The UT Southwestern Health System fosters the personal and professional excellence of nurses by recognizing their continuous efforts to advance practice, improve outcomes, and promote well-being. The administration of nursing excellence supports the ongoing professional development of nurses at all levels by advancing the practice of nurses and providing a platform to recognize and reward their achievements. The focus of those efforts is established through the collective work of sections within nursing excellence, including:
- Clinical Education and Professional Development
- Magnet Program Criteria (which encompasses Shared Governance)
- Nursing Research
- Rewards and Recognition
In 2023, the successes of our amazing nurses were recognized and rewarded in many ways, in part through accolades such as the awards that we proudly feature in this section.
Meritorious Service Awards 2023
An important part of our culture of excellence is to recognize and reward those who have gone above and beyond in their work. The Meritorious Service Award is conferred annually to UT Southwestern nurses and other employees who have provided extraordinary service and care to our patients and demonstrated an excellent work ethic and performance. Employees throughout the system are recognized for this award and nominated by patients, families, clinical or departmental staff, or leadership. Nurses are often honored among the recipients, who both exemplify PACT standards and serve as role models to the campus.
The 2023 nurse recipients were:
Gerald Adams, RN
Emergency Department
Mylyn Agpawa, B.S.N., RN, CMSRN, CCRN
2 Orange, SICU
Soby Andrews, B.S.N., RN
11 Orange, Surgical Oncology
Lilie Anne, B.S.N., RN, CMSRN
7 Green, Solid Organ Transplant
Taylore Aure, B.S.N., RN, AMB-BC
Ambulatory Float Pool
Marie Ballesteros, B.S.N., RN, CMSRN
12 Green, CUH Med-Surg
Brittanie Baskin, B.S.N., RN, CMSRN
10 Green, CUH Med-Surg
Jeanette Batingana, RN, PCCN
6 Orange, CUH Med-Surg
Kelly Baxter-Duke, B.S.N., RN
7 Green, Solid Organ Transplant
Jinna (Paola) Beltran, B.S.N., RN
Float Pool
Arif Bhatti, B.S.N., RN
10 Blue, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Ashley Boothe, AGACNP-BC
Advanced Practice Provider
Alicia Bosse, B.S.N., RN, CMSRN
Ambulatory CEPD
Erica Brown, APRN, PNP-AC/PC
Advanced Practice Provider
Angela Buchman, B.S.N., RN, BMTCN, OCN
11 Blue, Bone Marrow Transplant/Oncology
Thomas Butler, B.S.N., RN, CMSRN
Emergency Department
Kelly Cale, B.S.N., RN
Emergency Department
Courtney Campbell, M.S.N., APRN, NNP-BC
Advanced Practice Provider
Kim (Hyun) Cha, RN
Kidney Transplant
Jenny Cheng, B.S.N., RN, AAACN
Radiation Oncology
Stephanie Cofer, B.S.N., RN
8 Orange, ASU/EMU
Meagan Contreras, B.S.N., RN
Neurological Surgery
Maria Crain, CPNP-PC
Advanced Practice Provider
Shellye Crawford, M.S.N., APRN, PNP-PC
Advanced Practice Provider – Pediatric Orthopaedics
Shereen Cruz, B.S.N., RN, CNOR
OR
Rosemary Davis, B.S.N., RN
Cath Lab
Marilyn Domangue, B.S.N., RN
Float Pool
Baleigh Duncan, RN
Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Rojimol Elengical, B.S.N., RN, RCIS
8 Green, Pulmonary/Telemetry
Anel Espinal, B.S.N., RN
Imaging Services, Vascular Access
Amabelle Garciano, B.S.N., RN-BC
12 Green, CUH Med-Surg
Kimberlee Giddens, LVN
Weight Wellness Clinic
Sadaf Gillani, B.S.N., RN
12 Green, CUH Med-Surg
Katie Ginder, M.S.N., APRN, AGACNP-BC
Advanced Practice Provider – Cardiology
Miriam Gonzales, B.S.N., RN, BMTCN
11 Blue, Bone Marrow Transplant/Oncology
Leslie Green, B.S.N., RN, CMSRN
11 Blue, Bone Marrow Transplant/Oncology
Kathleen Gruber, B.S.N., RN
8 Blue, MICU
Maribel Hamac, B.S.N., RN, SCRN
8 Orange, ASU/EMU
Leslie Harrison, RN, OCN
Transplant and Cellular Therapy Clinic
Diane Alexander Hartnell, RN
Richardson/Plano Medical Center
Jamie Hatley, B.S.N., RN
Patient Care Services Administration
Florence Hermosisima, B.S.N., RN
7 Orange, CUH Med-Surg
Risper Ireri, M.S.N., RN, PCCN
PACU
Mona Jackson, RN
Med Surg/Transplant
Dawn Jenkins, RN
Home Health
Christina Joe, B.S.N., RN
6 Green, Surgical Specialty
Amy John, B.S.N., RN-BC
12 Green, CUH Med-Surg
Shawnda Jones, B.S.N., RN, PCCN
10 Blue, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Kara Kelly, APRN, PNP-AC
Advanced Practice Provider
Lisa Kielpinski, RN, CMSRN
6 Green, Surgical Specialty
Jung Kim, A.D.N., RN
Ambulatory Float Pool
Megan Lamacki, B.S.N., RN
Advanced Heart and Lung Clinic
Julianna Lee, B.S.N., RN, AMB-BC
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Kamryn LeFan, B.S.N., RN, CMSRN
10 Green, CUH Med-Surg
