For the 15th year in a row, St. Louis Magazine is honoring the remarkable efforts of nurses across the region by hosting the annual Excellence in Nursing Awards, presented by BJC HealthCare and Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing. The honorees were chosen by a prestigious selection committee and will be featured in SLM‘s May issue, as well as a cocktail reception at Kirkwood Performing Arts Center on May 16. Tickets for the reception are available here.
SCHOOL
Your guide to a healthier, happier you
Sign up for the St. Louis Wellness newsletter and get practical tips for a balanced, healthy life in St. Louis.
Nancy Williams
As a school nurse at Ladue Middle School, Williams is used to wearing different hats. She’s responsible for monitoring students with life-threatening illnesses and managing medications. She also helps students who simply aren’t feeling well. Although she’s a medical professional, Williams also considers herself a counselor and motivator for students and her peers. Alongside her colleagues and the rest of the school district, she views her job as a way to assist the community.
On what she’s learned in nursing: “Listening is extremely important when you are trying to understand the nature of a visit. You must listen and receive it, and you have to be open minded. Everybody is not a textbook case. Experience is the greatest teacher. There are some instances that will totally take you by surprise.”
On the job’s most rewarding aspect: “It fits my personality. It’s hard to find a job that you really are suited for personally. The amount that I put in is the amount that I get if I go the extra mile for a student or their family.”
Finalist
- Rebekah Roberson / Mehlville School District
INTENSIVE CARE
Katie Bernsen
SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital
Bernsen often finds herself in a crucial role while intervening for patients and providing for the hospital. After being an intensive care unit nurse, she was the first to step into the role of critical response nurse, which was created from the ground up at the hospital. With her years of experience in critical care, she’s learned to rely on support systems both inside and outside the hospital.
On advice to new nurses: “You’re going to have hard days, and you’re going to have good days. On the hard days, know who your people are.”
On working with patients in critical condition: “As heartbreaking as it is to watch, it is very rewarding to be able to help family members and patients have dignity at the end of life, to be surrounded by loved ones and have some peace and comfort at the end of their life.”
Finalists
- Jamie Keiser / Progress West Hospital
- Ashlee Schmutz / Barnes-Jewish Hospital
HOSPICE/HOME HEALTH/PALLIATIVE CARE/LONG-TERM CARE
Victoria Gray
Gray makes sure to focus on each family and person at a time and ensures that they’re settled before she has to move on. She goes above and beyond for her patients and dedicates countless hours and acts of kindness toward their care.
On being there for patients’ family members: “I always tell people that 80 or 90 percent of [doing a good job] is showing up and being there for them. Ultimately, that’s what they want to know—that they’re doing the best they can.”
On advice for new nurses: “You can work anywhere in this country, probably anywhere in this world… You can do so many different things in this field. A nursing degree opens up that door in so many areas. If you don’t find [a good fit] on your first or second job, then keep trying.”
Finalists
- Karole Albach / Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
- Laura Hanke / BJC Hospice
MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING
Kaitlyn Sekulski
Missouri Baptist Medical Center
Sekulski tackles each day with the knowledge that she can impact her fellow nurses and other people’s lives. She touches base with charge nurses and patients, records audits needed for the units, and performs other logistical tasks to support her team. While working, she’s also studying to become a nurse practitioner.
On lessons from nursing: “I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person, starting off as a tech and taking the stepping stones from nurse to a team lead. I have learned how to handle hard conversations—I feel like it actually helped me with my own personal life and, honestly, talking with my kids and my relationship with my husband, and being able to see what we can and can’t control.”
Finalists
- Cassandra Schmaltz / Memorial Hospital Belleville
- Ashley Tasso / Memorial Hospital Belleville
NEUROLOGY/PSYCHOLOGY/BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Natalie Goedeker
Washington University School of Medicine
As a nurse practitioner in the neurology department at WashU, Goedeker is deeply involved in neuromuscular research. Goedeker is committed to providing research opportunities to families, regardless of their means or location.
On the job’s rewards: “The interactions I have with patients and their families. Working in an area with several new, disease-modifying medicines and continuing expanding research, it is encouraging to be able to offer hope to families of children with previously devastating conditions. It is exciting to be at the forefront of research and meet children and families from all over the U.S. who come to enroll in our pediatric neuromuscular clinical trials.”
On the job’s challenges: “The most challenging thing about working with children with neuromuscular disorders is watching the toll that these diseases can take on families—not just physically, but mentally, socially, and financially. Far too often, there is not a fix for the diseases I help care for, but instead my colleagues and I have to look for small ways in which we can help patients and their families.”
