From baking birthday cakes and gifting handmade quilts to improving algorithms and leading multi-million-dollar capital campaigns, these outstanding nurses make lives better every day. We congratulate the winners, and to every nurse, named or not, we give our thanks for helping us through yet another unimaginable year.
Eva Anderson, Clinical Instructor
Louise Herrington School of Nursing of Baylor University
Eva says she was called to be a nurse from childhood, and she has followed that calling for more than 60 years. Working as a single mother of four children, Eva established herself as a nursing leader in the early development and rapid expansion of the DeBakey cardiac transplant ICU in Houston before returning to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. After Eva earned her master’s degree in nursing, her love for teaching nurses and nursing students continued to grow, and she felt drawn to the field of psychology. She joined the nursing faculty at the Dallas College El Centro Campus and taught nursing clinicals for 30 years at various local hospitals, including psychiatric nursing at Terrell State Hospital.
Not content to retire, Eva returned to her alma mater, continuing to teach psychiatric nursing for the past 20 years. She has remained committed to high standards throughout her nursing career as she has taught and promoted policy changes to improve patient outcomes in mental healthcare settings. Eva has seen the changes in psychiatric nursing from the early 1970s and inspires her students to exercise grace and compassion while establishing professional boundaries with their patients.
An energetic and inspiring nursing instructor and fellow faculty member, Eva continues to contribute to the next generation of nurses. As the policies and protocols were being established for quarantining students and faculty exposed to the COVID-19 virus, she demonstrated a courageous commitment to the students by encouraging them to maintain their focus on completing their educational goals to graduate on time. No small number of nurses working in the Dallas-Fort Worth area healthcare systems over the last 50 years will remember their experiences with professor Eva Anderson at Terrell State Hospital as they moved from fearful to confident in caring for patients with mental illness. —Janice Edmonson, Assistant Clinical Professor, Baylor University Medical Center
Chanse Boehringer, Registered Nurse
Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
When a military veteran came into the COVID-19 unit on his birthday, Chanse arranged to have the hospital police provide a color guard and present the patient with a birthday cake and the U.S. flag. They all saluted him and sang “Happy Birthday” to him. Because of this nurse’s actions, you could see the joy and happiness in this soldier’s eyes.
He was instrumental in creating a celebratory parade for COVID-19 patients as well as other nurses in the hospital, placing balloons on their wheelchairs, playing songs on his iPhone for all to hear, and presenting the patients with handmade quilts for them to take home. He also created a private area in the parking garage for family members to use when picking up a patient from the hospital.
Chanse allows COVID-19 patients to use his iPad for FaceTime visits with family members and serves as their extended family at the hospital, which has a no-visitor policy. He reduces nurse exposure time to COVID by using extension tubing to move the IV pumps outside patient doors to reduce the need for nurses to frequently enter patient rooms.
The morale is heightened, the energy is vibrant, and it’s like we are a family when Chanse is in charge. —Nora Frasier, Chief Nursing Officer, Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Deborah Cates, Women’s and Children’s Services Director
Medical City Lewisville
Deb’s leadership capabilities resulted in our hospital receiving our second official NICU designation from the state of Texas, the highest level of neonatal care available for critically ill newborns of all gestation ages. As a labor and delivery nurse who also served as a childbirth educator, Deb saw a need to provide childbirth education to women who were choosing adoption. She partnered with the Gladney Center for Adoption to develop a curriculum to address the special needs of birth moms choosing adoption for their baby. Deb taught classes for this very special group of moms to prepare them for the birth of their child and help them on their journey through adoption. Deb has also developed strong perinatal bereavement programs to address the unique needs of families experiencing the loss of a pregnancy or a newborn.
Recent successes involve leading a high-quality team to implement best practices such as Bare Below the Elbows (to help with hand hygiene) and shields for all phones in the NICU; decreasing unplanned extubations in the NICU through a multidisciplinary approach; and reducing the number and severity of obstetrical hemorrhage through evidence-based algorithms and nursing and physician education. —Gina Harrison, Magnet Program Director, Medical City Health
Cheryl Kaplan, Clinical Director, Solid Organ Transplant Service
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Cheryl recently led the successful startup of a Living-Donor Liver Transplant program, streamlined living-donor kidney transplant evaluations, helped achieve reaccreditation of our cystic fibrosis and Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) programs, and led the multimillion-dollar capital expansion and renovation of our Kidney and Liver Transplant Clinic.
