Melham Employee, Elaine Price receives Caring Kind Award

NHA honors Nebraska hospital employees at 40th Caring Kind Luncheon

LA VISTA, NEB. — The Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) recognized 76 Nebraska member hospital employees on October 18, 2019, by bestowing them with the organization’s prestigious The Caring Kind award.

For 40 years, The Caring Kind award has been given to Nebraska's most caring and compassionate hospital employees. The award honors outstanding health care employees who have demonstrated compassion for patients, cooperation with co-workers and dedication to excellence in their job responsibilities.

“ The Caring Kind Award has truly become a rich tradition for the NHA and our members. The recipients demonstrate a level of kindness, caring, dedication and commitment to their patients that goes above and beyond,” said NHA President Laura J. Redoutey, FACHE. “I look forward to this event every year – it celebrates all that is good in serving others.”

Hospitals across the state each select one award recipient from within their respective institutions to be recognized during the NHA Annual Convention.

More than 2,500 skilled and dedicated health care professionals have received this award since its inception in 1979. This year, 76 employees were honored before more than 500 people in attendance at The Caring Kind Awards Luncheon held at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in La Vista.

The event showcases the exemplary work and care hospital employees provide every day throughout the year. Every Nebraska hospital employee plays a critical role in providing high-quality, cost-effective treatment and ensuring the safety of themselves, their co-workers and patients each and every day.

These honorees are star performers through their dedication to patients and teamwork, ensuring that care is safe, quality-driven and cost-effective for consumers, as well as for the organizations they represent.

The NHA congratulates The Caring Kind award recipients for 2019:

Lori Adams-Kunz, PharmD | Avera St. Anthony's Hospital | O' Neill

• Jamileth Alvarado | St. Francis Memorial Hospital/Dinklage Medical Clinic | West Point
• Rita Aschoff | Osmond General Hospital | Osmond
• Gina Baker, MHD, LMHP | Boone County Health Center | Albion
• Wendell Barbee, MSN, RN, CCRN | CHI Health Immanuel | Omaha
• Erin Barnes, RN, BSN | CHI Health St. Mary's | Nebraska City
• Laurie Batenhorst | CHI Health Lakeside | Omaha
• Katie Bates, LPN | Morrill County Community Hospital | Bridgeport
• Nikea Brady, CSW | Methodist Fremont Health Dunklau Gardens | Fremont
• Ann Brothers | Syracuse Area Health | Syracuse
• Tammi Cawthra, APRN | Dundy County Hospital | Benkelman
• Erica Cervantes, RN | Kearney County Health Services | Minden
• Nikki Cook | West Holt Medical Services | Atkinson
• Melinda Curry | Nebraska Medicine | Omaha
• Lyle Davis | Cozad Community Health System | Cozad
• Theresa Davis, RN | Providence Medical Center | Wayne
• Jill Denker | Lexington Regional Health Center | Lexington
• Seron Dillard | Box Butte General Hospital | Alliance
• Jayda Edgar, RN | Thayer County Health Services | Hebron
• Cathy Engel, RN, BSN | Brodstone Memorial Hospital | Superior
• Melissa Feldhacker, BSN, RN | Methodist Women's Hospital | Omaha
• Mary Jo Fozzard | Butler County Health Care Center | David City
• Megan French, RN | Memorial Community Hospital & Health System | Blair
• Evan Geilenkirchen, CRNA | Community Hospital | McCook
• Glenn Hain | Memorial Health Care Systems | Seward
• Miriam Halstead, RN | Memorial Community Health | Aurora
• Jackie Hamm-Sipley, RN | Regional West Garden County | Oshkosh
• Nicole Havel, PA | Chase County Community Hospital | Imperial
• Jan Heithoff | Antelope Memorial Hospital | Neligh
• Alicia Hollander, RN | Tri Valley Health System | Cambridge
• Alexis Hooker | Merrick Medical Center | Central City
• Kelli Hromek | Friend Community Healthcare System | Friend
• Elizabeth Jacobs-Fitzgerald, BSN, RNC-OB | CHI Health St. Elizabeth | Lincoln
• Debra Jelken, RN | Franklin County Memorial Hospital | Franklin
• Barb Jenkins, PBT | Nemaha County Hospital | Auburn
• Kim Johansen, PTA | Community Medical Center, Inc. | Falls City
• Jeff Kautz, PT, ATC, COMT, CSCS | Great Plains Health | North Platte
• Rose Kleineweber | Crete Area Medical Center | Crete
• Dorothy Kohler, LPN | CHI Health Schuyler | Schuyler
• Rose Kothe, RN | Mary Lanning Healthcare | Hastings
• Brint Lemke | CHI Health CUMC - Bergan Mercy | Omaha
• Joan Lilly, OT | Avera Creighton Hospital | Creighton
• Adriana Lopez | CHI Health St. Francis | Grand Island
• Joan Manning, RN | York General | York
• Dave McAtee | Boys Town National Research Hospital | Omaha
• Kathy McDonald | Columbus Community Hospital | Columbus
• Shelly McQuillan, MSW | Ogallala Community Hospital | Ogallala
• Cindy Melcher, RN | Beatrice Community Hospital & Health Center | Beatrice
• Sara Milke | Johnson County Hospital | Tecumseh
• Fred Miller | Children's Hospital & Medical Center | Omaha
• Floyd Mohr | Annie Jeffrey Memorial County Health Center | Osceola
• Cynthia Montanez | Regional West Health Services | Scottsbluff
• Darlene Mowrey, PT, DPT | CHI Health Midlands | Papillion
• Shane O'Brien | Faith Regional Health Services | Norfolk
• Darla Pinkelman | OrthoNebraska | Omaha
• Shanda Pouk, RT ( R ) (CT) | Phelps Memorial Health Center | Holdrege
• Elaine Price, RN | Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center | Broken Bow
• Mike Raasch | Pender Community Hospital | Pender
• Deb Radenslaben, ASCP | Saunders Medical Center | Wahoo
• JoAnn Rose | Jefferson Community Health & Life | Fairbury
• Tami Rudder | Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals | Lincoln
• Heather Sayaloune, LPN, CRT | Chadron Community Hospital & Health Services | Chadron
• Judy Schroeder | CHI Health Good Samaritan | Kearney
• Michelle Simon, PT | Nebraska Methodist Hospital | Omaha
• Teresa Spier | Pawnee County Memorial Hospital | Pawnee City
• Kevin Sponsel, RPh | Bryan Health | Lincoln
• Vicki Stegeman, RN | Sidney Regional Medical Center | Sidney
• Ann Steinkraus, CNA | CHI Health Plainview | Plainview
• Abby Stewart | Fillmore County Hospital | Geneva
• Cheryl Swett, RN | Valley County Health System | Ord
• Kat Sybrant, LPN | Rock County Hospital | Bassett
• Patricia Ward | Howard County Medical Center | Saint Paul
• Jeannie Welke, CNA | Brown County Hospital | Ainsworth
• Christel Wilson | Harlan County Health System | Alma
• Bill Wood, RDCS, RDCS-P, RVT | Kearney Regional Medical Center | Kearney
• Rick Zarek, RP | Gothenburg Health | Gothenburg

About the NHA

The Nebraska Hospital Association is the unified voice for Nebraska’s hospitals and health systems. The Association offers collaborative leadership, assisting its members to provide comprehensive care to their communities, improving the health status of those communities. For more information, visit the NHA website at www.NebraskaHospitals.org.

###