Awards & Recognition
Recognizing excellence in nursing
Montefiore is proud to share a selection of staff accolades reflecting excellence in patient care, research and commitment to the community.
Excellence in Oncology Nursing Award
Developed by our own nurses, the Excellence in Oncology Nursing Award will recognize an outstanding Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center nurse. Starting in 2025, the award will be presented annually at a program featuring a nationally recognized oncology nursing leader. The recipient will receive a certificate and cash award. Learn more
Wakefield Magnet® Recognition for Nursing Excellence 2022
The Joan H. Bilder Award
Joan H. Bilder was appointed in 1965 to the position of Associate Director of Nursing at the Weiler Division. She served until her death from cancer in 1987. Joan will always be remembered for her caring, concern, dedication to patient care, commitment to education, the many kindnesses she did for her co-workers, her sense of humor and discipline, and her devotion to the profession of nursing.
This annual award is given to encourage and continue the excellence in clinical nursing practice that Joan believed in so deeply and demonstrated in her own practice. She and the recipients are honored through this annual award that bears her name for these attributes, especially her kindness.
Joan H. Bilder Award Recipients
*2020-2022 no award was given due to COVID-19.
2023 Award Winner
Wendy Irizarry, BSN, RN - CHAM
Lisa Hoyte, BSN, RN - Weiler Hospital, Einstein Campus
Ryan Gil, BSN, RN, CCRN - Wakefield
Mary Alevis, BSN, RN - Moses
2019 Award Winner
Selena Thomas, RN - Moses
2018 Award Winner
Karen Wright, RN-BC, MS, OCN, BMTCN - Moses
2017 Award Winner
Elvia Payne, RN, CPN, MSN, MHA - Moses
2016 Award Winner
Veronica Butts, MS, RN - Wakefield
2015 Award Winner
Dana Kaye Edwards, MSN, RNC - Einstein
2014 Award Winner
Paula Ferrante, Med, RNC, IBCLC - Einstein
2013 Award Winner
Farley Villarente, MSN, RN, FNP, CNOR, CAPA - Einstein
2012 Award Winner
Bridget Kumbella, MA, RN - Wakefield
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses
The DAISY Award, given to those fighting against Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem, proudly honors nurses deserving of profound respect for the education, training, brainpower and skill they put into their work, and especially for the empathy with which they deliver their care. It recognizes nurses wherever they practice, in whatever role they serve, and throughout their careers—from nursing student through lifetime achievement.
DAISY Award Recipients
2022
February 2022
Claudine Wright, MSN - Wakefield
May 2022
Justin Ryan, RN - Wakefield
2021
May 2021
Christopher Pimental, BSN, RN - CHAM
April 2021
Jiang Chen, RN - Wakefield
Jennifer Rodriguez, RN - Moses
Amandeep Singh, RN - Moses
March 2021
Gabrielle Rendon, RN - Wakefield
Marlene Thompson, RN - Wakefield
January 2021
Sasha Morgan, MSN, RN -CHAM
2020
December 2020
Yanil Rodriguez, RN - Wakefield
Sheela John, RN - Moses
Danique Mcfarlane, RN - Moses
November 2020
Oma Raphal, BSN, RN - Wakefield
August 2020
Dawn Maldonado, BSN, RN - CHAM
Kristen Sammon, BSN, RN - CHAM
July 2020
Loales Cruz, BSN, RN - Wakefield
June 2020
Tara Anderson, RN - Moses
Roshundia Jeffers Martin, RN - Moses
Ahou Faty Mbaye, RN, BSN - Moses
March 2020
Evegniya Duagiala, RN - Moses
Lavonne Leslie, RN, BSN - Moses
Mary Minter, RN, BSN - Moses
February 2020
Sandy Loor Gomez, RN, BSN - Einstein
Merna Mclendon, RN - Einstein
Emirjona Nacaj, RN, BSN - Wakefield
2019
December 2019
Maxine Frith, BSN, RN-BC - Moses
Dustin Tomeo, RN, BSN - Moses
November 2019
Heather Elliot Beckford, RN, BSN - Wakefield
October 2019
Elizabeth Martinez, BSN, RN - CHAM
Nurse of Distinction Awards
The 1199SEIU (United Healthcare Workers East) Nurse of Distinction Awards honor peer-nominated Registered Nurses for outstanding achievement and commitment to patient-centered care. The culture of care recognized by the nursing awards is fast becoming the national standard. The labor-management partnership that makes the SEIU Nurse of Distinction Awards possible illustrates how nurses, and patients, benefit from effective collaboration.
Nurse of Distinction (1199SEIU) Award Honorees
2022
Nurse of Distinction Winner
Percy Chene-Dansoh, BSN, RN
2021
Nurse of Distinction Winner
Jaclyn Bazarnick
Novice Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Cristina Imburgia
Nurse Preceptor of the Year Nominee
Monica Thompson
2019
Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Mary O'Keeffe
Novice Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Cody Denari
Nurse Preceptor of the Year Nominee
Pauline Kay Polanco
Nurse Leader of the Year Nominee
Amor Espino
2018
Nurse of Distinction Winner
Evelin Hernandez
Novice Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Yaniek McDonald
Nurse Preceptor of the Year Nominee
Mark Andrew de Jesus
2017
Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Diana Limbaga
Novice Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Yasha Stine
Nurse Preceptor of the Year Nominee
Kathleen O'Donnell
Nurse Leader of the Year Nominee
Elizabeth Dolan
2016
Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Veronica Butts
Novice Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Jessica Camacho
Nurse Preceptor of the Year Nominee
Diana Limbaga
Nurse Leader of the Year Winner
Avis Plummer
2015
Nurse of Distinction Second Runner-Up
Ronette Shaw
Novice Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Qian Chen
Nurse Preceptor of the Year Nominee
Estela Pascua
Nurse Leader of the Year Nominee
Marie Morelli
2014
Nurse of Distinction First Runner-Up
Farley Villarente
Novice Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Raymund Garcia
Nurse Preceptor of the Year Nominee
Vincentia Hyppolyte
Nurse Leader of the Year Nominee
Ketty Floyd
2013
Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Stephanie Hrvatin
Novice Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Kareem Hill
Nurse Preceptor of the Year Nominee
Kevin Bowden
Nurse Leader of the Year Nominee
Linda Rucker
2012
Nurse of Distinction Nominee
Thomas Fitzsimmons
Novice Nurse of Distinction Winner
Lorraine Lamm
Nurse Preceptor of the Year Nominee
Bernadette Keelan
The Merkatz Family Award for Nursing Excellence in Maternal-Child Health
This award, given by the Merkatz Family Foundation, recognizes excellence in maternal-child health nursing through the identification of a nursing care problem. This recognition results in scientifically based interventions and prompts changes in nursing practices or stimulates nursing research to explore new approaches to advance the nursing care of mothers and infants.
2021 Merkatz Family Award Recipients
Mary O'Keeffe, BSN, RN-BC - Wakefield Labor & Delivery
Selina Aboagye, RN, MSN - Einstein Labor & Delivery
American Nurse All-Pro Nursing Team award
This year’s All Pro Nursing Team winner, Clinical Faculty/Montefiore Learning Network at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, put their already strong communication skills, professionalism and responsiveness to work when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. The Bronx was hit particularly hard by the virus—the hospital had two patients with COVID-19 on March 11, 2020, and 2,000 just one month later. This team of educators was tasked with developing a safe, rapid-training plan to meet surge capacity.
They created mandatory redeployment training days to “skill up” over 600 nurses within a month, including education specific to COVID-19—respiratory and cardiac care, strict infection control practices and proning. They also provided socially distanced skills sessions for central line dressings, patient-controlled analgesia pumps, indwelling urinary catheter insertion, peripheral IV insertion and line management, phlebotomy, and personal protective equipment. When the team’s classrooms and learning center conference area were turned into COVID-19 facilities, team leadership found alternate locations, many off-site, that met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
In the team’s words
“We all agree that this has been the hardest months of any of our professional lives. To the outside world, all clinicians seem to display a brave face… but the truth is we faced the same fears as everyone else. To reduce the emotional toll, we invested time in each other, each day, simply by asking ‘How are you today?’ The daily communication provided us with mental health stability, which can never be overestimated. Oddly enough, despite its challenges, this pandemic brought a renewed sense of solidarity and continues to be an enriching personal and professional experience.
“As clinical faculty, we’re not direct patient care providers, at least not by job description. However, when not teaching, we were on the units assisting our nursing colleagues on the frontlines…bringing them food and providing encouragement. We may have been the extra hands needed to position and turn a patient or assist them with an unfamiliar skill. We had many roles during the pandemic, but as nurses, undertaking many roles is who we are and what we do best.
“The education we provided and reinforced was evidenced by the excellent care our nurses provided. Thousands of patients were admitted to the Montefiore Health System over a three-month period. There is much to be thankful for and much more gratitude on the horizon. Once the vaccine has conquered the coronavirus and terms such as ‘quarantine’ and ‘resurge’ fade from our daily vocabulary, we’ll take a few deep breaths and reflect on what this past year has taught us. We’ll continue to take pride in knowing we did our best and hope that some good has come out of all of this. 2020, without doubt, was the year of the nurse!”