NEW YORK NURSE: January-February 2011
by ALison Munday
Peggy Leonard has been appointed to serve on the technical expert panel of the Oregon Evidence-Based Research Center to assist with a recently launched comprehensive comparative effectiveness review of case management practices. Leonard is senior vice-president for clinical services at Tarrytown-based insurer Hudson Health Plan, where she leads a team of nurse case managers to assist patients with diabetes, risky pregnancies, severe mental illness and disabilities, asthma, and AIDS/HIV. She is former president of the Case Management Society of America. Recently, she implemented an integrated-care case management model as part of a New York State Department of Health-funded Chronic Illness Demonstration Plan. She and her team are now replicating that model at Hudson Health for members who have complex medical and behavioral health issues. Leonard has participated in the national Quality Forum Steering Committee on care coordination measures, is past co-chair of the New York State Department of Health Case Management Work Group, and has served as chair of the American Nurses Credentialing Center Nurse Case Management Expert Panel. Most recently, she was named to the New York State Board of Nursing, which oversees the practice of all nurses licensed within the state.
Connie Vance, professor and former dean at The College of New Rochelle School of Nursing has published Fast Facts for Career Success in Nursing: Making the Most of Mentoring in a Nutshell. Vance, who was also previously a professor of nursing at New York University, received her diploma in nursing from Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. She went on to earn baccalaureate and master’s degrees from Washington University in St. Louis and a doctorate from Columbia University, Teachers College in New York City. Vance is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing; a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine; member of the Nursing Hall of Fame at Columbia University; and honorary member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. A prolific writer for professional journals, books, and the popular media, she focuses on mentorship, leadership development, education, global affairs, and public policy. She serves on several professional and editorial boards, including those for Nursing Spectrum of New York/New Jersey, and Nursing Economics. Prior publication credits include: The Mentor Connection in Nursing; Nursing in the Global Arena; Mentorship in Nursing: A Collection of Research Abstracts; and Mentorship in the Annual Review of Nursing Research. She is co founder of the Global Society for Nursing and Health, past vice president and current board member of Teachers College Nursing Education Alumni Association, and an honorary member of the Russian Association of Educators of Nursing and Pharmaceutical Colleges. A consultant, workshop leader, and accreditation evaluator to hospital departments of nursing, professional associations, and nursing programs throughout the U.S. and internationally, Vance is the recipient of many awards, including the Humanitarian Award from Hope for a Healthier Humanity and the Pan American Catholic Health Care Network; the Outstanding Achievement Award from the International Institute of Human Understanding; the Teachers College Nursing Education Alumni Association Award for Nursing Scholarship & Research, and the NYSNA Nursing Education Award. She is a member of the American Academy of Nursing Expert Panel on Global Health and is a Distinguished Lecturer of Sigma Theta Tau International.
The Long Island College of Nursing recently celebrated more than a decade of acknowledging RN excellence with the eleventh annual Thomas and Elizabeth Butson Awards for Clinical Excellence and Compassionate Nursing. Established by Elizabeth Butson in memory of her husband Thomas and in recognition of the outstanding nursing care he received, this annual award celebrates the compassion and skill of the hospital’s nursing staff. CBS medical reporter Dr. Max Gomez guest-hosted the event, honoring four NYSNA RNs and a patient care assistant. This year’s award recipients were:
Hazel Fajardo, a nurse who cares for patients undergoing ambulatory chemotherapy. Fajardo works alongside Linda Bernard-White, who was the inspiration for the Butson Award and its first recipient, and together they continue a tradition of excellence;
Claudette Thompson cares for stroke and neurosurgical patients. A hands-on nurse, she is famous among her colleagues for knowing everything about the patient’s diagnosis, prognosis and plan of care. For 17 years she has provided comfort to patients and families;
Nick Pistilli, the youngest recipient of the award and a nurse for just two years, was recognized for excellent work in the Emergency Department, and for encouraging other young men to consider a nursing career;
Cindy Pietromonico, a critical care nurse in ICU for more than 20 years was described as embodying the spirit of the award, “extremely caring and a true patient advocate.” She was credited with excellent technical skills, for never losing sight of the human side of the ICU, and for helping patients and families through end-of-life issues with great compassion; and
Sandra Ozeta, a patient care associate, was recognized for providing patient support in the emergency room with a “smile and positive attitude, enabling nurses to focus more completely on their clinical duties.”