clients. Most recently, Becky led the expansion of Apple Health coverage to adults in Washington who didn’t qualify for other Apple Health programs due to immigration status, commonly known as Apple Health Expansion.

As a leader in the agency, Becky is dedicated to incorporating the voices of the communities impacted by Apple Health programs. Her focus on community engagement ensures that initiatives are person- and community-centered, aligning with the agency’s commitment to equitable access to integrated, whole-person care. Becky’s efforts and vision are instrumental in driving forward the mission of expanding health care access and enhancing the well-being of the state's historically underserved populations.

Julia Colson

Julia is a community-based leader who has been the vision and drive behind the creation of Seattle/King County Clinic, a community project that brings together health care organizations, civic agencies, non-profits, businesses, and volunteers from across the state of Washington to produce a large-scale, free health clinic at Seattle Center for four days each year.

Danie Eagelton, LMHC

Danie Eagleton is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Approved Clinical Supervisor, Behavioral Health Consultant, and Graduate Adjunct Faculty Member. She is a proud graduate of Seattle University and Howard University.

With a career spanning over 20 years, Danie has demonstrated unwavering dedication to community behavioral health. From providing direct service to leading organizations in C-Suite positions, such as CEO and Chief Clinical Officer, she has been at the forefront of workforce development, recruitment and onboarding. Her work is focused on creating access and removing barriers to entering the behavioral health workforce, particularly for communities of color.

Her innovative vision for the improvement of the behavioral health system is underpinned by her understanding of its various aspects, from Zero to Older Adults, school-age kids, transitional youth, employment services, domestic violence survivors, providing supervision for Certified Peers, providing strategies for integrating mental and physical health, and creating and facilitating conversations about systemic racism and behavioral health with both system stakeholders and community members.

Danie is deeply committed to using her clinical expertise to increase mental health services for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. She is the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Seattle University.

Jennifer Piel, MD

Jennifer Piel, MD, JD is triple Board Certified in General Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry and Brain Injury Medicine. Her professional roles include being the Director of the UW Center for Mental Health, Policy and the Law; Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry; and a Staff Psychiatrist at the VA Puget Sound.  In addition to her medical training, she earned her law degree from the University of Washington. As a member of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, she serves on the Ethics, Research and Resident Education Committees. Much of her work has focused on improving quality health services for persons with mental illness who are involved in the criminal legal system. She has served as an expert witness or consultant in legal cases involving criminal and civil competencies; criminal responsibility; malpractice; personal injury; sexual and gender harassment; and fitness for duty, among others. She teaches courses in forensic mental health at the University of Washington and speaks locally and nationally on topics related to psychiatry and the law.

Pamela Rademaker, ARNP

Pamela has a strong interest in diabetes and is committed to providing the highest level of care with the most up-to-date treatments for all her patients. She believes patient education and teamwork with the patient and other care providers play key roles in the management of disease and illness. She currently volunteers with the Kitsap Immigration Assistance Center Free Medical Clinic. She has been a nurse practitioner for 27 years, working with the Swedish Diabetes and Endocrine Center, the Swedish Neuroscience Institute, University of Washington Neurosurgery, and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Elizabeth Wako, MD

Dr. Wako is a proven executive with 30 years of experience in health care. Having started her career as a psychiatric nurse, she later went on to medical school, completing a residency in anesthesiology as well as a fellowship in perioperative medicine at the University of Washington. She also earned an MBA from the UW Foster School of Business and has served in key executive roles since joining Swedish in 2011, including her most recent position as chief executive of Providence Swedish’s Central Service Area.