Thirty-four individuals and seven care teams received awards at the Lehigh Valley Health Network's annual Friends of Nursing 2015 celebration held May 7 at SteelStacks in Bethlehem, Pa. The event was attended by more than 725 LVHN colleagues and community members, according to a news release. For more than 25 years, the Friends of Nursing program has honored LVHN nursing colleagues for the exceptional care they provide the community, according to the release. The program awards funding that colleagues may use for continuing education, professional development as well as for nurse-led research that enhances patient care. The following is a complete list of 2015 Friends of Nursing award recipients:
- Darlene Hinkle, MSN, RN, CNOR, Fairgrounds Surgical Center, the Florence Nightingale Exemplary Professional Practice Award;
- Kallan Dianna, RN, CNOR, operating room, LVH-Cedar Crest, Joseph J. Prorok, MD Award for Excellence in Perioperative Nursing;
- Jessica Smith, MSN, RN, CMSRN, express admissions unit, LVH-Muhlenberg, Dr. and Mrs. Donald H. Gaylor Medical-Surgical Nursing Award;
- Lynn Morgan, ICU, LVH-Muhlenberg, the Medical Staff Administrative Partner Award;
- Jill Peoples, BSN, CNRN, neuroscience ICU, Award for Excellence in Neuroscience Nursing;
- Susan Eckhart, cancer center, multipurpose services, LVHN Department of Legal Services Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Patient Care;
- Steven Scott, MD, department of medicine, Professional Excellence Council Physician Friends of Nursing Award;
- Jennifer Nagle, BSN, RN, CCRN, Burn Center, the Robert Lurig Memorial Award for Excellence in Burn Care;
- Post-Anesthesia Care Unit and Preadmission Testing Staff, LVH-17th Street, the Tewari Family Award for Professional Nursing Certification (department less than 15 staff members);
- 6C, Award for Professional Nursing Certification (department greater than 15 staff members);
- Karen Saab, BSN, RN, hospice inpatient unit, the Fleming Nursing Caring Award;
- Andrew Kovach, CRNA, anesthesia, the Fleming Nursing Caring Award;
- Intensive care unit--LVH-Muhlenberg, the Fleming Award to Recognize a Department that Promotes Family Presence;
- 4K, the Fleming Award to Recognize a Department that Demonstrates a Commitment to Structural Empowerment;
- Walter J. and June H. Okunski Burn Recovery Center, the Fleming Award to Recognize New Knowledge, Innovations & Improvements;
- Patricia Karo, MSEd, BSN, RN-BC, division of education, Jeffrey J. Hitchings Award for Excellence in Education;
- Jessica Marie Kelley, Cedar Crest College, John M. Eisenberg, MD Award for Excellence as a Student Nurse;
- Dawn Emes, BSN, RN, CMSRN, 6T, Award for Excellence as a Nurse Preceptor;
- Diane Limoge, BSN, RN, inpatient hospice unit, Josephine Ritz, RN Nursing Award for Excellence in Patient and Family Teaching;
- Mark Reifsnider, cardiac ICU, the Medical Staff Technical Partner Award;
- Simone Tukeva, 4K, the Medical Staff Technical Partner Award;
- Stephanie Stezenko, BSN, RN, CCRN, CMC, cardiac ICU, LVPG Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine-1250 Cedar Crest Award for Excellence in Critical Care Nursing;
- Janine Gilboy, RD, CSO, LDN, cancer support services, William F. Ihrie, Jr. & Elizabeth A. Ihrie Digestive Sciences Award;
- Karen Griffith, RN CPAN, post-anesthesia care unit, LVH-17th Street, Allentown Anesthesia Associates Post-Anesthesia Care Nursing Award;
- Vicki Wertman, RNC, BSN, labor & delivery, Award for Excellence in the Delivery of Obstetrical/Gynecologic Nursing Care;
- Robert Allman, RRT, respiratory, the Medical Staff Award for Excellence in the Delivery of Respiratory Care;
- Ervina Gordon, float pool, the Medical Staff Patient Observation Assistant Award;
- Elizabeth McDonald, BSN, RN, pediatrics, M.G. Asnani, MD, Award for Excellence in Pediatric Nursing;
- Jennifer Deutsch, MS, CCC-SLP, speech pathology, the Bill and Nancy Mason Award for Excellence in the Delivery of Rehabilitation Services
- Amber Barnes, RN, float pool, Joseph and Judith Kaminski Award for Excellence as a Float Nurse;
- Michelle Motsko, MSW, case management, Award for Excellence as a Case Manager;
- Janette Tough, RN, OCN, multipurpose area, Cancer Center, LVH-Muhlenberg, Cancer Center Leadership Council Excellence in Cancer Care Award;
- Theresa Sanders, RPH, pharmacy, LVH-Cedar Crest, Award for Excellence as a Pharmacist;
- Kim Vaupel, RN, 7K, Dr. Peter and Ruth Keblish Award for Excellence in Orthopaedic Surgical Nursing;
- Angela George, cytology, Kathy Mundt-Bulla Memorial Award for Excellence as a Laboratorian;
- Paulette Villafane, LPN, 7K, the Medical Staff Licensed Practical Nurse Award;
- Dean Romanchuk, progressive coronary care unit, Commitment to Patient Safety Award;
- Justine Waldeck, operating room, LVH-Cedar Crest, the Medical Staff Award for Excellence in a Care Delivery Technician Role;
- Amy Werkheiser, BSN, RN, CWOCN, Lehigh Valley Home Care, Alma W. Holland Award for Excellence in Home Care Nursing;
- LVPG Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Lehigh Valley Health Network Board of Trustees Patient Satisfaction Award for Ambulatory Services;
- Post-Operative Unit, LVHN-Tilghman, Senior Management Council Patient Satisfaction Award for Inpatient Care
In addition to the awards program, Lehigh Valley Hospital-17th Street ED nurse, Caitlin Alifirenka, RN, signed copies of a book she co-authored, "I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives." The book tells the story of Alifirenka's pen pal correspondence and friendship with Martin Ganda, then a student in Zimbabwe, who co-authored the book with her. Over the course of several years, Alifirenka's and Ganda's friendship evolved from one focused on teen topics, to one that provided an honest perspective about the circumstances that made Ganda's promising life very difficult. Because of their friendship and her family's guidance and assistance, Ganda graduated from Villanova University with his undergraduate degree and Duke University with his MBA, and has established a foundation that helps educate children in Zimbabwe. Alifirenka credits her career in nursing to the lessons she learned in compassion and caring from her pen pal experience.
