Events / Party Pics / St. Louis Magazine’s 2018 Excellence in Nursing Awards Reception

St. Louis Magazine’s 2018 Excellence in Nursing Awards Reception

The winners of St. Louis Magazine’s ninth annual Excellence in Nursing Awards were revealed Thursday, April 19, at a reception at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis.

by SLM Staff April 23, 2018 at 6:15 PM February 8, 2025

Neurology/Psychology/Behavioral Health Alison Morrison (Mercy Kids Autism Center), winner; Janet Burd-Knebel (Barnes-Jewish Hospital), finalist; Catherine Fienup (Washington University School of Medicine), finalist

Trish Ruszkowski, Sarah Margherio, Kelsey and Matt Mercer

Bob and Jennifer Rellegert, Alissa Haycraft

Marybeth Dunn, Dr. Jennifer McDonald, Kymberly Renkoski, Heidi Hacker

St. Louis Magazine editor-in-chief Jarrett Medlin welcomes guests.

John Carney (The Carney Show, KTRS) delivers the keynote address.

St. Louis Magazine staff writer Jeannette Cooperman and SLM editor-in-chief Jarrett Medlin present the finalists and winners with their plaques.

Acute Care/Family Practice/General Medicine Theresa Gratton (SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital), winner Not pictured: Mary Hoffmann (Washington University School of Medicine), finalist

Administration Kelley Kostich (Missouri Baptist Medical Center), winner Not pictured: Diane Ray (St. Luke’s Hospital), Beth Rumack (St. Louis Children’s Hospital), and Elaine Thomas-Horton (Barnes-Jewish Hospital), finalists

Advanced Practice Michelle Reitz (Washington University School of Medicine), winner; Kelsey Mercer (St. Louis Children’s Hospital), finalist

Cardiovascular Molly Eggleston (Mercy Hospital St. Louis), winner; Amber Hinterthuer (St. Louis Children’s Hospital), finalist Not pictured: Jill Igou (Mercy Hospital St. Louis), finalist

Community Care/Ambulatory Care Lisa Swerczek (St. Louis Children’s Hospital), finalist; Michelle Radomski (Affinia Healthcare), winner Not pictured: Anna Griffith (Missouri Baptist Medical Center), finalist

Educator Helen Lach (Saint Louis University School of Nursing), winner; Cathy Koetting (Saint Louis University School of Nursing), finalist; Devita Stallings (Saint Louis University School of Nursing), finalist

Emergency Department Christopher Boyer (Mercy Hospital St. Louis), finalist; Rosanna Tochtrop, (SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital), finalist; Cindi Silvey (St. Luke’s Hospital; Saint Louis University School of Nursing), winner

Emerging Leader Lindsay Bilhorn (Mercy Hospital St. Louis), finalist; Josh Fender (Barnes-Jewish Hospital), finalist; Martin Gitonga (Barnes-Jewish Hospital), winner

Hospice/Home Health/Palliative Care/Long-Term Care Holly Goldblum (Cooperative Home Care and Hospice), finalist; Candy Johnson (Heartland Hospice), finalist; Jane Olsen (AccuCare Home Health Care of St Louis), winner

Intensive Care Charlotte Gibson (Barnes-Jewish Hospital), finalist; Stefanie Struckhoff (Mercy Hospital St. Louis), finalist; Christine Mathews (Mercy Hospital St. Louis), winner Not pictured: Mary McCoy (Mercy Hospital St. Louis), finalist

Medical-Surgical Nursing Rhonda Bardo (Missouri Baptist Medical Center), finalist; Angela Kinser (Missouri Baptist Medical Center), finalist; Julia Williams (Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College), finalist; Meg Kurtz (St. Luke’s Hospital), winner

Oncology Joan Clark (SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital), finalist; Rachel Smiley (Barnes-Jewish Hospital), winner

Orthopedics Christi Abeln (Washington University School of Medicine), winner; Angela Concepcion (Washington University School of Medicine), finalist; Sarah Conway [St. Anthony’s Medical Center (Mercy)], finalist

Pediatrics: Neonatal Heather Miller (Mercy Hospital St. Louis), finalist; Julie Stumpf (St. Louis Children’s Hospital), finalist; Maggie Wolf (St. Louis Children’s Hospital), winner

Pediatrics: Non-Neonatal Karen Hamon (Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis Children's Hospital), finalist; Becky Indelicato (SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital), finalist; Jennifer Rellergert (St. Louis Children’s Hospital), winner; Michelle Papachrisanthou (Saint Louis University School of Nursing), finalist

Research Joan Smith (St. Louis Children’s Hospital), winner Not pictured: Mary Wilcox (Mercy Hospital St. Louis), finalist

School Dottie Bardon (LaSalle Springs Middle School–Rockwood School District), winner; Jane Mark (Lutheran High School North), finalist

Women’s Health Kate Koenen (SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital), finalist; Emily Petersen (Missouri Baptist Medical Center), finalist; Amy McLean (Mercy Hospital St. Louis), winner; Kymberly Renkoski (St. Louis Women’s Healthcare Group), finalist

Nancy Ridenour, PhD, APRN, BC, FAAN, president and Maxine Clark and Bob Fox dean and professor at Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College, presents the Perfect Score Awards.

Perfect Score Award Winners Helen Lach (Saint Louis University School of Nursing), Cindi Silvey (St. Luke’s Hospital; Saint Louis University School of Nursing), Meg Kurtz (St. Luke’s Hospital), Alison Morrison (Mercy Kids Autism Center), Rachel Smiley (Barnes-Jewish Hospital), Michelle Radomski (Affinia Healthcare), Maggie Wolf (St. Louis Children’s Hospital), Christi Abeln (Washington University School of Medicine)

Healthcare professionals from institutions across the St. Louis region gathered at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis on Thursday, April 19, for St. Louis Magazine‘s ninth annual Excellence in Nursing Awards. Presented by Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College, the evening featured a cocktail hour and three-course meal, followed by a keynote address by KTRS host John Carney and an awards presentation during which the winners in 19 categories were revealed. The full Excellence in Nursing feature is included in the May 2018 issue of St. Louis Magazine, on newsstands beginning May 1.

About the Excellence in Nursing Awards Program

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Each year, St. Louis Magazine recognizes nurses who go above and beyond the call of duty and exemplify the profession’s best standards of practice. Beginning in the fall, SLM solicits nominations from healthcare institutions and the public. Nominations are reviewed by a distinguished selection committee comprised of respected leaders from such organizations as Mayo Clinic–Florida, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and the University of Missouri. Finalists are announced in the spring, and winners are revealed at a gala reception and featured in the May issue of SLM.

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