Peyton Link, B.S.N., RN
Emergency Department
Barbara Lohrenz, A.D.N., RN
Dialysis
Regina Lowe, LVN
Urology Clinic
Valerie Madziar-Miller, B.S.N., RN, GERO-BC
12 Blue, CUH Med-Surg
Annette Mancuso, PMHNP-BC
Advanced Practice Provider
Betty Mathew, B.S.N., RN, SCRN
8 Orange, ASU/EMU
Minimol Mathew, B.S.N., RN
7 Orange, CUH Med-Surg
Priyanka Mathew, A.D.N., RN
Ambulatory Float Pool
Nicole Mosby Mayes, M.S.N., B.S.N., RN
Neurology
Mirella Mays, FNP-C
Advanced Practice Provider
Anne McCormack. B.S.N., RN
Heart/Lung Clinic
Marissa McDaniel, B.S.N., RN, SCRN
8 Orange, ASU/EMU
Monica Methi, B.S.N., RN
12 Orange, CUH Med-Surg
Kimberly Nelson, M.S.N., RNC-OB
Ambulatory CEPD
Trung Nguyen, B.S.N., RN, CCRN
Float Pool
Jessica Nowlin, A.D.N., RN
Ob/Gyn and MFM – Medical Center at Las Colinas
Kristie Nweke, B.S.N., RN
10 Green, CUH Med-Surg
Sandy Page, M.S.N., RN, OCN
Ambulatory CEPD
Jimmy Penn, M.S.N., APRN, FNP-C, CDCES
Advanced Practice Provider
Elizabeth (EJ) Phillips, M.S.N.-Ed., RN, BMTCN, NPD-BC
Ambulatory CEPD
Shiby Plackal, B.S.N., RN
6 Green, Surgical Specialty
Anita Ponce, B.S.N., RN
8 Green, Pulmonary/Telemetry
Jocelyn Ponce, B.S.N., RN, CMSRN
7 Green, Solid Organ Transplant
Meril Punnoose, B.S.N., RN, ONC
11 Green, Medical Oncology
Victoria Rudd, B.S.N., RN
11 Blue, Bone Marrow Transplant/Oncology
Nadiyah Sa'id-West, B.S.N., RN, LMSW
5 Blue, Fellow Graduate
Mark Snyman, B.S.N., RN
6 Orange, CUH Med-Surg
Lindsey Tanaka, B.S.N., RN
Patient Care Services Administration
Chanida “Apple” Tanghongs, B.S.N., RN, QIA
Apheresis
Sarah Tatlock, B.S.N., RN, BMTCN
11 Blue, Bone Marrow Transplant/Oncology
Kedrica Taylor, M.S.N., RN, PCCN
Float Pool
Haley Terry, B.S.N., RN
10 Blue, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Anitha Thomas, B.S.N., RN, PCCN
10 Blue, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Kaitlyn Thomas, B.S.N., RN
11 Blue, Bone Marrow Transplant/Oncology
Shanna Tims, B.S.N., RN
7 Green, Solid Organ Transplant
Hue Tran, B.S.N., RN, CCRN
9 Blue, CVICU
Kirsten Venghaus, B.S.N., RN
7 Green, Solid Organ Transplant
Jenny Vo, B.S.N., RN, BMSRN
8 Orange, ASU/EMU
Cecily Washington, RN
Mineral Metabolism Clinic
Megan Westing, B.S.N., RN, CNOR
OR
Lindsey Whitmeyer, B.S.N., RN
Emergency Department
Anna Williams, B.S.N., RN, AMB-BC
Park Cities Medical Center
Crystal Yates, RN
Aston Infusion Clinic
Fatemeh Youssefi, Ph.D., RN, OCN
Transplant and Cellular Infusion Clinic
Fiker Zeray, APRN, CPNP-PC
Advanced Practice Provider
Ronald Zuber, RN
Emergency Department
Alyssa Zuercher, B.S.N., RN
11 Blue, Bone Marrow Transplant/Oncology
2023 DAISY Award Honorees
The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), an autoimmune disease. After witnessing the skilled and compassionate nursing care Patrick received, the Barnes family created the DAISY Award to celebrate nurses for the profound and lasting impact they have on patients, families, and co-workers.
For more than 15 years, UTSW has partnered with the DAISY Foundation to honor nurses with the DAISY Award and to say “thank you” for the extraordinary work they do. The award committee selects nurses each quarter from a hospital or hospital-based clinic who exemplifies our mission. The recipient receives a DAISY Award pin, a Healer’s Touch hand-carved statue, and an award certificate. In addition, recognizing that excellence takes a team, the selected nurse’s unit receives a banner to post for the month and freshly baked sweet treats for everyone on the day the award is presented.
Any nurse working at UTSW can be nominated for the award. There are four different categories of DAISY Awards offered at UTSW, which are: the individual nurse award, the leader award, the team award, and the lifetime achievement award. To date, more than 100 nurses have been recognized as DAISY honorees at UTSW.
UT Southwestern DAISY honorees in 2023 were:
D Magazine 2023 Excellence in Nursing Awards
Every year, several dozen nurses from across the Metroplex are awarded the D Magazine Excellence in Nursing Award. Nominations are received from across the region and address three questions regarding how nurses have affected the lives of others through their communities and profession. The editors select the best nominations and send them to a panel of esteemed registered nurses in various fields to choose the final awardees for the year.
The three categories are: Direct Patient Care, Education/Research, and Leadership.
UT Southwestern is proud to salute our 12 recipients of the 2023 D Magazine Excellence in Nursing Awards. They are:
