Annually, National Nurses Week begins on May 6 and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession.
Four nurses were recognized with Nurse of Distinction Awards from St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Case Management, St. Elizabeth Medical Group and the College of Nursing on May 8. Also named were a Nurse Technician and Ward Clerk of Distinction.
Named as St. Elizabeth Medical Center Nurse of Distinction was:
Robin Westbrook, RN received her Associate Degree in Nursing from Morrisville College. She obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from SUNYIT and has been a Critical Care RN for more than 20 years. Ms. Westbrook has been employed at the Medical Center since 2006. She resides in Herkimer with her two dogs and enjoys hiking, kayaking and spending time in the Adirondacks.
St. Elizabeth Medical Center Quality and Case Management Nurse of Distinction:
Deborah Benson, RN, BS, MS has been employed at St. Elizabeth Medical Center since 2005, originally as the Peer Review Instrument Screening Nurse. Prior to joining the Medical Center, Mrs. Benson was Administrator at Folts Homes in Herkimer. She is currently the Director of Clinical Quality. Mrs. Benson holds a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and an Associate Degree in Nursing.
St. Elizabeth College of Nursing Nurse of Distinction:
Doreen Rogers, MS, RN, CCRN, CNE is a 1992 graduate of St. Elizabeth College of Nursing (SECON). She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from SUNYIT and her Master of Science Degree in Nursing Education from Mansfield University in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Rogers is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Nursing Science in Nursing Education and Leadership at Sage Graduate School in Albany. She has been an instructor at the SECON for the past six years and has been an adjunct faculty member at Upstate Medical University College of Nursing in Syracuse and adjunct faculty at SUNYIT in the baccalaureate nursing program.
Mrs. Rogers is a Program Evaluator for the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and was a contributor to the NLNAC 2013 Standards and Criteria for Associate Degree Programs. She has also been accepted as an Item Writer for future National Council Licensure Examinations for Registered Nurses. Mrs. Rogers resides in Brookfield with her husband, Ryan, and their children, Jonah and Emma.
St. Elizabeth Medical Group Nurse of Distinction:
Alicia Brown, RN has been employed at the St. Elizabeth Medical Group Clinton office since 2000. She was a graduate of the Mohawk Valley Community College of Nursing School in 1999. Mrs. Brown resides in Westmoreland with her husband, Bryant, and four-year-old son, Grant.
Named as St. Elizabeth Medical Center Nurse Tech of Distinction:
Valerie Fessia has been a Nurse Tech on nursing unit 3C since 2005. Mrs. Fessia is committed to the mission of the Medical Center in the care that she provides to her patients and their families. She strives for excellence everyday and acts as a preceptor for new employees and offers them encouragement along the way. Mrs. Fessia always displays a positive attitude. As an example of Mrs. Fessia’s commitment to the Medical Center, on March 10, 2013, she came to work for her 12-hour shift at nine months pregnant. Towards the end of her shift, she didn’t feel right and her husband, Frank, took her home briefly, then straight to the hospital where she quickly delivered their third daughter.
Named as St. Elizabeth Medical Center Ward Clerk of Distinction:
Justin Crossman has been employed at the Medical Center for five years. He worked as a ward clerk for three years on the Psychiatric Unit and currently works on the Neuro/Peds Unit. Mr. Crossman is a graduate of Syracuse University and obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in psychology and is currently attaining a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Union Institute and University.
Two nurses were also recognized who passed away within the last several months, for their dedication to the Medical Center and its patients. They were Judy Snizek, RN that worked at the hospital from 1985 to 2012 and Cindy Mills, RN employed from 2007 to 2013.
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| Pictured left to right front row are: Deborah Benson, Valerie Fessia, and Alicia Brown. Second row are: Doreen Rogers, Robin Westbrook and Justin Crossman. |