Preferring to stay out of the limelight, Sara Ward doesn’t need everyone to know her name. What she needs is for UNMC’s employees to complete their compliance training — and for a decade, she’s made sure they do.
Ward, associate director of campus compliance, is June’s Gold U recipient and will be honored at Thursday’s University of Nebraska Board of Regents meeting. The award recognizes employees who exemplify UNMC’s values through their work and dedication. Nominators describe Ward as helpful, knowledgeable and a trusted resource who brings the same level of care to a first-year student as to a seasoned faculty member.
Ward came to UNMC in 2011, initially working in neurological sciences before moving into compliance. She says the transition felt less like a career pivot and more like destiny. Years earlier, she had attended a meeting where she watched then-compliance manager Kathy Carlson present on a new database implementation. She turned to a coworker and said she wanted that job. She didn’t know at the time that Carlson was preparing to retire and that she would eventually become her successor.
For 10 consecutive years, Ward has maintained greater than 99% campus completion in both compliance training and conflict of interest disclosures, a standard she holds herself to as much as anyone else.
“Holding people accountable, to include myself, is really important,” Ward said. “I strive for perfection. That’s my personal character flaw.”
Ward’s responsibilities include reviewing training completion for faculty, staff and non-faculty volunteers, managing student compliance holds, overseeing conflict of interest disclosures under federal Sunshine Act guidance and serving as a trusted resource for every UNMC college and department, as well as clinical partners including Nebraska Medicine, Children’s Nebraska and the Veterans Administration Health System.
She approaches the work with a philosophy that runs counter to what most people expect from a compliance office.
“My goal is to be a one-stop shop to help people, and if I can’t help them, to find the right person rather than sending them on blindly,” Ward said. “I want to be a resource, not a hindrance.”
Ward also singlehandedly updated all of UNMC’s compliance training to meet Title II ADA accessibility standards. She credits her IT colleagues for their patience, and her supervisor and mentor, Sarah Gloden Carlson, for giving her the confidence to grow into her role.
When asked what part of her work can’t be captured in a metric, she didn’t hesitate long. “My passion. My love for the job,” she said. “You can replace me — but not with one person.”
Outside of work, Ward is a self-described beach lover navigating life in a landlocked state, spending time with her three kids and being thoroughly charmed by two very ornery shorkies.
Congratulations Sara!! Well deserved!
Thank you, Barb. I appreciate all you do for Compliance and for taking time out of your day to mention me. Have a great day!
Congratulations Sara! You have a tough job, and you do it with such professionalism and dedication. You deserve this huge recognition!
Thank you, Lisa, for the kind words and for being a trusting partner in Pediatrics for our Compliance Office. I appreciate all you do for our office. Have an amazing day!
This award is a well-deserved recognition of the dedication, professionalism, and positive impact you bring to UNMC each day. Thank you for all that you do, and congratulations on this outstanding achievement!
Thank you, Kelly! It is a pleasure to work with you and the EHS team. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to mention me. Have an amazing day!
Awesome!!! Very well-deserved award Sara.
Congratulations 🙂
Thank you, Kati. It is always a pleasure to work with you and passing you in the hallways. Always keeping me smiling. Thank you for everything you do and for taking time out of your day for me. Have an amazing day!
Congratulations Sara!
Thank you, Katherine. I appreciate you!
So deserved…Sara is a Rock Star!!!
Thank you, Frank! It’s always a pleasure working with you and the whole EHS team. Have an awesome day!
Well-deserved! Sara, congratulations!
Thank you, Amy! It is a pleasure to work with Biochem and Molecular Biology and I appreciate what you and your team do for Compliance.
Thank you, Amy! It’s a pleasure to work with you and the Biochem and Molecular Biology team l. I appreciate everything you do for Compliance.
Congratulations Sara! This is well deserved!
Thank you, Pam! I appreciate you taking time to reach out.
Sara is one of the smartest, most hard-working people I know. She brings excellence to everything she does at UNMC and is incredibly deserving of the Gold U! Congratulations, Sara!!!
Congratulations!!!! You deserve this !!!
Congratulations Sara! So well deserved.
Congratulations, Sara! Thank you for your endless commitment and dedication!
Congrats Sara!
Congrats, Sara! Very deserving!
Congratulations, Sara!
Congrats on your Gold U Award. You’ve always been our Oz — quietly orchestrating the impossible from behind the curtain while the rest of campus pointed fingers at their compliance coordinators. Those of us who knew the truth have been waiting for this moment. You earned every bit of it.
Well-deserved award for Sara! She is a trusted resource on campus and always a pleasure to work with!
Congratulations! Sara is very deserving of this award! Thank you for everything you do for UNMC.
Congratulations, Sara! You’re incredibly deserving of this honor and we are so fortunate to have you at UNMC!
Thank you, Dr. Cordts. I appreciate the kind words and the time you took to acknowledge me. Thank you.
Congrats Sara!
Thank you, Tova! You are my first friend here at UNMC and I’m so glad to have leaned from you.
Well deserved. You are a pleasure to work with.
Thank you, Dr. Dobesh! I appreciate you taking time to acknowledge me and I truly appreciate your contributions to the COI Committee. Thank you.
Congratulations! Well deserved!
Thank you, Heidi, for the kind words. It is a pleasure working with you and the High School Alliance team. You are appreciated! Have a great day!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Ms. Ward for your Well Deserved Recognition!!!!
Thank you, Dr. Josh’s!
We couldn’t do our jobs without you, Sara. The Gold U is well deserved.
Thank you, Pat! It’s a pleasure to work with you the EHS team! I always appreciate the quick turn around and resourcefulness of your team.
Congratulations Sara. Compliance is a tough area to work in and UNMC is fortunate to have you as a coordinator to navigate this program!
Thank you, Dr. Iwen! I have appreciated working with you your team. I hope you’re enjoying retirement and your new journey.
Congratulations Sara! Well deserved!!
Thank you, Evelyn! I appreciate you taking time to acknowledge me.
Every single encounter I have had with Sara has been positive and helpful and she always responds quickly! Congratulations Sara!
Well-deserved honor, Sara.