News

Cass Barham and Sarah Crabtree Honored As Recipients of Vail Health Elevate Award

Cass Barham and Sarah Crabtree, both lab techs at Vail Health Hospital, have been named recipients of the Vail Health Elevate Award. Vail Health created the Elevate Award in June 2022 to give patients and their families an opportunity to nominate and thank employees who have touched their lives in some way. 

Barham moved to the Vail Valley when she was 17 to be a ski bum. After the COVID-19 shutdown and the passing of her father in 2020, Barham decided she wanted to work at a hospital. Once she learned more about the lab and the work the team does, she began her career at Vail Health. Barham enjoys playing golf and softball. 

Crabtree was born and raised in the Vail Valley and attended Red Canyon High School. She took courses at Colorado Mountain College to pursue a career path in healthcare. Crabtree enjoys rafting and hiking with her husband and two children.  

Barham and Crabtree agreed that their favorite part of working at Vail Health is their team and the comradery that allows them to truly enjoy being at work. 

Barham and Crabtree were nominated by another Vail Health employee, Brianna Maher, PA-C, RN, for the care they gave her young daughter.  

“As any parent can attest, having your child undergo multiple blood draws is never easy for the child or the parent,” said Maher. “As a parent working in healthcare myself, I was understandably anxious and reached out to the lab in advance to ensure they were comfortable performing pediatric blood draws. I was reassured that while no outcome is ever guaranteed, their team had the experience and professionalism to handle it with care and empathy.”  

That reassurance proved true once at the first visit Maher and her daughter had.  

“From the moment we arrived, Sarah and Cass went above and beyond to create a warm and welcoming environment,” said Maher. “One of them had even brought in toys from her own child's Easter basket in anticipation of Eloise's visit, a gesture that spoke volumes about her thoughtfulness and compassion. Thanks to those toys, Eloise was genuinely excited and completely distracted. She barely even noticed the quick and efficient blood draw.”  

Maher credits the smooth experience she and her daughter had to the elevated patient care Crabtree and Barham provided.  

“What stood out to me most was how both Sarah and Cass were not only attentive to Eloise's comfort, but also incredibly mindful of my own anxiety as a parent,” said Maher. “Their kindness, professionalism, and presence turned what could have been a stressful experience into one that felt calm, safe, and even pleasant.” 

The Elevate Award directly aligns with Vail Health’s mission of elevating health across our mountain communities. Past Elevate Award winners include: Erin Perejda, a supportive care services manager and licensed clinical social worker at Vail Health Shaw Cancer Center, June 2022; Susan Vickerman, MD, a family medicine physician at Colorado Mountain Medical, August 2022; Meghan Gallegos, a Howard Head Sports Physical Therapist, December 2022; Allie Morgan, a Patient Care Unit Registered Nurse, April 2023; Christi Sewell, RN, OCN in the Patient Care Unit, June 2023; Jacey Hagen, a labor and delivery nurse in the Family Birth Center, September 2023; Joe Drew, a nurse practitioner at Vail Health Behavioral Health, December 2023; Scott McCorvey, MD, a doctor in the Vail Health Emergency Department doctor, March 2024; Elie Sabins, a physical therapist with Howard Head Sports Medicine, May 2024; Maria Sullivan, a post-op registered nurse at Vail Health, Sept 2024; Melissa Cordova, an admissions rep at the Sonnenalp Breast Center, December 2024; Jenna Jacobs, a post-op registered nurse at Vail Health, March 2025; and Pamela Goldsten, a physical therapist at Vail Health Howard Head Sports Medicine, June 2025. 

Patients and family members are encouraged to nominate staff who made a meaningful difference in their health care experience. Nominees can work in any area of the Vail Health healthcare system, including admissions, laboratory, surgery centers, Howard Head Sports Medicine, Shaw Cancer Center, Colorado Mountain Medical, Vail Health Behavioral Health, and more. 

To nominate Vail Health, Colorado Mountain Medical, Vail Health Behavioral Health, Howard Head Sports Medicine and Shaw Cancer Center staff, visit VailHealth.org/ElevateAward.