Nursing Awards
Thank You For Making A Difference
To our Donors, Thank you for your financial gifts and belief in UCLA Health nursing staff's exemplary nursing practice. Your support makes a real and substantive difference.
To our Nursing staff, UCLA Health would like to recognize and extend a special thank you for all of your invaluable contributions that have elevated the status of nursing across the healthcare spectrum. Thank you for continuously providing the highest level of care by promoting nursing excellence, infusing every day with your leadership, and fostering endless and inspiring innovations in your daily work.
UCLA Health STAR Team
Support Through Appreciation & Recognition
Quick Link: Nursing Staff Website
Congratulations to our Nursing Award Honorees!
“I am of certain convinced that the greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel.”
~ Florence Nightingale
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Nursing Awards
Clinical Leader: Christopher Lee, BSN, RN-BC, CNIII - 6W
Clinical Practitioner: Soonhee Han, BSN, RN, PCCN, CNIII - 7W
Clinical Transferor of Knowledge: Edith Solis, BSN, RN, PCCN - 7W
LVN Relationship-Based Care: Jennifer Gomez, LVN - Dept. of Surgery - Westwood
Nurse Scientist: Valentina Obreja, DNP, RN, CCRN, CNIII - 7ICU
Nurse Innovator: Taline Marcarian, PhD, RN, CCRN, CNIII - 7ICU
Partner-In-Care Relationship-Based Care: Nkeiruka (Nikki) Adebiyi, ACCP - Resource Team
Rising Star: Geng-Wei Lee, BSN, RN, CCRN, CNII - 4ICU
Professional Governance: Jane Hikichi, BSN, RN, CCRN, CNII - 7W
Drivers of Change: 7ICU Performance Improvement Committee
Lester and Devra Breslow Care Partner Scholarship: Joshua Song, ACCP - 8W
Lester and Devra Breslow Care Partner Scholarship: Lemei (Dora) Xiao, ACCP - FPRT
Muriel D. Casselman Humanism: Nina Park, BSN, RN, CNII - 6ICU
The Joann Conflenti Registered Nurse Scholarship Fund: Billal Khan, BSN, RN, Float Pool Nurse - FPRT
John Henry Sandbrook Annual Staff Appreciation: Lisa Gonzalez, BSN, RN, CCRN, CNIII - 7ICU
Virginia Frances Sandbrook Annual Staff Appreciation Award: Catherine Fairbanks, BSN, RN, CCRN, CNIII - 4ICU
Barco's Nightingales SM Foundation Award for Nursing Excellence: Shiow-Hwa Hwang, BSN, RN, CRNO, Ambulatory Care Patient Supervisor 2 - JSEI
Mary Erbeznik Scholarship Fund: Ryan Kuresa, BSN, RN, CCRN, Float Pool Nurse - FPRT
Pamela Jane Nye Operation Scrubs (Opi) Working Neuroscience Nurse Scholarship: Rutuja Gourkar, BSN, RN, CNII - 6N
Cathy Rodgers Ward Nursing Leadership Scholarship: Thanuttha (Tak) Tiensawang, MSN, CWON-AP, CNS - CNEX
Heidi Crooks Visionary of the Year: Katrine Murray, MSN, RN, CCRN, NE-BC - 7ICU
"For us who Nurse, our Nursing is a thing, which, unless in it we are making progress every year, every month, every week, take my word for it we are going back. The more experience we gain, the more progress we can make."
~ Florence Nightingale
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center Nursing Awards
Professional Governance: Christina Richner, BSN, RN-BC, CNII - 5NW
Drivers of Change: UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Perinatal Team
Rising Star: Pamela Minasian, BSN, RN, CNII - AMN
Colleague-in-Care: Tracy Reyes Serrano, BA, CCLS-CLS2 - Child Life Specialist
Clinical Practitioner: Rae Rios, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC, CNII - NICU
Clinical Transferor of Knowledge: Rayna Ewer, BSN, RN, OCN, CNIII - 4SW
LVN RBC: Theresa Schuerger-Salzer, Sr. LVN - Department of Medicine
Nurse Scientist: Maria Santua, RN, CNIII - Pediatric Infusion CenterNurse Innovator: Alissa McCullough, BSN, RN-BC, CNII - 6NW
Clinical Leader: Dahlia Maldonado, BSN, RN-BC, ANI - 4NW
Partner-in-Care RBC: Ever Mazariegos, CACP, Clinical / Administrative Care Partner - PACU/PTUHarding Compassion Award: Cristina Perez, CNII, BSN, RN-BC - 6NW and Robby Kashani, CNII, BSN, RN - 4NW
Leadership Excellence Award: Cecily Byron, UD, DNP, RN-BC, NEA - 4MN and Sharon Doggett, UD, MSN, RN-BC, NEA-BC - Resource Team
Mentor Award: Maninder Jasdhaul, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC - Center for Nursing Excellence
Team Excellence Award: PTU/PACU
Team Safety Award: 5NW Geriatrics
Team Spirit Award: Internal Medicine Hospitalists, Nurse Practitioners and Perinatal Service
“So, NEVER LOSE AN OPPORTUNITY OF URGING A PRACTICAL BEGINNING, however small, for it is wonderful how often in such matters the mustard-seed germinates and roots itself.”
~ Florence Nightingale
Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA Nursing Awards
Innovation of the Year: Wireless Headphones - 4E
Teammate of the Year: Kimberly Lucio - Sr. Mental Health Practitioner
Recovery Nurse of the Year: Elizabeth Brillo, BSN, RN-BC, ANI - 4E
Transformational Leader: Jomar dela Pena, BSN, RN-BC, ANI - 4E
Exemplary Professional Practice Nurse: Kenneth Matthews, BSN, RN, ANI - 4N
Evidence Based Practice Nurse: Era Hawk, MSN, RN-BC, CNII - 4E
Support Staff of the Year/Decade: Sharon Singh, Administrative Specialist
For more information contact:
Michelle Rodriguez, BSN, RN, CCRN, CSC, NE-BC
Clinical Nurse Manager
Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (7ICU)
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Karyn Greenstone
Operations Manager
CENTER for Nursing Excellence