Nurses Honored for Care, Compassion and Excellence Throughout National Nurses Week

Montefiore Einstein honored nurses across the health system in celebrations to recognize their invaluable contributions.

“I want to extend a special thank you to our nurses and nursing leadership across the health system,” said Maureen Scanlan, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President, Chief Nurse Executive, Montefiore Einstein. “You make the difference by influencing and shaping health policy decisions that ensure all people have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare. Your contributions enable Montefiore Einstein to be truly extraordinary.”

Montefiore Einstein recognized nurses’ tremendous impact on the quality of care across all its campuses with awards for maintaining exceptionally high standards, demonstrating empathy, delivering compassionate patient- and family-centered care, and improving patient outcomes. Awards for excellence—named after inspirational former nurse leaders—were presented at a number of Montefiore Health System hospitals.

The Joan H. Bilder Award recognized the clinical nursing excellence of four nurses from the Moses, Einstein and Wakefield campuses, marking the first year that there were multiple Bilder Awardees. This year’s awardees were Mary Alevis, BSN, RN, NW6, Moses Campus; Wendy Irizarry, BSN, RN, PICU, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore; Lisa Hoyte, BSN, RN, MICU, Einstein Campus; and Ryan Gil, BSN, RN, CCRN, MICU, Wakefield Campus.

White Plains Hospital honored Shelly Ann Norville, RN, Float Pool, with its Mary Ellen Healy Nurse of the Year Award for “consistently demonstrating empathy and compassion with her patients, their family and her colleagues, and for taking the time to visit her patients when they are transferred to other units.”

Other accolades within our health system recognized leadership, individual and team excellence, mentoring, professional development and compassionate care.

Montefiore Nyack Hospital bestowed its Inpatient and Outpatient Wound Care Units with its Team Excellence Award, and Cathy Karcz, RN, Emergency Department, and Vincent Casa, RN, Unit 4D, with its Nursing Leadership Excellence Award.

Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital honored Emma Sabini, RN, Emergency Department; Patricia Detoro, RN, ICU and Critical Care unit; Nicole Bracken, RN, Endoscopy; and Beverly Keefer, RN, Director of Cardiovascular Services, at the annual Hudson Valley Magazine Nursing Excellence Award Dinner.

Burke Rehabilitation Hospital focused its celebration around care for its caregivers, recognizing the daily challenges nurses face and acknowledging how too often they put off their own care to optimize caring for others. Special daily activities available to the nursing staff included guided meditation techniques, tai chi, back massages, recognition gifts, a raffle and a staff breakfast.

“Everyone enjoyed the activities and took this opportunity to recharge in order to continue to give great patient-focused care,” said Valerie Vermiglio-Kohn, DNP, RN, CRRN, Vice President, Nursing, Chief Nursing Officer, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital.

During Nurses Week, other campuses, including Montefiore New Rochelle, Montefiore Mount Vernon, the Westchester Square Campus and the Hutchinson Campus, hosted educational guest speakers; held celebratory activities including red-carpet welcomes, ice cream socials, mocktail hours, self-care pampering and interactive games; and led a community Magnet fair to shed light on the great work that our nursing staff does and their outstanding commitment to patient care.