The STARS (Students and Trainees Advocating for Resource Stewardship) program is a global initiative connecting more than 700 student leaders from over 50 medical schools worldwide. The program empowers future physicians to advocate for value-based care and lead improvements in health system delivery.

Kurkurina was selected for her outstanding contributions to medical education, patient care, and healthcare leadership.

“I am honored to be recognized with this award,” Kurkurina said. “We’ve worked hard to bring back concepts from the national program and share them with the Netter community through didactic sessions and partnerships with Hartford Healthcare. The STARS program is truly a fantastic opportunity for medical students interested in promoting value-based care.”

Kurkurina co-developed educational sessions for first-year medical students that explore the role of trust in evidence-based medicine, and she was named the 2023 winner of the ABIM Foundation Building Trust Essay Competition. She has presented her work at national medical conferences and collaborated with Hartford Healthcare on an initiative aimed at reducing disparities in osteoporosis screening. In addition, she advised the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on hospital performance measures and led quality improvement projects at Quinnipiac’s Bobcat Student Clinic.

Beyond her academic and clinical work, Kurkurina served as the past president of Quinnipiac’s chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, where she helped foster collaboration between business and clinical students. She also continues to mentor junior STARS members across the country, further demonstrating her commitment to leadership and service.

“Elina’s commitment to advancing high-value care, her humanistic values, and her ability to lead and mentor others make her an extraordinary representative of the STARS movement and of Quinnipiac,” said Dr. Rahul Anand, professor of medical sciences at the Netter School of Medicine and one of Kurkurina’s faculty mentors.