Nursing Legends Awards
Lavenia Diswood
Joie Glenn
Erma Marbut
Joyce Powers
June Vermillion
Distinguished Nurse of the Year Award
Heather Black – New Mexico Department of Health
"Touch a Life" Award
Karl Ngoye – Memorial Medical Center
Nurse Leadership Award
Kelly Kraitsik – New Mexico Department of Health
Emerging Nurse Leader Award
Julie Ann Abella - CHRISTUS St. Vincent
Nightingale Award
Amber Baca - UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center
Education, Research, and Academia Award
Windra Trujillo – Lovelace Medical Center
Critical Care Nursing Award
Cheryl Duran - Presbyterian Healthcare Services
Advanced Practice Nursing Award
Jennifer Williams - Presbyterian Healthcare Services
Nurse Executive Leadership Award
Suzanne Smith – San Juan Regional Medical Center
Home Health & Hospice Nursing Award
Maria Garcia - University of New Mexico Hospital Home Care
Community Service Award
Dee Billops – New Mexico Native American Indian Association
Medical and Surgical Nursing Award
Dora Rivera – Lovelace Westside Hospital
Perioperative Nursing Award
Jenna Curie - University of New Mexico Hospital
Maternal-Child and Women's Health Nursing Award
Kally Wascher – Lovelace Medical Center
Emergency Nursing Award
Larisa Liteplo- University of New Mexico Hospital
Rural Practice Award
Loriella Hayden- Presbyterian Healthcare Services
Long Term Care and Rehabilitation Nursing Award
Tiffany Isler– Lovelace UNM Rehabilitation Hospital
Case, Quality Management, Managed Care and Informatics Nursing Award
Barry Brooks – University of New Mexico Hospital
Ambulatory Nursing Award
Rebekah Holley - Presbyterian Healthcare Services
Behavioral Health Nursing Award
Marian Berg – Presbyterian Healthcare Services
Public Health, Community, and School Nursing Award
Linda Hellyer - New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division
Friend of Nursing Award
Dr. Kimberly Mohs- Indian Health Services
The New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence wants to recognize University of
New Mexico Hospital as the presenting sponsor. As Awards Patron sponsors the
event was also supported by Presbyterian Healthcare Services and CHRISTUS St.
Vincent Health System. For the seventeenth year in a row, KRQE News 13 was
this year’s Media Sponsor and anchor Kim Vallez acted at the event’s mistress of
ceremonies. The event was also made a success by the support of volunteers from
Central New Mexico Community College, Health Leadership High School,
University of New Mexico College of Nursing.
Proceeds from the Nursing Excellence Awards support the New Mexico Center
for Nursing Excellence and its mission.