Soaring to Excellence awards honor nurses during Nurses Week
Media Contact:
Erin Horn
Senior Media Relations Specialist
701-516-4903/erin.horn@sanfordhealth.org
BISMARCK, N.D. (May 18, 2023) – Sanford Health recognized local nurses and health care workers during Sanford Health’s Soaring to Excellence Awards celebration. The award ceremony, held during National Nurses Week, acknowledges outstanding Sanford employees for their unwavering dedication to providing excellent care for their patients and communities. The following received awards:
- Naomi Schmidt, BSN, RN, Florence Nightingale Professional Nurse Award
- Ronald Montgomery, LPN, Florence Nightingale Professional Nurse Award
- Whitney Leingang, BSN, RN, Star Performance Nurse Award
- Alex Glatt, MSN, RN, New Knowledge, Innovations and Improvements Nurse Award
- Emily Smith, DNP, RN, CNE, Exemplary Professional Practice Nurse Award
- Shauna Voigt, MBA, BSN, RN, Structural Empowerment Nurse Award
- Breanna Meckle, BSN, RN, Structural Empowerment Nurse Award
- Robin Bowlinger, MS, RN, CPHQ, Transformational Leadership Nurse Award
- Kim Ledger, BSN, RN, CNOR, CRNFA, Distinguished Wisdom Keeper Nurse Award
- Cheryl Page, BSN, RN, Jan Kamphuis Spirit of Nursing Leadership Professional Nurse Award
- Michael Quast, MD, Friend of Nursing Individual Award
- Connie Aberle, Friend of Nursing Individual Award
- Social Work – Ambulatory Team, Friend of Nursing Department
“It is important to recognize and express gratitude towards our nurses and supporting health care team members for their unwavering commitment in delivering high quality, compassionately connected care to patients on a daily basis,” said Wendy Kopp, vice president of nursing for Sanford Health, Bismarck region. “Being a nurse requires strength, resilience in the face of obstacles, and the ability to find innovative solutions unique to each person’s needs.”
The Soaring to Excellence Awards is an annual event for Sanford Health. Each year, Sanford employees are encouraged to nominate their colleagues to be recognized for the remarkable work they do each day for their patients and communities. This year, 173 nominations were submitted for 2023 honors.
National Nurses Week is acknowledged by health care organizations and the American Nurses Association annually.
The Sanford Bismarck region provides health care to central and western North Dakota, eastern Montana and northern South Dakota. It includes 21 clinics in Bismarck, Mandan, Minot, Dickinson and Watford City, as well as a Level II trauma center located in Bismarck.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization serves more than one million patients and 220,000 health plan members across 250,000 square miles. The integrated health system has 47 medical centers, 2,800 Sanford physicians and advanced practice providers, 170 clinical investigators and research scientists, more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations and world clinics in 8 countries around the globe. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
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