Emory Dunwoody Medical Center in Atlanta named the winners of the First Annual Excellence in Nursing Award in May. The winners, selected from about 30 nominees, are Kathi Kinard, RN, who works in bariatrics, and Jean Robinson, RN, who works in the critical care unit.
"Kathi ensures we maintain a Center of Excellence atmosphere at Emory Dunwoody. She's known by patients and staff for her positive attitude, compassion and caring on our bariatric surgery floor," her doctor wrote. "Jean is a team player who provides exceptional patient care, has a wonderful bedside manner and is always helpful to other nurses and physicians," said her nomination.
The medical staff at Emory Dunwoody Medical Center created the Excellence in Nursing Award as a way for physicians to recognize the contribution of nurses. "These men and women have dedicated their lives to caring for patients, and we're proud to work side by side with them," said Dr. Michael Garret, chief of staff.
"Caring for patients in a hospital often means that you're caring for them during some of the most stressful times in their lives. Our nurses play such a critical role in the care and healing that goes on here," Dr. Christin Ko said.
MORE TOP NURSES: Piedmont Fayette Hospital honored three nurses with Nurse of the Year Awards last month. The top awards went to Karen Troope, RN, critical care; Janice Cole, RN, and hospital auxiliary member; and Crystal Abbott, RN, medical surgical unit.
"The nurses we recognized this year were chosen by their peers and nominated because they embodied the National Nurses Week theme, "Nurses: Strength, Commitment, Compassion," said Lisa Hedenstrom, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing of- ficer.
BEST LIFTER: Amanda Hubbard, 23, a Kennesaw State University nursing student, recently won the Best Lifter trophy at the USA Weightlifting collegiate nationals in Indiana.
Hubbard set meet records in the 58-kilo (127-pound) class for the snatch, clean and jerk, and total weight categories and qualified for the June 30-July 2 World University Games in Turkey.
Hubbard trains at Coffee's Gym in Marietta with John Coffee, who has coached several former U.S. Olympic team members.
"She just wandered in here and said she wanted to be a weightlifter," Coffee said. "She's about as talented as anybody I've seen since [former Olympians] Robin Byrd and Sibby Flowers."
OUTSTANDING STUDENT: Hollie Benet Preston of Tucker, received Mercer University's highest university student honor at the May 6 commencement. The nursing graduate received the Griffin B. Bell Award for Community Service, the only award given to a graduating student from the university's 10 colleges and schools who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to service of others.
Preston was secretary of the Student Government Association and as president of the Baptist Student Union and the Honor Council. A member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the Pi Gamma Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, she has been active with the National Association of Nursing Students and the Pi Gamma Chapter of Georgia Association of Nursing Students.
She also has committed time to community service in Atlanta, working with the homeless at the Pavilion Homeless Ministry, serving as camp nurse for the Baptist Student Union convention, and volunteering with the Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina and at the Good Samaritan Health Clinic. She also worked as an associate staff member at The Living Vine, a Christian maternity home in Savannah.
Preston has worked at Emory Eastside Hospital, in labor and delivery, and the neonatal intensive care unit while earning her degree.
OT AWARDS: The Georgia Occupational Therapy Association recognized outstanding therapists for 2005 at its recent annual conference.
Ileana S. McCaigue, OTR/L, CDRS, received the Barbara Grant Award, given to a therapist or assistant who has made a significant contribution to the continuing education and/or professional development of the members of GOTA.
McCaigue, a 1977 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia, was involved in the founding of Total Occupational Therapy Services Inc. She also was the first OT to establish an adaptive driver rehabilitation program privately in Atlanta.
She later developed a research program in stroke rehabilitation and adaptive driving for the Northeast Georgia Medical Center. In 1985, she won the Maddak Award for excellence in adaptive equipment design, and has authored and presented numerous seminars and publications on pediatrics, adapted driving and life-care planning for adults with neurological issues.
Kay Nelson, OTR/L, was named Outstanding Occupational Therapist of Georgia. As a pediatric OT, she became GOTA's first Medicaid liaison and helped organize Georgia OT, PT and speech and hearing associations into the Tri-Alliance for the purpose of having one voice for allied health professionals regarding public policy. The award recognized her work in keeping GOTA members informed about policy changes and issues that impact practice.
Sharlett Beach, COTA, received the Outstanding Certi fied Occupational Therapy Assistant award for serving as a role model to co-workers, OT students and volunteers at Coliseum Medical Center in Macon.
Tom Bauer, legislative consultant for GOTA, received the service award for his political advocacy efforts for Georgia occupational therapists.
EXAM SITE: The Medical College of Georgia Children's Medical Center has been named an exam site for the Certified Pediatric Nurse designation. Local pediatric nurses will be able to take the test in Augusta.
The exam fee will be discounted to $250, and nurses will receive scores within three weeks of testing. Interested pediatric nurses must complete an application online at www.pncb.org and show documentation of 3,600 hours of pediatric nursing practice. The test date is Oct. 28.
100,000 LIVES CAMPAIGN: Emory University Hospital and Emory Crawford Long Hospital are participating in the first-ever national campaign to save 100,000 lives by implementing proven health care improvement techniques. The 100,000 Lives Campaign is an initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to radically reduce morbidity and mortality in American health care.
"Both Emory University Hospital and Emory Crawford Long Hospital are actively implementing six evidence-based interventions: deploying rapid response teams at the first sign of patient decline; following quality guidelines for treatment of acute heart attacks; and preventing central line infections, ventilator associated pneumonia, surgical site infections and adverse drug events," said Amy Nally, clinical performance improvement specialist.
EXCHANGE STUDENTS: MCG Health System in Augusta hosted four nursing students and one professor from Kingston University in London as part of an international exchange program to allow students to examine health systems in other countries.
The visitors observed nursing care in psychiatry, neurology, oncology, medical intensive care and labor and delivery. They also learned about MCG Health System's patient- and family-centered philosophy and its journey toward magnet status during one-on-one sessions with administrators.
HOSPITALS HONORED: DeKalb Medical Center in Decatur and DeKalb Medical Center at Hillandale were among the hospitals recently recognized for exceeding patient quality measures.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia is piloting a new provider-directed quality improvement program, "Quality- in-Sights: Hospital Incentive Program," to help reduce medical errors. The program will recognize and reward hospitals throughout the state that meet and exceed quality measures in patient safety, patient outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Other Georgia hospitals recognized were: Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta, St. Joseph's/Candler Health System Hospitals in Savannah and The Medical Center in Columbus.
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