Ten Registered Nurses receive Nursing: The Heart of Healthcare Award

Nov 11, 2003

2003 Nursing: The Heart of Healthcare Award Winners

KANSAS CITY, Kan.�The 13th Annual Nursing: The Heart of Healthcare Awards banquet honored 10 registered nurses Nov. 7, 2003, at the Westin Crown Center Hotel, Kansas City, Mo. The University of Kansas School of Nursing coordinated the event with the reception sponsored by The University of Kansas Hospital. The program's emcee was Larry Moore, KMBC- TV9 news anchor.

The event recognizes outstanding registered nurses in Kansas and the Greater Kansas City area and was a complete sell-out with 540 people in attendance. This year's 10 award winners from more than 300 nominations were:

• Rita Barker, RN, MSN, vice president of Patient Care Services, Hays Medical Center, Hays, Kan.
• Beth Clark, RN, MS, nurse manager, The University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, Kan.
• Jan Ioerger, RN, performance improvement director, Wamego City Hospital, Wamego, Kan.
• Karen Kopischke, RN, MS, neonatal nurse practitioner, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, Overland Park, Kan.
• Tess Laoruangroch, RN, MPA, CCRN, nurse clinician, Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Mo.
• Lisa Sackuvich, RN, BSN, president/owner, ARJ Infusion Services, Inc., Overland Park, Kan.
• Teresa Sikes, RN, BSN, director of Palliative Care Program-Skilled Nursing Facility, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Lawrence, Kan.
• Britny Sutulovich, RN, BSN, registered nurse case manager, NorthCare Hospice, North Kansas City, Mo.
• Ginger Tubach, RN, BSN, staff registered nurse, St. Francis Health Center, Topeka, Kan.
• Jenny West, RN, BSN, infectious diseases nurse clinician, The University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, Kan.

The University of Kansas established Nursing: The Heart of Healthcare in 1989 to recognize registered nurses' contributions to their communities, patients and profession. Over the past 13 years, there have been more than 130 winners and more than 5,000 nominations for the award.

Nominations are accepted from patients, patient's family, colleagues, employers, supervisors and the nurse's family and friends. A selection committee, composed of former award winners and health care and business leaders, selected the 10 winners. Every nurse who was nominated received a certificate of recognition.

For more information, contact Kari Ziblut, 913-588-1616, or at kziblut@kumc.edu.