More than 60 nurses from every Texas Children’s campus and the Health Plan have been named recipients of the 2022 Excellence in Nursing Awards from the Good Samaritan Foundation for offering extraordinary and compassionate care and service at the bedside.
Each Excellence in Nursing honoree was nominated by their peers for demonstrating passion for the nursing profession, leadership, mentorship and service to the Houston community. The nominations were reviewed and scored by a selection committee comprised of clinical leaders in the Texas Medical Center.
Recipients were honored on October 27 at the 18th annual Excellence in Nursing Awards Luncheon, which celebrated and recognized outstanding nurses in education and clinical practice throughout the state. The awards are among the largest programs in Texas that recognize the dedicated nurses who are actively working in the profession.
Three Texas Children’s nurses were selected to receive Gold Awards this year, the highest honor. Click on each name to watch their tribute video.
- Aimee Jackson, Pavilion for Women
- Lisa (Beth) Pali, The Woodlands
- Mili Vakharia, West Campus
Laura Sealy, a Baylor College of Medicine team member based at the Medical Center campus, was selected to receive a Silver Award.
The following nurses were selected to receive Bronze Awards:
- Marelisa Amezcua, Medical Center
- Anika Ampadu, Medical Center (Baylor)
- Erin Balmert, Pavilion for Women
- Kiersten Betker-Anderson, Medical Center
- Jana Broussard, Medical Center
- Sharon Burks, Medical Center
- Amanda Byers, The Woodlands
- Heather Collins, West Campus
- Nicole Dumas, West Campus
- Jeanie Eggers, Medical Center
- Janique Forde, Medical Center
- Jean Freedman, Health Plan
- Fermilia Fucanan, Medical Center
- Jamie Gilley, Medical Center
- Artur Gonzales, Medical Center
- Stephanie Gruner, Medical Center (Baylor)
- Dulce Guajardo, Medical Center
- Jennifer Guinon, Medical Center
- Myoshia Hollings, Medical Center
- Cindy Hollingsworth, Medical Center
- Judith Holloway, Medical Center
- Rizza Hynes, Health Plan
- Michele Krenek, Medical Center
- Haley Lattal, Medical Center (Baylor)
- Jessica Leach, Medical Center
- Sonia Mathews, Pavilion for Women
- Viniya Michael, Medical Center
- Heather Morand, Medical Center
- Patience Nehikhuere, Health Plan
- Gretchen Nordt, West Campus
- Elizabeth Ortiz, Pavilion for Women
- Amanda Pena, Medical Center (Baylor)
- Natalie Pham, Medical Center
- Michael Pickett, Medical Center
- April Poncik, West Campus
- Belinda Ramirez, Medical Center
- Susan Romero, The Woodlands
- Rainey Russell, Medical Center
- Erin Scurlock, Medical Center
- Sonya Simms, Pavilion for Women
- Sandra Simon, Health Plan
- Heather Soni, Medical Center (Baylor)
- Natalie Stephens, Medical Center
- Joannie Stoker, Medical Center
- Kathleen Tew, Medical Center (Baylor)
- Tijo Thomas, Medical Center
- Karen Thomas, The Woodlands
- Amy Valdez, West Campus
- Nadia Villarreal, Medical Center
- Shelly Wilke, The Woodlands
- Kevann Williams, The Woodlands
- Robbye Willoughby, Medical Center
- Tiffany Wrenn, Medical Center
- Michelle Yu, Medical Center
Congratulations to all of our Nursing colleagues on this achievement!