Nursing Awards & Recognition

Highest Standard of Nursing Excellence

Our continued dedication to nursing excellence and quality care is why St. Elizabeth Healthcare has achieved ANCC Magnet Recognition® at our Edgewood, Covington, Grant, Florence, and Ft. Thomas campuses. We are proud and honored to be recognized for our nursing excellence and are grateful for our indispensable team. Learn more about additional nursing recognition at St. Elizabeth.

St. Elizabeth Ft. Thomas ICU and St. Elizabeth Edgewood MICU, SICU, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and Cardiac Surgery Recovery have received the Beacon Award for Excellence, recognizing our associates’ commitment to providing comprehensive and compassionate care to our community.

The Beacon Award for Excellence is an American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) award that honors individual Critical Care units that exemplify excellence, based on a variety of criteria. Units that earn the Beacon Award set the standard for excellence in patient care environments by collecting and using evidence-based information to improve patient outcomes. This award signifies a positive work environment with effective communication, development opportunities, higher morale, lower turnover, engaged associates and empowering leadership.

St. Elizabeth Edgewood Operating Room and St. Elizabeth Crestview Hills Surgery Center received designation as CNOR® Strong from the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI).

The CNOR® Strong designation recognizes facilities having at least half of the perioperative nursing associates are CNOR certified and provides programs that reward and recognize its certified nurses.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses was established in 1999 by the Barnes family in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who passed away from auto-immune disease ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura), and to express their personal, heartfelt appreciation to nurses for the compassionate care nurses provide.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is a nationwide program honoring excellence in nursing. Nurses are nominated by anyone in the organization, patients, family, other nurses, physicians, etc. who experiences or observes extraordinary compassionate care being provided by a nurse.

2024 DAISY Award Winners

2023 DAISY Award Winners

2022 DAISY Award Winners

2021 DAISY Award Winners

2020 DAISY Award Winners

2019 DAISY Award Winners

2018 DAISY Award Winners

2017 DAISY Award Winners

For more information, visit www.daisyfoundation.org.

Would you like to nominate a nurse for a DAISY Award? Download the nomination form.

2023

Gayle Deroche

  • Gayle was nominated for her extraordinary energy and passionate commitment to her patients, her team and her community. DeRoche is chair of the Education Council, and has been “a driving force behind researching the physiology of birth and educating nurses on different techniques and positions to safely labor and deliver our patients while trying to decrease cesarean sections,” states a colleague. She serves as a unit Wellness Champion and is a representative for the hospital-wide Clinical Ladder Committee while also working with variety of committees, including the “Moms Own Milk” work group. Formerly a senior airman in the U.S. Air Force, DeRoche’s ability to remain calm, “react quickly and appropriately,” communicate effectively, and collaborate with peers for the good of the patients have made her an exceptional role model. Additionally, DeRoche is active in her church, organizes a Thanksgiving food drive, collects products for a local women’s shelter, and contributes to other events within the community.

2021

Andrea Owens

  • Andrea was nominated for her comprehensive and compassionate care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. She provided comfort and hope to her patients when they were most in need. She went well above and beyond the call of duty by forming pray chains and continually updating family who could not be at the bedside due to the pandemic. Furthermore, she even coordinated gift cards, diapers, wipes and gifts for a family whose mother was hospitalized with COVID-19 for almost 2 months. Andrea has risen to the challenge by demonstrating resiliency, compassion to her patients, and encouragement to her coworkers.

2020

Leslie Life

  • Leslie was nominated for her dedication and passion for Labor and Delivery nursing. Her impact can be felt in all aspects of the unit. She has been a great resource to her team, providing insight in challenging situations and supporting the nurses on her unit. She uses her skillset to not only teach her team, but also help every patient who comes through the unit and ensure they receive compassionate and comprehensive care. Each year, Leslie continues to care for patients outside the hospital as well and participates in a medical mission trip to Peru, caring for a severely underserved population.

2019

Judi Brungs

  • Judi was nominated for the great strides her work has achieved in caring for patients with substance use disorders. She has been instrumental in mentoring and educating our associates to better understand and care for this patient population. Judi developed a specialized unit for long-term IV treatment, allowing St. Elizabeth Healthcare to better care for patients with substance use disorders that require antibiotic treatment. Judi researched and developed the BART program, which stands for Behavioral Action Response Team. This service helps de-escalate disruptive situations and has greatly improved our associates’ ability to provide the best possible care to patients in an inpatient setting.

