Congratulations to Ale Tello and Dana Fong on Receiving the SOM STAR Achievement Award!

Please join us in congratulating Ale Tello, Dementia Care Aware Program Manager, and Dana Fong, Dementia Care Aware Social Media, Website, and Communications Specialist, on receiving the School of Medicine (SOM) STAR Achievement Award. Nominated by Danielle Taylor, both honorees have made exceptional contributions that have strengthened the Dementia Care Aware program through innovation, collaboration, and operational excellence.

Since joining the team in December 2024, Ale has transformed our data and reporting infrastructure. In partnership with UCSF SomTech, she led the automation of monthly data processes, reducing processing time from several days to just a few hours while improving data quality and reliability. She also centralized learner evaluations, standardized records, developed real-time Salesforce dashboards, implemented proactive quality assurance systems, and launched the program's first longitudinal evaluation to measure the long-term impact of our trainings. Her work has significantly enhanced the program's efficiency and strengthened our ability to demonstrate impact and secure future funding.

Over the past year, Dana has led several major initiatives to improve the delivery of our education and training programs. She successfully centralized courses within the Learning Management System (LMS), updated the program website, and managed the annual AAFP accreditation cycle. By streamlining processes and creating a single, validated source of truth for training records, she improved both the participant experience and staff efficiency. Dana also documented the accreditation process and developed a standard work guide that will benefit the team for years to come. Her efforts supported 34 live trainings and webinars, serving 1,764 registrants and 882 attendees while ensuring AAFP credit recognition for every eligible event.

Together, Ale and Dana exemplify the innovation, dedication, and commitment to excellence that define the SOM STAR Achievement Award. Their contributions have made a lasting impact on the Dementia Care Aware program, and we are grateful for their leadership and hard work.

Congratulations, Ale and Dana, on this well-deserved recognition!