Finalists
- Alicia Gardner / SSM Health Behavioral Health
- Mary Rebecca Hopfinger / Washington University School of Medicine
EDUCATOR
Elaine Young
Saint Louis University School of Nursing
Young understands the importance of teaching patient care after serving as a hospital educator for 18 years. Now, as an assistant professor at SLU School of Nursing, Young is responsible for leading students, from teaching in a classroom setting to coaching in clinicals. Teaching and building relationships with students are among her favorite aspects of the job.
On advice to new nurses: “Treat each patient how you would want to be treated or how you’d want someone to treat your mom and dad. I also treat my students the way I would want my daughter’s teachers to treat them. When they’re in clinicals, I say, ‘Don’t go to lunch with your best friend—have lunch with whoever because no one’s gonna get left out.’ … Make sure you treat every patient and your fellow co-workers the way you’d want to be treated.”
On what she’s learned as a teacher: “You can’t teach somebody that you don’t have a relationship with. It’s very difficult. In developing that relationship, it’s a fine line between the friend and the teacher, so I won’t become their buddy, but I will come alongside them and make them feel good about themselves. I never criticize anybody without telling them at least two or three good things about what they do.”
Finalists
- Bridget Coleman / Missouri Baptist Medical Center
- Amy Kief / Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Saint Louis University School of Nursing
- Heidi Schmittgens / Missouri Baptist Medical Center
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
Kathryn Harvath
SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
As lead sexual assault nurse examiner, Harvath oversees teams of nurses who care for victims of violence. These teams treat injuries, create documentation, offer medication, and collect DNA evidence. Harvath acknowledges that the job isn’t for everyone, but she says it’s a privilege to care for patients during some of their most difficult times.
On the rewards of the job: “We’re the first people [patients] have been in contact with after they’ve had a trauma. To have somebody here who believes and supports them is huge for the healing process. It’s an honor to be able to be that person in their darkest hour, and, hopefully, we make an impression on them after they leave the hospital.”
On the job’s rewards: “There’s often hugging before [patients] leave [the hospital] because they are so appreciative of the care you’ve given them. Those moments are the things that stick with me—knowing that I made a difference for these patients.”
Finalists
- Megan DeCamp / Barnes-Jewish Hospital
- Sheri Lawing / St. Louis Children’s Hospital
- Sarah Schmitt / Missouri Baptist Medical Center
EMERGING LEADER
Marianne Nguyen
Nguyen chose to pursue nursing after seeing her mother in the hospital: “I thought, ‘I like to take care of people. Maybe I can be part of helping the health care world have more people who will do their job…because they genuinely care.” Now, she is proud of building connections, working with a variety of people at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and the opportunities that have led her here.
On advice to new nurses: “Being a nurse is truly a calling, and you have to enjoy caring for others in order to persevere day to day. You will have your tough days, but I think what makes a difference is the people you are around, because having a great team makes your bad days not so bad in the end.”
Finalists
- Felicia Cotton / SSM Health DePaul Hospital
- McKaylie Hirth / Barnes-Jewish Hospital
COMMUNITY CARE/AMBULATORY CARE
Rebecca Rodman
Rodman decided to become a nurse after witnessing her mother’s health battle. “She was hungry, crying, and upset,” Rodman recalls. “At that moment, I knew that I would go into the health care field.” Rodman eventually became an ambulatory educator, developing resources with the support of fellow educators and continuing to support her fellow nurses.
On the job’s rewards: “I really like educating and mentoring because it’s empowering—building up confidence…to change and give great care to a patient. I really like the connection that’s built.”
Finalists
- Samantha Marquard / iFM Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Nursing
- Tara VerKuilen / Barnes-Jewish Hospital
ACUTE CARE/FAMILY PRACTICE/GENERAL MEDICINE
Dana Kirksey
Over the past 30 years, Kirksey has worked as a school nurse, in private-duty home health, in acute hospital care, and as a director of nursing and long-term care during the pandemic. Today, she’s the RN clinical manager at ArchWell Health. Throughout her many roles, she’s found the field consistently rewarding.
On caring for patients during the pandemic: “I was really instrumental in being in the building all the time, making sure that patients’ diets were changed. We kept them hydrated. We did a lot of good work to keep a lot of people healthy during that period.”
On the job’s fast-paced nature: “This job is not stressful for me. It’s really rewarding. It’s fast-paced. We’re pretty busy here from the time we opened, and I’ve added more staff as we’ve added more patients. So, I don’t know if it’s stressful, but multitasking is a big deal in this center. You have to be able to do multiple things and get them complete.”
