Two Advocate Health Care nurses honored at Chicago Bears playoff game

Two of Advocate Health Care’s top nursing professionals were recognized at Soldier Field on Sunday as the Chicago Bears’ special guests during the Bear Down Flag Ceremony.

Ashley Vilona, Advocate Health Care’s 2025 Nurse Leader of the Year, and Lea Good, Advocate Health Care’s 2025 Nurse of the Year, helped unfurl the giant flag during pregame introductions for the Bears’ playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Vilona, of McHenry, serves as emergency department manager at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. She began her career in 2014 before joining Advocate Condell’s emergency department in 2017, where she discovered her passion for emergency medicine and the tight‑knit team that defines the department.

Her transformational leadership has been credited with rebuilding team culture following the pandemic, reducing turnover to single digits, and driving measurable improvements in patient care, including reducing the department’s “left without being seen” rate from 7% to under 1%.

Good, of Oak Forest, has been a dedicated caregiver at Advocate Christ Medical Center for more than four decades. As an orthopedic nurse navigator, she developed and advanced the role on the hospital’s inpatient orthopedic floor, ensuring patients are mobile soon after surgery and leading interdisciplinary efforts to enhance recovery, streamline discharge and improve outcomes.

A mentor to countless nurses and a champion for patient experience, Good was recognized this year from among more than 10,000 nurses across Advocate Health Care.

Both nurses were selected for their dedication to Advocate Health’s Professional Practice Model and Purpose & Commitments, and for the profound impact their work has had on patients, colleagues and the communities they serve.

Following the Bear Down Flag ceremony, Vilona and Good returned to the stands with their families to cheer on the Bears in the playoff matchup.

“Being honored on the field at the Chicago Bears game is a moment I’ll never forget,” Vilona said. “I love being a nurse and I’m grateful for the colleagues and patients who have shaped me as a leader.”

“As a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, this was an unforgettable experience,” Good said. “I’ve worked at Advocate Christ Medical Center for over 40 years, and I’m as proud to work here today as the day I started.”