Marlene Feagan

  • Marlene Feagan was nominated for her dedication to bring healing and comfort to those in need through the Health Ministries program. Driven by her passion to serve, she began as a department of one in her outreach to the community and has since developed the St. Elizabeth Health Ministries into the program it is today. Under Marlene’s leadership, the program, staffed by volunteers, cares for more than 9,500 individuals on an annual basis. The Health Ministries program now serves more than 20 faith-based communities and provides healthcare to those in need.

St. Elizabeth Healthcare Emergency Departments have honored as recipients of the Lantern Award, presented by the Emergency Nurses Association, the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing.

The Lantern Award recognizes Emergency Departments that demonstrate excellent practice and innovative performance in the core areas of leadership, nursing practice, education, advocacy and research. It signifies an Emergency Department’s commitment to quality, safety, presence of a healthy work environment and accomplishments in incorporating evidence-based practice and innovation into emergency care.

  • 2023:
    St. Elizabeth Grant Emergency Department
  • 2022:
    St. Elizabeth Ft. Thomas Emergency Department
  • 2020:
    St. Elizabeth Grant Emergency Department
  • 2019:
    St. Elizabeth Ft. Thomas Emergency Department

Each year, St. Elizabeth Healthcare celebrates National Nurses Week and Nurse Month by honoring our nurses for the work they do and their dedication to providing excellent care.

The Nursing Excellence Awards are an opportunity to recognize our outstanding nurses, who have been acknowledged by their peers for their excellence and exceptional nursing care. These exemplary associates exhibit their commitment to providing comprehensive and compassionate care through their interactions with our patients, their families, our community and each other every day.

2023 Nursing Excellence Award Winners:

  • Clinical Expertise: Mary Hann
  • Community Service: Kelly Houp
  • Outstanding Educator: Tina Butt
  • Innovation: Christina Pitzer
  • Leadership: Heather Clark
  • LPN Excellence: Kathy Shippee
  • Outstanding Manager: Sara Blaine
  • Outstanding Preceptor: Tammy Arellano
  • Outstanding Support Technician: Connie Fetters
  • Teaching: Jessica MacDonald
  • Mentorship: Gigi Robison
  • Rookie Of the Year: Avery Tackett

2022 Nursing Excellence Award Winners:

  • Outstanding Advanced Practice Registered Nurse: Alicia Rice
  • Clinical Expertise: Jenna Matheson
  • Community Service: Stacey Worley
  • Outstanding Educator: David Tacy
  • Innovation: Jordyn Boesch
  • Leadership: Abigail Cole
  • LPN Excellence: Allison Thornton-McHargue
  • Outstanding Manager: Amanda Gray
  • Outstanding Preceptor: Alexxis Pace
  • Researcher: Annie Steffen
  • Outstanding Support Technician: Amanda Ray Shaw
  • Teaching: Michelle Harrell
  • Rookie Of the Year: Drake Main

2021 Nursing Excellence Award Winners:

  • Outstanding Advanced Practice Registered Nurse: Tracy Stephens
  • Clinical Expertise: Anna Ginn
  • Community Service: Priscilla Osteen
  • Outstanding Educator: Kelsey Webster
  • Innovation: Jan Currin
  • Leadership: Annie Steffen
  •  LPN Excellence: Mary Webster
  • Outstanding Manager: Katherine Schadler
  • Mentoring: Christie Bucchi
  • Outstanding Preceptor: Emily Hogle
  • Researcher: Becky Dixon
  • Support Technician: Sierra Rich
  • Teaching: Karen Sowards

2020 Nursing Excellence Award Winners:

  • Clinical Expertise: Ann Meinze
  • Community Service: Denise Decker
  • Innovation: Nikki Bauer
  • Leadership: Lisa Robinson
  • Mentoring: Jeanie Foley
  • Teaching: Cathy Brug-Reeves
  • Research: Cyndi Davis
  • Educator: Kathy Warken
  • LPN Excellence: Allison Thornton-McHargue
  • Outstanding Support Tech: Andrew Dickerson
  • Rookie of the Year: Molly Barrows & Kasey Hollstegge
  • Outstanding Manager of the Year: Lindsay Calerdon

2019 Nursing Excellence Award Winners:

  • Clinical Expertise: Sandy Adams
  • Community Service: Valerie Deller
  • Innovation: Jacqueline Steinborn
  • Leadership: David Tacy
  • Mentoring: Nancy Maushart
  • Teaching: Cheri Prodoehl
  • Research: Nancy Alinea
  • LPN Excellence: Jill Beth Webster
  • Outstanding Educator: Linda Graham
  • Support Tech: Claire LaJoye
  • Rookie of the Year: Nicholas Hutchison
  • Outstanding Manager of the Year: Jennifer Yost
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