Five University of Minnesota Physicians (M Physicians) clinical leaders have been named as “Healthcare Heroes” by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. 

The award, which launched in 2021, honors both clinical and administrative healthcare professionals in the Twin Cities for their tireless work and commitment to improving Minnesotans’ health and wellbeing. 

M Physicians honorees span four of the award’s nine categories:

  • Healthcare Staff Member (non-clinical): Oren Avery, MHA, Senior Clinic Manager
  • Physician – Health-system-based: Greg Beilman, MD, Professor of Surgery and Associate Dean for Clinical Administration, University of Minnesota Medical School; Senior Vice President of Acute Care Operations
  • Healthcare Practitioner - Nonphysician: Danilo Lovinaria, DNP, MBA, APRN, CRNA, FNAP, FAANA, Nurse Anesthetist
  • Innovator: Paul Orchard, MD, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Physician
  • Physician – Health-system-based: Demetri Yannopoulos, MD, Cardiologist

Get to know our five “Health Care Heroes” below: 

Oren Avery, MHA, Senior Clinic Manager
Category: Healthcare Staff Member (non-clinical) 

Oren Avery, MHA, has served as senior clinic manager for the M Physicians Broadway Family Medicine Clinic in North Minneapolis for nearly four years. In that time, he has been at the forefront of the clinic’s service to the North Minneapolis community while also leading the reopening of the clinic in 2021 at its new location. He has also led the clinic’s food access programs, blood drives for patients with sickle cell anemia, substance abuse disorder programs, and other programs addressing health disparities in the North Minneapolis community. His community-focused approach touches patients but also the next generation of physicians who train at the University of Minnesota Medical School North Memorial Residency Program. 

Greg Beilman, MD, Professor of Surgery and Associate Dean for Clinical Administration, University of Minnesota Medical School; Senior Vice President of Acute Care Operations
Category: Physician – Health-system-based

Greg Beilman, MD, has been a champion for the University of Minnesota’s clinical response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the past two years, he has served as co-leader of the COVID-19 Incident Command Center for the entire M Health Fairview system, which directly impacts a third of patients in Minnesota. In addition to his roles as professor of surgery and assistant dean in the U of M Medical School, Dr. Beilman is also a retired Colonel in the Army Reserves.

Danilo Lovinaria, DNP, MBA, APRN, CRNA, FNAP, FAANA, Nurse Anesthetist
Category: Healthcare Practitioner – Nonphysician

In his 30 years of nursing and nurse anesthesia, Dan Lovinaria has been a leader in efforts to improve the safety of anesthesia delivery while also educating and elevating nurse anesthetists and the profession. In addition to currently leading the Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program, Dan has helped hundreds of BIPOC nursing students receive an education and graduate from nurse anesthesia programs nationwide. In 2021, he also co-founded the national diversity organization Council of Diversity and Inclusivity in Healthcare (CDIH). 

Paul Orchard, MD, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Physician, University of Minnesota Medical School
Category: Innovator

Paul Orchard, MD, has been on the frontlines of care for children with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), using his expertise in bone marrow transplantation to provide the complex care needed for patients receiving gene therapy treatment. In 2021, Dr. Orchard and his team became the first in the U.S. to provide a novel gene therapy for young patients with MLD after working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to gain approval for the procedure.

Demetri Yannopoulos, MD, Cardiologist, University of Minnesota Medical School
Category: Physician, Health-system based

Demetri Yannopoulis, MD, is helping to expand access to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a life-saving technique that uses a machine to do the work of the heart and lungs, for patients across the state of Minnesota. Dr. Yannopoulos is a leader on the U of M Medical School team that is creating a system of mobile ECMO units that will be able to serve patients in every corner of the state.