2022 Excellence in Nursing Awards Celebrate Shining Stars

June 8, 2022

A traditional highlight of Nurses Month at ChristianaCare is the Excellence in Nursing Awards. At the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Professional Nurse Council members found safe and creative ways to honor their colleagues, nominated by their peers for extraordinary care and commitment to serving with love and excellence. In May 2022, the Excellence in Nursing Awards ceremonies returned with four campus-based celebrations, with masking, social distancing and lots of cheers and excitement.

The awards honored more than 100 ChristianaCare nurses in seven categories for excellence: Clinical Nurse; Clinical Nurse Expert (at the RNIII and RNIV levels); Advanced Practice Registered Nurse; Educator; Leader; Preceptor; and the Dot Fowler Award.

Nallely Zavala of the Transitional Care Unit at Wilmington Hospital with Ric Cuming, Ed.D., MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN.

“Wherever you practice—whether it’s in our hospitals, our outpatient practices, or in our community—you are one of the biggest reasons why people trust ChristianaCare with their lives and the lives of their families,” said Ric Cuming, Ed.D., MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, chief nurse executive and president of ChristianaCare HomeHealth.

“The Excellence in Nursing Awards are special because awardees are nominated by their peers. The Awards demonstrate the trust ChristianaCare nurses have in each other.”

Congratulations to the 2022 Excellence in Nursing Awards honorees

Winners Honored at the Christiana Hospital Celebrations

Anthony Vu, Clinical Nurse, Cardiology Short-Stay Unit
Caitlin Thomas, Educator, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
Stephanie Mozher, Clinical Nurse, Cardiology Short Stay Unit
Jennifer Swarter, Clinical Nurse, Ambulatory Infusion Center
Kaitlin Marinelli, Clinical Nurse, Ambulatory Infusion Center
Kira Hoefler, Clinical Nurse, 6A
Lauren Speakman, Clinical Nurse Expert, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
Lauren Vivolo, Clinical Nurse, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
Madison Ireland, Clinical Nurse, Transitional Neurology Unit
Virginia Hoinowski, Clinical Nurse, Catheterization Lab
Carmen Pal, Nurse Leader, Information Technology
Melissa Gandolfo, Clinical Nurse, Ambulatory Infusion Center
Lee Schiavoni, Clinical Nurse Expert, Middletown Emergency Department
Amanda Joie, Educator, Patient & Family Health Education
Amanda Latina, Nurse Leader, Surgical Critical Care Complex/Transitional Surgical Unit
Amy Tuer, Educator, HomeHealth
Andrea Simon, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Trauma/Surgery
Becky Green, Clinical Nurse, Electrophysiology Lab
Brett Lieske, Clinical Nurse, Prep & Hold & Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
Bridget Ryan, Nurse Leader, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Christine Anderson, Clinical Nurse, 4E
Colleen Schwandt, Clinical Nurse, 6E
Currine Brown, Clinical Nurse, 5C
Danielle Coyne, Educator, 4E/5E
Danielle D’Ambrosio, Clinical Nurse, 3C/3D Transitional Medical Unit
David Hoehn, Clinical Nurse, 6A
Denise Lottero, Nurse Leader, 4B
Dennis Sullivan, Clinical Nurse, 3C/3D Transitional Medical Unit
Eileen Evangelista, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Neurosciences
Elanna Manco, Clinical Nurse, 5C
Elizabeth Crowder, Clinical Nurse, Heart and Vascular Interventional Services
Emily Link, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Cardiology Consultants
Hannah Manzo, Clinical Nurse, NCCU
Jamie Loose, Clinical Nurse, Float Pool
Jessica Tagliaferro, Nurse Leader, 3C/3D Transitional Medical Unit
Jessica Toner, Clinical Nurse Expert, 7E
Jill McGurk, Clinical Nurse, 5E
Joseph Smith, Clinical Nurse Expert, 5A/4C
Karen Mazei, Clinical Nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Kate Scarff, Clinical Nurse, Transitional Surgical Unit
Katherine Shepard, Clinical Nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Kathleen Di Guglielmo, Clinical Nurse Expert, 3C/3D Transitional Medical Unit
Kelly Coppola, Clinical Nurse, Float Pool
Kim Pensel, Clinical Nurse, Interventional Radiology
Kristen Green, Clinical Nurse Expert, 5B
Laura Dechant, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Heart and Vascular Interventional Services
Leanne Erickson, Clinical Nurse, 4E
Lindsay Sanderson, Nurse Leader, 4D
Lorin Hollinger, Clinical Nurse Expert, 6E
Marsy Russell, Nurse Leader, Float Pool
Mia Kudish, Clinical Nurse, Gastrointestinal Lab
Michelle Chau, Clinical Nurse Expert, 6M Pediatrics
Misoon Kim, Clinical Nurse, 6A
Pamela Braithwaite, BSN, RNC-OB, Nurse Leader, Labor & Delivery
Ronald DeMarco, Clinical Nurse, 5E
Shannon McCoy, Clinical Nurse, 3C/3D Transitional Medical Unit
Shauna Morrison, Clinical Nurse, 3C/3D Transitional Medical Unit
Susan Koch, Clinical Nurse, Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Lab
Trina B. Haywood, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Center for Women’s & Children’s Health
Valerie Jennings, Clinical Nurse Expert, 5A/4C
Veronica Witt, Clinical Nurse, 6E
Ade Esaka, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Cardiology Short Stay Unit
Amanda McCloud, Clinical Nurse, 3B
Amanda Spence, Clinical Nurse, 7E
Bernadette Baker, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Thoracic Surgery/Lung Health Screening Program
Cherie Barnes, Clinical Nurse, Prep & Holding
Courtney Hogan, Clinical Nurse, 5B
Ena Nickens, Nurse Leader, Cardiology Short Stay Unit/Wilmington Cardiology Care Unit and Radiology
Gina Scott, Educator, Labor & Delivery
Jennifer Mulford, Clinical Nurse, Labor & Delivery
Jessica Belmar, Clinical Nurse Expert, 3E Medical Intensive Care Unit
Kaitlin O’Connor, Clinical Nurse Expert, 2E/Cardiovascular Critical Care Unit
Kathy Boyer, Educator, Patient & Family Health Education
Lesley Tepner, Educator, Postpartum
Maribel Martinez, Clinical Nurse, 6M/7M Postpartum
Nancy Homan, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Newark Perianesthesia/Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
Samantha Lewis, Clinical Nurse, Heart and Vascular Interventional Services
Sarah Black, Clinical Nurse, Labor & Delivery
Victoria Varga, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Primary Care at Linden Hill

