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Cherokee Uniforms announced today six winners of the 2009 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award. The recipients represent a variety of healthcare professionals, from hospital employees and visiting nurses to dental hygienists and nurse anesthetists. Each one was chosen for their exemplary service and care to those in need--going above and beyond what's expected of them. "The recipients of the 2009 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award illustrate the
power that a single healthcare professional with a vision can have on their
communities, region and on their fellow man a world away," says Michael
Singer, CEO of Cherokee Uniforms. "Each is a sparkling example of the
excellence that healthcare professionals provide to countless patients across
America, and we are honored to salute these recipients." A panel of Cherokee representatives and past Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award
recipients selected the honorees. The candidates were nominated for their
exceptional service, sacrifice and innovation in one of four categories:
Advanced Practice Nurse, Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse/Licensed
Vocational Nurse, and Non-Physician Healthcare Professional. This year's Grand Prize, Top National and National Winners are: Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) Grand Prize Winner - Diana Webber, MS, ARNP - Hope Medical Clinic, Atoka, OK
With precious few medical resources available for the uninsured among 3,000
local residents, Webber, a nurse practitioner, began methodically assessing
her community's health needs. Her interviews and data revealed a need for free
healthcare in the community, and she realized that her experience and
expertise could be the difference between families getting necessary primary
care - or going without. With the support of her community, Webber founded the
Hope Medical Clinic. In addition to researching, opening and operating the
clinic and working three days a week in a pediatric clinic located 130 miles
from home, Webber provided clinical expertise on medical missions in 2008 to
Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Nicaragua. Top National Winner - Wallena Gould, CRNA, MSN - South Jersey Healthcare
System, Vineland, NJ
Concerned by the small percentage of minorities among the nation's registered
nurse anesthetists, Gould took drastic action to create change. She began
mentoring her fellow students at La Salle University, in Philadelphia, and
even reached out to minority students at other universities. In 2008,
balancing a successful career as a certified registered nurse anesthetist
(CRNA) and family obligations, the former Ernst & Young auditor launched the
nonprofit Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program to inform, empower
and mentor underprivileged minority students. Since her time as a student,
Gould has mentored approximately 2,000 CRNAs or CRNA candidates, including
high school students, resulting in an estimated 80 minority CRNAs joining the
profession since 2003. Registered Nurses (RNs) Grand Prize Winner - Diaraye Sylla, RN, BSN - University of Texas M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
After seeing the immense healthcare needs of the people in her home country of
Guinea, Sylla, a clinical nurse, believed she could make a difference. On her
own initiative, she found a financial supporter who agreed to fuel her vision.
She helped found American Friends of Guinea (AFG), a nonprofit that she now
leads as a volunteer president which has saved the lives of thousands of
medically underserved Guineans by providing free medications, supplies and
services to health centers and hospitals in the West African country. Top National Winner - Andrea Parkhill, RN, BSN - Visiting Nurses Association
of Central Jersey, Eatontown, NJ
Parkhill greatly improved the living conditions and emotional health of local
senior citizens by devoting countless hours and personal funds to bring about
dramatic change in their building. While visiting a woman, Parkhill discovered
unsafe living conditions. She not only took the initiative to thoroughly clean
and refurbish the apartment, she took the woman's cats to a veterinarian and
personally paid for their care and purchased clothes for the woman as a gift.
While working with the patient, Parkhill noticed that other residents of the
housing complex demonstrated signs of grief and depression. She collaborated
with a social worker to address causes and was so successful that the approach
is now being expanded. Licensed Practical Nurses/Licensed Vocational Nurses (LPNs/LVNs)
Grand Prize Winner - Rosetta White, LPN - Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte,
NC
A nurse in the maternity unit of Carolinas Medical Center for all 39 years of
her career, White works tirelessly to meet the clinical and personal needs of
mothers and their newborns. If a patient needs clothes for herself or her
baby, White will unfailingly find them. She has even gone to patients' homes
to deliver items they have left behind, knowing they did not have
transportation to return to the hospital. White sacrifices personal time to
serve area residents through public service and fundraising for area
charities. Non-Physician Healthcare Professionals Grand Prize Winner - Stacey Anderson, RDH - School District of Superior,
Superior, WI
Anderson, a registered dental hygienist, is the first dental professional to
have been honored in the award's seven-year history. After providing dental
hygiene services and oral health education for more than 20 years in private
practice, Anderson borrowed money and used her own savings in order to be able
to concentrate on more effectively preventing and reducing dental disease
among underserved and uninsured children from low-income families. Now she
teaches students in 17 elementary and middle schools in two states about oral
hygiene and nutrition and works closely with school nurses to manage the care
of children who have severe tooth decay. In 2008, her service provided mobile
clinic services and education during more than 1,300 patient visits. Since the Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award was established in 2003, more than
7,000 healthcare professionals have been nominated in the Registered Nurse,
Advanced Practice Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse,
Student Nurse and Non-Physician Healthcare Professional categories. A panel of
Cherokee representatives and past Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award recipients
evaluates nominations and grants the awards. For every nomination, Cherokee Uniforms donated $1 to Nurse's House, a
national fund that provides short-term financial assistance to registered
nurses facing serious hardship. Proceeds from Cherokee Uniforms products
support healthcare professionals through initiatives such as the Cherokee
Inspired Comfort Award, scholarships for students enrolled in nursing school
and an inspirational film for nurses. Cherokee Uniforms will be accepting
nominations for the 2010 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award beginning March 1
through May 31, 2010. For further information on the award, please visit
http://inspiredcomfort.com or receive updates on Twitter- @InspiredComfort.
About Cherokee Uniforms
Cherokee Uniforms, Tooniforms and Cherokee Footwear are leading brands in
healthcare apparel, recognized for helping to foster a warmer, friendlier,
more comfortable environment for healthcare workers and their patients. For
more information, visit www.CherokeeUniforms.com.
Source: Company release, Los Angeles, CA, October 26
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