She performs especially well in high-pressure situations. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she led first response efforts to create protocols to promote safe in-person care. Cheryl also helped to develop our telemedicine program, which has provided safe and effective care throughout the pandemic for our patients, many of whom are immunocompromised. Thanks to her leadership, we were able to jump from only a handful of virtual visits in 2019 to more than 18,000 in 2020.
Change of this magnitude can often come at the expense of clinical outcomes or patient satisfaction, but Cheryl’s steady hand and analytical approach have helped to improve efficiencies to accommodate growth. And her natural instincts as a leader have provided strong mentorship to a diverse and strong-willed group of nurse leaders working under her guidance. Although care of the transplant patient varies significantly by organ, Cheryl has brought the teams to common ground, set aspirational and measurable goals, and pushed them to evolve as leaders. Her direction has helped our programs achieve 140 percent growth in transplant volume over the course of her tenure, becoming the largest transplant center in North Texas. —Ava Jones, Senior Communications Specialist, UT Southwestern Medical Center
The Excellence in Nursing Awards 2022
How We Did It: We contacted local hospitals, doctors, nursing organizations, and patients and asked them to visit our website to nominate outstanding nurses. We asked nominators to answer three questions regarding how the nurses affected their lives, communities, and professions. The editors selected the best nominations and sent them to a panel of esteemed registered nurses in various fields. The panel could not judge those they worked with directly. We compiled judges’ scores to select the 108 winners. We also vetted the registered nursing licenses and reviewed any disciplinary actions of each winner.
Direct Care
Elena Acosta-Garcia
Clinical Nurse Texas Health Dallas
Petra Adams
Nurse Practitioner Dallas Pulmonary and Critical Care
Michelle Alberty
Registered Nurse Children’s Health
Kaitlin Alexander
Registered Nurse UT Southwestern Medical Center
Justina Arize
Clinical Nurse Coordinator Medical City Dallas
Tammy Avants
Palliative Care Coordinator Medical City McKinney
Beverley Benskin
Registered Nurse Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-McKinney
Chanse Boehringer
Registered Nurse Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Keira Brown
Registered Nurse Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Irving
Edie Brucker
Advanced Practice Provider Manager UT Southwestern Medical Center
Brenda Cannedy
Clinical Nurse Coordinator-Emergency Department Medical City McKinney
Natalie Creel
Registered Nurse Medical City Plano
Mason Delgado
Staff Nurse-Emergency Department Methodist Charlton Medical Center
Kaitlyn Dupriest
Registered Nurse UT Southwestern Medical Center
Allene Goetz
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse UT Southwestern Medical Center
Alexandra Gonzalez
Registered Nurse Children’s Health
Toni Haynes
Registered Nurse Children’s Health
Christina Hudson
Staff Nurse Methodist Charlton Medical Center
Keri Hurst
Centralized Staffing Office Manager Children’s Health
Anlan Jiang
Registered Nurse UT Southwestern Medical Center
Bijula Joy
Nursing Clinical Coordinator Methodist Charlton Medical Center
Cathy Kennedy
Registered Nurse Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Sharron Kerber
Registered Nurse Medical City Plano
Amanda Kundert
Registered Nurse III/Charge Nurse Scottish Rite for Children
Mallory Landry
Registered Nurse Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital–Plano
Amber Lee
Nursing Supervisor Baylor University Medical Center
Deanna Lewis
Nursing Clinical Coordinator Methodist Charlton Medical Center
Barb Madison
Registered Nurse Care Coordinator Children’s Health
Dale Martin
Registered Nurse Children’s Health
Christian Mote
Nurse Manager Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Joshua Neal
Registered Nurse Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Lualhati Obenita
Sepsis Coordinator Methodist Charlton Medical Center
Valerie Parks
Registered Nurse Medical City Dallas
Huldah Pimentel
Staff Nurse Methodist Charlton Medical Center
Milagros Ranario
Nurse Supervisor Baylor University Medical Center
Patricia Retzer
Clinical Coordinator Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Zandra Richardson
Clinical Nurse Coordinator Medical City Plano
Dedric Richey
Cath Lab Registered Nurse-Clinical Team Lead Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Keely Rocha
Registered Nurse Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Plano
MaRae Rosas
Oncology Nurse Baylor University Medical Center
Prath Selvanesan
Nurse Clinical Team Leader Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Julie Ann Shadonix
Nursing Supervisor IVFMD
Lisa Maureen Smith
Assistant Nurse Manager, Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit UT Southwestern Medical Center
Juliet Tennison
Staff Nurse Methodist Charlton Medical Center
Mercy Kutty Thomas
