Three WellStar Nurses Garner March of Dimes Award for Excellence in Nursing

Three nurses from WellStar Health System were among 16 Georgia nurses who were honored at The Georgia Chapter of the March of Dimes’ 2014 Nurse of the Year Awards on Saturday, November 1 at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta.

“Nurses are critical to the mission of improving the health of babies – and are key in comforting families,” said Sheila Ryan, State Director of the March of Dimes Georgia Chapter. “We are proud to see how the profession of nursing has dramatically grown and changed and are honored to give recognition to Georgia’s nurses who are heroes in the medical community.”

Through Nurse of the Year Awards, the March of Dimes recognizes nurses who demonstrate exceptional patient care, compassion, and service. Whether serving as a healthcare provider, educator, researcher, or chapter volunteer/advisor, these nurses have played a critical role in improving the health of Georgia’s residents.

WellStar Kennestone Hospital emergency trauma nurse, Sarah Holt, RN of Cartersville received top honors for her work with patients, colleagues and third world communities. She often supports patients during the worst day, and sometimes the darkest hour of their lives and readily shares her critical care knowledge with newer nurses in the trauma unit. She has also spent time teaching the importance of hand washing, first aid and water sanitation in Kenya.

LeeAnna Spiva, MSN, Ph.D., of Jasper serves as WellStar director of nursing research and professional practice. She was honored for her work mentoring nurses and providing guidance in developing research studies, analyzing data and more. Spiva has been instrumental in strengthening the relationship between academia and practice to improve nursing. She is an abstract reviewer for the 2015 American Nurses Association’s Quality Care Conference and a member of the American Academy of Nursing.

WellStar Kennestone Hospital Mother/Baby unit nurse Laurie Fugitt, RN of East Cobb was honored for her advocacy and founding the Georgia Overdose Prevention Group. The advocates lobbied to get a Georgia bill passed that expands access to naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote and offers medical amnesty for 911 calls at the scene of alcohol and drug overdoses. The law was signed and went into effect immediately on April 24, 2014.

Nurse of the Year Awards are given annually in 16 award categories. More than 800 nurses were nominated in Georgia in 2014. The award recipients were determined by a distinguished selection committee comprised of healthcare professionals.

Nurse of the Year Awards are given annually in 16 award categories. More than 800 nurses were nominated in Georgia in 2014. The award recipients were determined by a distinguished selection committee comprised of healthcare professionals.

About March of Dimes

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

About WellStar Health System

Recognized as the fifth most integrated healthcare delivery system in the country, WellStar Health System is the largest not-for-profit health system in Georgia and serves a population of more than 1.4 million residents in five counties. The vision of WellStar is to deliver world-class healthcare. A national leader in the transformation of healthcare delivery, WellStar launched the Center for Health Transformation and the Georgia Health Collaborative that will have far-reaching effects on healthcare both locally and nationally. WellStar includes WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (anchored by WellStar Kennestone Hospital) and WellStar Cobb, Douglas, Paulding and Windy Hill hospitals; WellStar Medical Group; Urgent Care Centers; Health Parks; Pediatric Center; Health Place; Homecare; Hospice; Atherton Place; Paulding Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; and the WellStar Foundation. For more information, call 770-956-STAR or visit wellstar.org.