St. Louis, Missouri, November 13, 2012 —

Seventeen Missouri nurses were honored at the inaugural March of Dimes Missouri Chapter Nurse of the Year event on November 10, 2012 at the Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, MO.  The nurses were recognized for their extraordinary level of patient care, compassion, professionalism, integrity and leadership in the nursing profession.  The winning nurses each received a crystal award and a gift certificate to Scrubs and Beyond.

More than 150 applications were submitted which were then narrowed down to 85 nominees representing 39 different health organizations.  A selection committee of health care professionals reviewed the blinded nomination forms and determined the winners. Dr. Jan DeMasters, President of the St. Louis Campus of Chamberlain College of Nursing, chaired the committee. 

Committee Members:

• Mary Lee Barron, Advanced Practice Program Director, St. Louis University School of Nursing
• Heather Cherry, Manager, Newborn Intensive Care Services, St. Louis Children’s Hospital
• Dr. Nancy Cibulka, OB/GYN Professor, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
• Christine Crain, COO, Mercy Children’s Hospital
• Katie Gruenkemeyer, Nurse Practitioner, Ranken Jordan
• Maribeth Hollinshead, Director, Women’s Services, St. Anthony’s Medical Center
• Michelle Jacobs, Education Center/Education Services, CoxHealth
• Karen Jones, Director Medical Management, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri
• Dr. Teri Murray, Dean, St. Louis University School of Nursing
• Kristi Nikes, Nurse Educator, Heartland Health
• Kim Tuck, CEO, NurseWise
• Coreen Vlodarchyk, VP, Patient Care, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
• Nancy Willard, Medical Liaison II, Watson Laboratories

Whether serving as health care provider, educator, researcher, chapter volunteer and/or advisor – nurses play a critical role in advancing the mission of March of Dimes.  Mary Elizabeth Grimes, Director of the Missouri Chapter of March Dimes, said, “We are so pleased to be recognize the outstanding contributions and commitment nurses provide to healthcare across the state of Missouri.  Although this is the first award ceremony we’ve held, March of Dimes has recognized and appreciated the contribution of nurses for almost 75 years. Nurse of the Year is an opportunity for March of Dimes, and the community, to say thank you to these wonderful caregivers who make such a difference in our lives.” 

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of all babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. The Nurse of the Year initiative supports this mission while recognizing exceptional nurses throughout the state, celebrating the profession, and creating awareness of the strides made in this growing field.

Nurses employed in the state of Missouri and Illinois counties of Jersey, Madison, St. Clair, Clinton, Monroe, and Randolph were eligible to participate.  The event was sponsored by Health Care Family Credit Union, Mercy, NurseWise, Scrubs and Beyond and Webster University. 

2012 Nurses of the Year