Emory Eastside Medical Center in Snellville has named its first Nursing Excellence award-winners. The honorees, who were nominated by their peers, are Lori Parrott (emergency department), excellence in overall nursing; Leila Abdullah (surgical unit), excellence in patient safety; William Gyau (senior mental health unit), exemplary nursing image; and Mary Ellen Seymour (day surgery department), excellence in education.

The physicians' award for distinguished bedside nursing practice went to Kay Mainor, who works in the intensive care unit. The nursing staff chose Dr. Uday Tata as its 2008 physician of the year.

"We are proud to choose these nurses for their skills, professionalism and dedication to patients throughout the year, day-in and day-out. They make those of us who chose nursing as a career proud to be part of this wonderful profession," said Melissa Bennett, chief nursing officer.

MORE HONORS: Gwinnett Medical Center has named its Nurses of the Year for 2008.

Stephanie Moore, RN, a night-shift supervisor in the critical care unit, won the award for GMC's Lawrenceville campus. She is chairwoman of the hospital's multidisciplinary trauma care committee and co-chairs the hospital's injury-prevention committee.

Tina Foxworth, RN, was named Nurse of the Year for the Duluth campus. Foxworth, a charge nurse in the critical care unit, is a preceptor for new nurses. She trains peers for unit-based education projects and also fills in as house supervisor.

COMPASSIONATE CARE: Recent nursing graduate Winston Wang has received the Medical College of Georgia's 2008 John F. Beard Award for compassionate care. He was honored during MCG's commencement on May 9.

Wang was honored for the care that he provided for a brain-surgery patient. The nurse bathed, prayed with and spent time with the man, who wasn't able to see family members before his surgery.

The $25,000 annual award is endowed by Augusta National chairman Billy Payne and his wife, Martha. Payne established the award to memorialize his father-in-law, John F. Beard, who died of cancer in 1998.

The award honors MCG President Emeritus Francis J. Tedesco and Dr. Mark F. Williams, who treated Beard during his hospitalization at MCG.

NEW LEADERSHIP AT DMC: Jan Monroe Gannon, RN, MSN, has been named vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at DeKalb Medical in Decatur.

Gannon, who was selected after a nationwide search, has 29 years of health care experience. She will manage 12 departments.

She said she plans to make quality patient care her top priority.

"We will accomplish [this] through the recruitment and retention of excellent nurses who possess not only great skills and competency, but also practice excellent customer-service skills for our patients and their families," she said.

NEW DIRECTOR: Patricia "Pat" Johnson, RN, has been named director of acute care services at Piedmont Newnan Hospital. Johnson will be responsible for managing 61 acute-care beds, including the orthopedics, medical and surgical units.

She has worked at the hospital for 16 years, and previously was director of nursing at a 120-bed, skilled-care facility in Clovis, N.M.

HAIL FELLOW: Carlton Jones, BSN, RN, MBA, FACHE, manager of oncology services at WellStar Cobb Hospital, has been awarded fellow status with the American College of Healthcare Executives, which makes him board-certified in health care management.

The organization will recognize his status at a convocation ceremony March 22, 2009 in Chicago.

LANIER TECH EXPANSION: The Georgia Legislature and Gov. Sonny Perdue have approved funding for a 60,000-square-foot building that will double the size of Lanier Technical College's campus in Cumming.

The $12.7 million project, which is scheduled for completion in late 2009, will include a new health sciences building and an economic development center.

The building will house most of the school's medical training programs, including practical nursing, radiology, sonography, cardiovascular intravenous technology, surgical technology and physical therapy.

— Do you have any news briefs for Pulse? If so, send an e-mail to pulseeditor@ajc.com.