Registered Nurse Texas Health Dallas
Avery Voigt
Registered Nurse Medical City Dallas
Education/Research
Eva Anderson
Clinical Instructor Louise Herrington School of Nursing
Nora Billodeaux
Nursing Professional Development Specialist Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Katie Choy
Regional Nursing Director, Nursing Professional Development Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Plano
Carroll Deighton
Women and Children’s Services Maternal Program Coordinator Medical City Lewisville
Penny Huddleston
Nurse Scientist Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Irving
Mari Ann Lewis
Manager, Clinical Education & Professional Development UT Southwestern Medical Center
Tiffany Montgomery
Program Manager, Nurse Residency Program Children’s Health
Diana Montoya
Team Leader, Clinical Education Children’s Health
Pamela Munoz
Critical Care Educator Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Shinto Thomas
Manager, Clinical Education and Professional Practice UT Southwestern Medical Center
Ashton Tolbert
Clinical Nurse Educator, Ambulatory Nursing UT Southwestern Medical Center
Michelle Walsh
Clinical Nurse Educator, Ambulatory Nursing UT Southwestern Medical Center
Karen Zwerneman
Director, Nursing Leadership Development Baylor University Medical Center
Leadership
Tanya Alosi
Nurse Manager, Clinical Education Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Séverine Arrieudebat
House Supervisor Medical City Dallas
Susan Baby
Director, Senior Health Clinic Medical City Lewisville
Agnes Bieinek
Manager, Ortho Surgical Trauma Unit Medical City McKinney
Tyler Bonny
Nurse Manager, Critical Care Baylor University Medical Center
Jessica Buhite
Nursing Operations Specialist Parkland Health & Hospital System
Kayla Carey
Nurse Manager, NICU Baylor University Medical Center
Deborah Cates
Director, Women and Children’s Services Medical City Lewisville
Alexa Collins
Nurse Manager UT Southwestern Medical Center
Christa Combs
Manager Care Coordination Children’s Health
Casey Cox
Clinical Manager, Emergency Department Baylor Scott & White Regional Medical Center-Plano
Kelsey Davidson
Assistant Nurse Manager UT Southwestern Medical Center
Patricia DeFrehn
Vice President, Patient Care Services Baylor University Medical Center
Hayden Dutton
Clinical Manager Children’s Health
Kelly Finney
Nurse Manager Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Jeanne Gaines
Clinical Manager Children’s Health
Megan Gallegos
Chief Nursing Officer Medical City Lewisville
Michael Haben
Manager, Surgical Services Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital-Denton
Alejandra “Alex” Hernandez
Ambulatory Care Clinical Manager, Rheumatology Scottish Rite for Children
Carrie Hood
Value-Based Senior Healthcare Consultant Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Lake Pointe
Candice Johnson
Senior Director, Nursing Children’s Health
Cheryl Kaplan
Clinical Director, Solid Organ Transplant Service UT Southwestern Medical Center
Cyndi Kay
Nurse Manager Medical City Plano
Cyndi Kelley
Nurse Manager Texas Health Dallas
Randall Kelley
Nurse Manager Texas Health Dallas
Michelle Kuchta
Director of Nursing Parkland Health & Hospital System
Joyce Lee
Nurse Manager, Oncology Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas
Amy Mabry
Director of Nursing, Critical Care Services Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Kim McCarthy
Program Director, Chief System Clinical Practice Children’s Health
Brooke McCartney
Supervisor UT Southwestern Medical Center
Susan McCollom
Clinical Manager Children’s Health
Melissa Mitchell
Director, Nursing Education & Professional Development Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Jeffery Price
Regional Manager, Dialysis Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Plano
Patricia Pugh
Director, Community Care Program Baylor Scott & White Health
David Rivera
Director, Acute and Critical Care Medical City Lewisville
Cheyenne Ruby
Director, Magnet Program Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Olivia Sidereas
Manager, Emergency Room Medical City McKinney
Amanda Smith
Nurse Manager Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Irving
Trista Smith
Manager, Progressive Care Unit Medical City McKinney
Allison Steen
Director of Nursing, Oncology and Wound Care Baylor University Medical Center
Marshall Stephenson
Senior Director, Pediatric ICU Children’s Health
Latonya Tippens
Nurse Manager, Family Centered Care Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Marcella Upshaw
Director, Acute Care Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Irving
Theresa Van Tang
Interim Manager, Burn/Trauma Medical City Plano
Rachel Vannoy
Director of Nursing/Regional Women’s Director Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Centennial
Michael Vansteel
Director, Nursing Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Amy Veenstra
Nurse Manager Baylor University Medical Center
Melissa Winter
Vice President, DFW West Regional Chief Nursing Officer Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Grapevine
David Wyatt
Chief Nursing Officer UT Southwestern Medical Center