Finalists
- Alexandra Castrop / Missouri Baptist Medical Center
- Katelyn Krekeler / Missouri Baptist Medical Center
ADMINISTRATION
Amy Robinson
Missouri Baptist Medical Center
Robinson always knew that she wanted to be a nurse—when she was a child, her family referred to her as “Nancy Nurse.” She now channels that passion into helping her team and, in turn, patients. “My goal is to make sure that our nurses are able to be autonomous in their practice,” she says, “and that they have the necessary skills, resources, and support.”
On advice to new nurses: “Continue to ask questions. Learn as much as you can, and never stop learning. Never think you know it all, because that’s when we miss fun and new experiences. Always take risks when new opportunities arise. There are so many things that nurses can do, whether it’s in hospital or ambulatory settings. Most of us have a similar reason for becoming a nurse, and a lot that comes back to compassion.”
Finalists
- Susan Jones / Mercy Hospital South
- Jeanette Scott / Barnes-Jewish Hospital
- Mary Kate Slama / Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital
CARDIOVASCULAR
Ronald Fiehler
Alongside Dr. Ron Leidenfrost, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital, Fiehler has been key in helping develop the cardiac surgery program at St. Luke’s Hospital. “Ron Fiehler’s unwavering commitment to the cardiac surgery program has been instrumental in transforming it into a high-quality program that has positively impacted thousands of patients over the years,” notes a colleague. “His dedication to excellence, combined with his surgical expertise and leadership, has ensured the delivery of top-notch care to every patient.”
On the job’s most rewarding aspect: “I feel like I have such a rapport with Dr. Ron Leidenfrost, who I’ve worked with since 1982. It’s more of a collaboration when we’re doing procedures together. There’s a lot of trust that he puts in me.”
On the work’s challenges: “Keeping up with the technology.”
Finalist
- Bethany Roth / Barnes-Jewish Hospital
ADVANCED PRACTICE
Lynelle Jolliff
Washington University School of Medicine
Jolliff plays an integral role in advancing the heart failure surgery program at WashU and Barnes-Jewish Hospital: She has developed and implemented several process-improvement initiatives, including the institution’s process for left ventricle assist device patient selection criteria and family educational booklets on heart failure. Jolliff recognized a gap in post-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patient followup and established a post-ECMO clinic. A colleague notes, “Our cardiac transplant and left ventricular assist device program is successful in large part because of Lynelle’s dedication to her patients, the heart failure surgeons with whom she works, and the numerous multidisciplinary team members it takes to care for this highly acute patient population.”
On what she loves most about her job: “Knowing I am helping patients get back to a positive quality of life. The relationships formed with patients and their caregivers and seeing the progress they make is what brings joy every day.”
On what she wishes others knew about the nursing profession: “There are so many avenues that can be taken with nursing, from bedside to research, hospital to outpatient, home health to rehab. The avenues are endless.”
Finalists
- Sara Franco / InVita Health and Wellness
- Erin Herrera / Washington University School of Medicine
- Karen Lucas / Mercy Hospital South
- Elvira Sayfutdinova / Washington University School of Medicine
- Kate Silver / Washington University School of Medicine
ONCOLOGY
Kristin Daly
Washington University School of Medicine
Shortly after Daly began working as an oncology nurse, her son was diagnosed with leukemia. “That experience helped give me perspective on the other side of the equation,” she says. “I think being the parent of a cancer survivor has helped me understand the patient perspective.”
On the job’s challenges: “In a word: complexity. The incredible complexity of cancer as a disease process, the complexity of the rapid pace of change in cancer treatments, the complexity involved in coordinating care and services for cancer patients, and the complexity of navigating the health care system in order to provide that care. I know that if I find all of these things challenging, they are so much more challenging for patients who are trying to navigate them while also dealing with cancer.”
On the job’s rewards: “The patients I have been able to meet and care for have become a part of my life and my story, and I hope, in some way, I have been able to become a positive part of theirs at an incredibly difficult time. I have been lucky to work with so many incredible nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, pharmacists, patient care techs, medical assistants, and more, all of whom help provide amazing care and support for cancer patients.”
Finalists
- Nicole Chrisman / Washington University School of Medicine
- Nancy Umbeck / Mercy Research
RESEARCH
Janette Coble
Washington University School of Medicine
At the Washington University Pediatric Epilepsy Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Coble works to elevate care for children with epilepsy. With experience in inpatient pediatric neurology and a knowledge of informatics, she is spearheading a quality-improvement project to increase patient access to the epilepsy monitoring unit. As one colleague notes, Coble “represents her profession in an unparalleled manner every day.”
On an example of her current research: “A multisite study compares the real-world effectiveness of palliative epilepsy surgery versus additional anti-seizure medications for pediatric patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a rare, severe epilepsy syndrome that develops in young children and leads to developmental delays and lifelong disability… By understanding the comparative effectiveness of these interventions on our patients’ lives…we can potentially improve outcomes, resulting in less cognitive impairment and higher functioning long-term.”
