New behavioral health category recognizes case management excellence in mental health

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Enlyte has named a record nine winners of its 2026 Heart of Case Management Awards, including the first recipient in a new behavioral health category that recognizes the role mental health services play in recovery and return to work.

Now in its 11th year, the Heart of Case Management Awards recognize Enlyte case managers who go above and beyond to help injured employees rebuild their lives. The awards are presented in conjunction with National Case Management Week, Oct. 11–17.

Winners of this prestigious honor were recognized for their judgment, communication, adaptability, trust and impact on injured employees. They were nominated either by Enlyte managers (Colleague Division) in five categories, which also include catastrophic, field, disability and telephonic case management, or by Enlyte's client partners (Customer Division), including Broward (FL) Sheriff's Office, Continental Tires and First Student this year.

"A diagnosis tells only part of a person's story," said Helen Froehlich, Enlyte's senior vice president of Utilization Management. "Enlyte's case managers take time to understand what someone is facing at home, at work and throughout recovery. This year's winners show how that whole-person approach can help people regain confidence, independence and a path forward."

The following are synopses of the award-winning entries. To hear the winners talk about their cases in their own words, watch their inspiring videos here.

Heart of Case Management Award Winners – Colleague Division

Catastrophic Case Management

Sumer Khachab, RN 

A 33-year-old employee sustained a catastrophic injury after a 3,500-pound steel beam fell on him, severing his femoral artery and causing multiple orthopedic and internal injuries. Khachab arrived at the hospital while he was still in surgery and immediately became a source of support and advocacy for his family. She helped ease their fears and

communicated updates as she received them, maintaining a constant presence throughout his recovery. It was during this process that the employee reported increasing heaviness in his leg and a growing mass near the site of his vascular graft. Khachab recognized signs that warranted further evaluation. Her efforts led to an emergency vascular assessment that revealed a large femoral aneurysm requiring immediate surgery, a complication that could have been fatal if left untreated. Her vigilance resulted in this injured employee surviving a life-threatening injury and returning to work.

Field Case Management

Jennifer Theriot, RN, CCM, DOLCM-CTR

While attempting to dislodge a boulder from a rock-crushing machine, two industrial employees were knocked into the crusher and ejected onto a large pile of rocks incurring life-threatening injuries. One sustained a traumatic brain injury, lacerations and fractures to the spine, femur and ankle. His injuries led to cardiac shock requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, an advanced life-support device that pumps blood outside the body to remove carbon dioxide, add oxygen and return it to the bloodstream. His colleague also sustained catastrophic multiple pelvic fractures resulting in significant functional impairment and mobility limitations. While both were initially unable to communicate, she built trust with their families and kept treatment moving without unnecessary delays. As recovery progressed, she discussed rehab options, setting realistic goals and working through fear and uncertainty that often accompanies catastrophic injuries. Despite this, both employees remained committed to returning to work. Through Theriot's guidance, the less-injured employee progressed to light duty in approximately 77 days and full duty within five months. For the other, Theriot collaborated with the employer to create a modified position, supporting his return to work 14 months after the accident.

Telephonic Case Management

Lauri Tinelle, MSN, RN, CCM

Years after receiving surgery for an upper extremity work injury, an employee continued to experience significant pain and recurring symptoms which prevented her from performing key aspects of her job. Tinelle was assigned to the case and identified inconsistencies in the treatment plans, helping facilitate communication between the claimant's treated physician and specialist. In reviewing the medical files, she also noticed an unaddressed rheumatology referral which led to discovering the underlying cause of the employee's pain. Although the condition was unrelated to the workers' compensation claim, Tinelle helped the employee transition treatment to her primary insurance and ensured modified duty remained available until she could resume her position.

Disability Case Management

Jennifer Fieberg, MA, CRC, CEAS 

Six years removed from the workforce, an engineer with adjustment disorder and mixed anxiety and depression entered the Medicare Ticket to Work program hoping to resume his career. The case was complicated by the nature and severity of the participant's mental health conditions, which affected motivation, concentration, stress tolerance, decision-making and ability to maintain consistent participation in employment-related activities. Through consistent coaching, disability case manager Fieberg coordinated mental health services and encouraged the individual to engage in treatment. He was hired and achieved self-support and maintained competitive employment for more than three years. Through Fieberg's assistance, the beneficiary is currently pursuing expedited reinstatement while focusing on treatment and caregiving responsibilities.

Behavioral Health Case Management

Corrine Carter, MSN-Ed, RN, CCM 

An employee working for a convenience store company was held at gunpoint during an armed robbery while visiting one of the stores. Though left physically unharmed, the employee experienced severe post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, disrupted sleep and fear of returning to work. Her frustration in trying to navigate behavioral health services through workers' comp was evident during Carter's first meeting with the employee. The employee initially hoped to manage her symptoms with medication, but Carter encouraged her instead to meet with a therapist to help uncover and cope with psychosocial triggers. The employee made incremental progress toward her functional goals, developed coping strategies and regained the confidence to return to full duty in a new career. She ultimately reached maximum medical improvement and began a new chapter after a traumatic experience.

Customer Division

Field Case Management

Gerd Thomas, RN, BS, CCM, DOLCM-CTR

When an employee's recovery stalled, Thomas questioned the existing course of care and helped arrange an evaluation with another provider. That persistence proved critical when the second physician discovered a serious knee infection that had previously gone undetected. Through his actions, Thomas helped the injured employee receive the treatment he needed while potentially preventing a far more serious medical event.

Mary Perez, RN

A second-career older employee sustained serious injuries following an unprovoked attack by a stranger while working outdoors. He was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, multiple fractures and internal injuries. Perez immediately stepped in communicating the family's concerns with medical providers, the employer and adjuster. As the man's recovery progressed across multiple specialists, Perez carefully coordinated treatment, helped prevent gaps or duplicative services and made sure the family understood the care plan. As the full impact of his injuries became clear, the focus shifted from return to work to meeting maximum medical improvement. Through close collaboration with the employer, providers and family, Perez helped keep recovery moving and supported the injured employee as he slowly regained function and independence.

Telephonic Case Management

Sarah Black, RN, BSN, CCM

For seven years, Sarah Black has built trusted relationships with employees and the workers' compensation team at Continental Tires. She provides reliable follow-up throughout recovery, helping employees navigate appointments, provider changes, rehabilitation and evolving treatment needs. Her communication keeps injured employees supported and the worksite informed, but it's the relationships she builds that make her such an important part of the workers' compensation program at Continental. This is reflected in the feedback she receives from employees, who regularly commend Black for consistently exceeding expectations.

Belinda Land-Davis, RN, CCM, WCCM

Across the country, First Student bus drivers are entrusted with transporting school children in a safe and timely manner. As a dedicated case manager to these drivers, it's Land-Davis' job to ensure injured drivers get back on the road quickly. Working with a wide range of drivers who are often older and live with comorbidities, Land-Davis uses a holistic approach, identifying potential barriers and developing individualized treatment and return-to-work strategies. This helps reduce unnecessary delays and ensure treatment is focused on functional improvement and long-term well-being. Through consistent communication with injured employees, providers, adjusters and other stakeholders, Land-Davis keeps everyone aligned around a shared goal: helping the injured employee achieve the best possible recovery.

About Enlyte

Enlyte is a P&C industry leader, providing claims technology innovations and connectivity solutions, specialty networks, case management, pharmacy benefit and disability management services. Serving over 2,000 entities, including a majority of Fortune 500 employers, Enlyte leverages its portfolio of solutions to simplify processes and improve outcomes for auto, workers' compensation and disability claims.