This is the week the world shows nurses how much they are appreciated. Nurses Week discounts and freebies abound, as do awards and other honors.
Each day this week, Georgia’s Own has honored an Atlanta area nurse by featuring them on a digital sign covering the length of two basketball courts and nearly 500 feet in the air.
“Typically, we use the sign for community initiatives and other ‘feel good’ things,” said Laura Sterling, vice president of marketing at Georgia’s Own Credit Union. “Since it was Nurses Week, we wanted to honor nurses. We know they’ve played a vital role in our community, and with the contributions they’ve made during the pandemic they deserve even more praise. It’s really been an honor to feature them on the sign this week.”
The credit union reached out to its employees to find deserving nurses to be featured on the company’s digital sign along the top of the 100 Peachtree building, formerly the Equitable building.
“We wanted to give them the opportunity to share this act of kindness with a dedicated nurse in their life,” Sterling said.
This isn’t the first time Georgia’s Own has honored health care workers or other Atlanta-area residents.
“For Women’s History Month, we did a series where we honored women fighting the pandemic. We also did a week celebrating local health care heroes,” Sterling said. “Early on, to help nurses and just health care workers in general, the credit union donated meals to two local hospitals and to a hospital in Albany, Georgia.”
She added the credit union would like to honor nurses every year during Nurses Week. Here are the seven health care workers who have or will appear on the downtown sign this week:
Logen Abad
A hospice nurse at Vitas Healthcare, Logen Abad graduated from North Georgia Technical College with an Associate of Science in nursing and is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Northeastern State University. Abad was inspired to become a nurse when she was 16, after her dad was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer — his nurses made the process more bearable and hugely affected Abad, who hopes to do the same for her patients.
Carmen Burnett
Described by her colleagues as a ball of energy, Carmen Burnett brightens the hospital halls and patient rooms with her big smile and magnetic personality. Some people struggle to find their passion in life, but Burnett knew at age 14 she wanted to be a nurse. She has made good on that goal with nearly 40 years as an RN. Today, she is a charge nurse at Northside Hospital, managing schedules and staffing while still finding time to take care of her patients. Burnett said she particularly enjoys getting to know each patient and being the liaison for them, their families and the medical staff.
Anita Burnette
After 34 years in the nursing profession, Anita Burnette can’t imagine doing anything else. Over the course of her career, she has worked in orthopedics, neurology, general surgery, intensive care and pre-op. Burnette and her colleagues in the pre-op unit at Northside Hospital have had to adapt to the ever-changing COVID-19 crisis, but she said she is optimistic about the future as more people are vaccinated and the world reopens. She has particularly missed interacting with patients and their families because she relishes sharing smiles and comfort before surgery.
Adison Jasinski
Recognized by her patients for her incredible dedication and passion, Adison Jasinski is a labor and delivery nurse at Northside Hospital. After witnessing her first birth at age 11, Jasinski’s goal was to play an integral role in helping new mothers through delivery. She has been living out her dream for the past three years, and whether it is sitting with a patient to listen or encouraging them as they are pushing, Jasinski said she loves her job and is honored to help welcome the next generation into the world.
Anna-Beth Lewis
Anna-Beth Lewis graduated from Shorter University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. After graduation, she began her nursing career at Emory Healthcare working in the neurovascular unit, where she has had the opportunity to build relationships with both staff and patients every day. Lewis lives in Smyrna and loves spending time with her dog, Gucci.
Jamie Luttrull
As a clinical development specialist at Northside Hospital in Cherokee, Jamie Luttrull provides instruction and guidance to empower nurses to be the best they can be. Luttrull grew up in Kennesaw, received her undergraduate degree in prenursing from the University of Georgia and then obtained her nursing degree from the Medical College of Georgia, so she is a true peach. When she isn’t working to further the careers of her fellow nurses, Luttrull spends her free time with her husband, Greg, and young son, Carter.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Georgia's Own
Credit: Photo courtesy of Georgia's Own
Alisa Moore
A pediatric nurse practitioner at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Alisa Moore is driven by the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. After graduating from UGA and receiving her nursing degree from MCG, Alisa began working in the pediatric oncology unit at Children’s. Wanting to take her career a step further, she went back to school and became a nurse practitioner through UAB. Alisa and her husband, Hugh, live in East Atlanta and are expecting their first child this summer.
For more content like this, sign up for the Pulse newsletter here.
About the Author