Winners Honored at Union Hospital Celebration

- Lindsey Safian, Clinical Nurse, Maternal and Infant Center
- Renee Funk, Clinical Nurse, Surgical Specialty Unit
- Anna Massimiano, Clinical Nurse, Infusion Center
- Chris Lenz, Nurse Leader, Union Nurse Manager
- Chrissie Hilaman, Clinical Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit

Clinical Nurse, Maternal and Infant Center

Heidi Smith, Clinical Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit
Katherine Spencer, Clinical Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
Kerry D’Alessandro, Nurse Leader, Medical-Surgical Unit
Stephanie Roberts, Clinical Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit

Winners Honored at Wilmington Hospital Celebration

- Lauren Allaband, Clinical Nurse, HomeHealth
- Stephanie Neifert, Clinical Nurse Expert, Wilmington Emergency Department
- Alexis Poczynek, Clinical Nurse, 6W
- Labrini Carabetsos, Clinical Nurse, 4N
- Lindsey Divel, Clinical Nurse, HomeHealth
- Alexandra Colin, Educator, Medical Group
- Angel Lynch, Clinical Nurse, Psychiatric Emergency Services
- Angela Drenth, Clinical Nurse, Wilmington Intensive Care Unit
- Arlene Pierce, Clinical Nurse Expert, 6S Stepdown
- Barbara Gillis, Nurse Leader, CareVio
- Barbara Taylor, Clinical Nurse, HomeHealth
- Brianna Buzzuro, Nurse Leader, Wilmington Emergency Department
- Dana Estrada, Clinical Nurse, HomeHealth
- Dawn Setting, Nurse Leader, CareVio
- Denise Vance, Clinical Nurse, William J. Holloway Community Program
- Doreen Nord, Nurse Leader, Wilmington Emergency Department
- Ellen Rombach, Clinical Nurse, CareVio
- Heather Grogg, Clinical Nurse, Primary Care at Linden Hill
- Janet Kucera, Clinical Nurse, HomeHealth
- Jennifer Huebner, Clinical Nurse Expert, Wilmington Intensive Care Unit
- Jody Fennell, Nurse Leader, HomeHealth
- Karen Angelo, Clinical Nurse, Thoracic Surgery
- Karen Lindale-Potts, Clinical Nurse Expert, HomeHealth
- Karen Milillo, Clinical Nurse Expert, 6W
- Lauren Calvert, Clinical Nurse, 6W
- Lauren Turner, Clinical Nurse Expert, Wilmington Prep & Holding
- Linda Pereira, Clinical Nurse, HomeHealth
- Loretta Walls, Nurse Leader, HomeHealth
- Melissa Crisconi, RN, Clinical Nurse, Primary Care at Lantana Square