A Week of Celebration of Nurses and the Hospital Team

This week we celebrated National Nurses Week, which is a time to honor our nurses who are the backbone of the GBMC HealthCare System. Their importance in caring for our patients has never been so clear as during the pandemic and our cyberattack.

Our nurses serve in many roles throughout our system, from bedside nurse to nursing leader and educator to nurse practitioner. Their work is hard and their commitment to the clinical outcome and the care experience of their patients is profound. I am very thankful for the work they do every day.

On Thursday we recognized their dedication to the profession at our annual Art of Nursing event. This year’s event was somewhat smaller in scope as we celebrated in the atrium of the hospital, with COVID-19 precautions still in place, but the energy and enthusiasm were fantastic. It was a great opportunity to thank our nurses for all they do for GBMC and its patients every day, and to have some fun! I also want to congratulate all the finalists and winners of this year’s inaugural Art of Nursing Nightingale Award and all Art of Nursing Awards. 

Clinical Assistant Support Award – Inpatient:  Jessica Fayall, NST, Medical/Telemetry (Unit 35)

Clinical Assistant Support Award – Outpatient:  Bernadette Romanowski, RMA, GBMC Health Partners Primary Care – Texas Station

Mrs. H. Norman Baetjer Jr. Nursing Graduate of the Year Award:  Lisa Licata, BSN, RN, Medical/Oncology/Telemetry (Unit 46)

Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing Award:  Emily Iseman, BSN, RN, Orthopaedics, Spine, Otolaryngology (Unit 58)

Patient- and Family-Centered Care Award:  Marybeth Hartlove, BSN, RN, CORLN, GBMC Health Partners – Otolaryngology

Diversity in Nursing Award:  Michael Kuiper, MSN, RN, CHPN, AHN-BC, Gilchrist Hospice Care

Nurse Leader Award:  Ryan McCoy, BSN, RN, Medical/Oncology/Telemetry (Unit 45)

Nurse Clinician of the Year Award: Evelyn Kim, BSN, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A,  Sexual Assault Forensic Evaluation (SAFE) and Domestic Violence (DV) Program 

Nightingale Award:  Zoe Ogden, BSN, RN, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

I would like to also thank everyone, especially our Marketing and Communications team and our Philanthropy teams, involved in the very successful newly reimagined Art of Nursing awards presentation and day of celebration.  

Happy Hospital Week
Overlapping National Nurses Week is National Hospital Week. 

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who works in the hospital either as a clinician or supporting our patients and caregivers. It takes everyone on the team to get the job done, and I am grateful for the efforts and dedication of our hospital employees.

GBMC has been serving this community since 1965 with our mission of health, healing, and hope. And now, as a true system of care that holds itself accountable to treat every patient, every time, the way that we would want our own loved ones treated we need to reflect from time to time that our hospital is a critical component of this system, and we can’t achieve our vision without our incredible hospital staff. Thank you again.