On the most rewarding aspect of her work: “The ultimate reward of research is to have an impact on our patients’ lives.”
Finalists
- Katheryne Amba / SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, United States Air Force
- Kelly Bochicchio / Washington University School of Medicine
PEDIATRICS: NON-NEONATAL
Juanita Allmon
SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital
Even in her youth, Allmon was passionate about caring for children, an enthusiasm that eventually led to her work in the neonatal intensive care unit and her current role as a nurse navigator. Today, Allmon works to support patients and their families who are transitioning from hospital to home. She also advocates for evidence-based practical guidelines.
On what she’s learned as a nurse: “When families leave, they don’t have those same resources available [as they do at the hospital]. The community, or society in general, isn’t always best equipped to provide those resources for families when they leave. Figuring out how to help bridge that gap and to help families get what they need isn’t always easy. It’s so good to…help families get the support they need to take care of their kids at home.”
On the job’s rewards: “I always had a strong desire to help those in need, and that’s in part because of my faith. It moves me to show love and compassion to those around me. I do this by sharing my hope for the future with others. Nursing provides another practical way that I can help people when they need it the most, and that brings me joy.”
Finalists
- Sarah Franz / St. Louis Children’s Hospital
- Kelly Hoppe / St. Louis Children’s Hospital
- Stacy Pokorny / Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children’s Hospital
- Sarah Vuichard / Washington University School of Medicine
WOMEN’S HEALTH
Jennifer Hawn
Missouri Baptist Medical Center
Raised in a family of nurses, including her sister, Hawn says nursing is in her blood. Today, as a quality improvement leader, Hawn strives “to make a broader impact on a higher quality of care” and is always looking for new ways to improve. For instance, a colleague notes, she analyzed specific patient-level data to tease out the areas where opportunity for educational or process-based changes occurred. Hawn was able to implement evidence-based guidelines and show remarkable sustainable improvements in the care of women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy that were previously not able to be implemented through development of guidelines and general education alone.
On advice for new nurses: “Don’t be afraid to grow and to seek opportunities for growth. Find a mentor…who understands the path. Some of my success has come from choosing and collaborating with mentors who can help me be part of the things I want to be part of.”
Finalists
- Dylan Franklin / Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital
- Eve Holzemer / VA St. Louis Health Care System, Saint Louis University School of Nursing
- LaShanda Jackson / Barnes-Jewish Hospital
- Jody Liebman / Missouri Baptist Medical Center
- Sarah Smith / Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
PEDIATRICS: NEONATAL
Kym Galbraith
Years ago, as a patient at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Galbraith witnessed the dedication of nurses firsthand. Over time it has come full circle, with Galbraith serving as a nurse coordinator of the fetal cardiology program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Today, she educates families, schedules patients, and works alongside other nurses.
On the perinatal behavioral health program’s beginnings: “I noticed that moms were not getting the mental and emotional health [they needed]… Years ago, a patient really inspired me to do this. She was one of those moms who had it together: She had great family support, and she always had a smile on her face. But when her baby was readmitted to the hospital, she said, ‘I’m absolutely drowning.’ I thought, Gosh, if she is struggling and has resources and is educated, how many more moms out there are struggling?… I advocated to get our own dedicated therapist just for our cardiac moms to be there during pregnancy and after delivery.”
Finalists
- Kate Brennan / Missouri Baptist Medical Center
- Michelle Filipek / Missouri Baptist Medical Center
ORTHOPEDICS
Teresa Sarah Rock
Washington University School of Medicine
As the lead nurse for hand and microsurgery at WashU, Rock has worked with a range of patients. Among them was a patient who was addicted to opioids and needed significant preoperative care to treat an infected wound. “She cared for this patient and his family as if they were her own,” a colleague recalls, adding that the patient is now drug- and alcohol-free.
On advice to new nurses: “Don’t accept mediocrity. Always continue learning, may it be from your coworkers, bosses, or patients. Stand up for yourself, your patients, and your beliefs. Lastly, be kind.”
On what she’s learned from her work: “Patients should always come first. Do the right thing for the patient, even if it means making difficult decisions.”
Finalist
- Angela Beran / Washington University School of Medicine
Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners!
SELECTION COMMITTEE
- Debra Harrison / Executive coach, MEDI; former chief nursing officer, Mayo Clinic
- Lola Denise Jefferson / First vice president, National Black Nurses Association
- Brigit VanGraafeiland / Assistant professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
- Carli Zegers / Associate professor, Florida State University College of Nursing
- Phyllis Zimmer / Founder, Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation
