BELLINGHAM, Wash. – PeaceHealth recently unveiled its 2025 systemwide Mission and Values Award recipients. The annual awards recognize inspiring employees (who PeaceHealth refers to as “caregivers”) who live PeaceHealth’s Mission and Values of Respect, Social Justice, Collaboration and Stewardship, every day.
Gabriela Fuentes, medical assistant, pediatrics, PeaceHealth Medical Group, Bellingham, was selected for the Social Justice award.
Fuentes is known for bringing compassion and care to her interactions and communication with Spanish-speaking patients. Her empathy and advocacy for this community are why she is the recipient of PeaceHealth’s 2025 systemwide Mission and Values Award for Social Justice.
As a child in Venezuela, Gabriela hoped to become a doctor. When her family moved to the U.S., she had to learn the culture and language of a new country. In her role as a medical assistant at PeaceHealth Cordata Main Clinic in Bellingham, her background and skills help patients feel safe and comfortable talking about what they need to at their appointments.
The Mission and Values Awards are PeaceHealth's highest honor. They recognize caregivers for living PeaceHealth’s Mission and Values of Social Justice, Stewardship, Respect and Collaboration. Fuentes was selected among 16,000 caregivers spread across Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, and was honored during a virtual celebration held in July.
Learn more about Fuentes’ story here and read about all the 2025 Mission and Values Award recipients here.
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a non-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, nearly 3,200 physicians and clinicians, more than 160 clinics and 9 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
