Health & Wellness
Top Nurses 2021: The List
Our seventh-annual awards program salutes a profession that’s the backbone of health care.
EXCELLENCE IN NURSING 2021
TOTAL SPECIALTIES: 19
TOTAL NOMINATIONS: 283
TOTAL WINNERS: 105
Acute Care/Family Practice/General Medicine
TAKIYA FOXX
Nurse Manager University of Maryland Midtown Campus
DEB HOCKETT
Endoscopy Department Mercy Medical Center
KATHERINE MALONEY
Ambulatory Nurse Care Coordinator University of Maryland Medical Center
KELLY MORRIS
Infection Preventionist MedStar Harbor Hospital
JENNIFER O’DONNELL
Permanent Charge Nurse Intermediate Care MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
BIKASH OJHA
University of Maryland Medical Center 11 East Medicine Telemetry
BARBARA RICHMOND
Adult/Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, Center for Successful Aging, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
ELIZABETH RICHMOND
Center for Successful Aging-Geriatrics MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
JACQUELYN SNYDER
Post-Anesthesia Care MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
MEGAN VAN HOY
Charge Nurse, Gastroenterology MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
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MARGARET OWOEYE
Case Management, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
“If I hadn’t chosen nursing, I’d be a defense lawyer or a pilot. Both challenging. Both complex.”
Cardiovascular
KAY AMES
Cardiac Observation Medstar Union Memorial Hospital
LAURA CHOWDHRY
Medical Surgical Cardiac Mercy Medical Center
JOEY (FRANK) CORASANITI
Cardiac Cath Lab University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center
GRAHAM DOUGHERTY
Comprehensive Cardiac Pulmonary Care Unit MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
SHARLENE FAIR
Cardiac Operating Room/ Open Heart Surgery Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
JACQUETTA JENNINGS
Clinical Nurse Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital
SABANAM SHRESTHA
Cardiac Step-Down Unit MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
THOMAS TROBIANO
Director of Clinical Operations Program in Transplantation/ Cardiothoracic Transplant NP University of Maryland Medical Center
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TAKIYA FOXX
Nurse Manager, University of Maryland Midtown Campus
“The most gratifying thing about my job is leading and witnessing the career growth of the individuals that I manage.”
Case Management
HELEN HASH
Manager of Case Management University of Maryland Medical Center
MARGARET OWOEYE
Case Management Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
Community care/Ambulatory care
SHARON EILER
Nurse Care Coordinator University of Maryland Medical Center
LISA FREEMAN
Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Northwest Hospital
CHARLENE HARROD-OWUAMNA
Ambulatory Service Family Health and Wellness Grace Medical Center
BERNADETTE KROL
Ambulatory Care MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
KAREN LYONS
Nurse Manager, Ambulatory Services University of Maryland Medical Center
Educator
JADE FLINN
Nurse Educator, Biocontainment Unit The Johns Hopkins Hospital
NICHOLE JANTZI
Assistant Director, Nursing and Clinical Education Johns Hopkins Community Physicians
MARIA MALINSKI
Family Education Department UM St. Joseph’s Medical Center
SARAH STEWARD
ED Clinical Coach LifeBridge Health Sinai Hospital
VANESSA VELEZ
Director of Professional Practice, Education, and Research GBMC HealthCare
Emergency Department
CHAD BOWMAN
Team Coordinator, Special Operations Response Team Lifeline Critical Care Transport Team The Johns Hopkins Hospital
JOHN BROUGHTON
Emergency MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
ANGIE FEURER
Director of Critical Care, Emergency Services and Medicine GBMC HealthCare
HENRY INEGBENOSUN
Clinical Nurse II, Adult Emergency Department The University of Maryland Medical Center
SARA MANIKHI
Emergency MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
SHERI MILLER
Emergency Department Registered Nurse, Information Systems Coordinator Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
ELIZABETH NASH
Nurse Manager, Emergency Department University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center
ASHLEY PENNINGTON
Clinical Unit Coordinator Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital
ELLEN SVEHLA
Emergency MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
Hospice/ Home Health/ Palliative Care
NATALIE COLEMAN
Clinical Manager Gilchrist Kids
MARGIE SCHMIER
Care Coordinator The Lisa Vogel Agency
Intensive Care
BRIAN AVARITT
Clinical Nurse II, Post Anesthesia Care Unit Mercy Medical Center
JENNIFER DELANEY
Clinical Nurse Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital
DEVONNE HURST
Clinical Nurse II, Rapid Response Nurse, Charge Nurse University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center
LOUIE LEE
Senior Clinical Nurse II, Biocontainment Unit & Critical Care Resuscitation Unit University of Maryland Medical Center, Shock Trauma Center
CESAR JESUS
VISURRAGA
Nurse Anesthesiologist Baltimore VAMHCS
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CESAR JESUS VISURRAGA
Nurse Anesthesiologist, Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore
“The biggest change I would like to see in health care is an environment with more women and minorities as health care providers.”
Management/ Nurse Executives
STEPHEN BENKO
Nurse Manager, Unit 38 (COVID Unit), Medicine/Telemetry GBMC HealthCare
SARA BURCHILL
Nurse Manager, Emergency Department Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
ROBINAH CAMPBELL
Nurse Manager, Oncology The Johns Hopkins Hospital
KATHY GRZESKIEWICZ
Clinical Administrator, Critical Care & ED MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
NAT’E MONIQUE GUYTON
VP, Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer University of Maryland Medical Center, Midtown Campus
CHRISTINA KONTOGEORGOS
Assistant Patient Care Manager Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
CATE O’CONNOR-DEVLIN
Performance Improvement/Innovation and Patient Experience Administration GBMC HealthCare
CHRIS ROBERGE
Manager, Performance Improvement Utilization Quality Management MedStar Harbor Hospital
GINA SHELLEY
Director, Nursing Practice Innovation MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
REBECCA STOVER
Nurse Clinical Systems Project Manager GBMC HealthCare
STACEY TROTMAN
Critical Care/Leadership Mercy Medical Center
Medical-Surgical Nursing
KRISTIN KRAUS
Operating Room Mercy Medical Center
XEAMORA LYNCH
Observation Medstar Union Memorial
HEATHER LYON
Permanent Charge Nurse, Medical Surgical, Stroke MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
ANGELA M. MURRELL
Sandra and Malcolm Berman Comprehensive Breast Care Center GBMC HealthCare
SHARON ROSSI
Director, Perioperative Services and Endoscopy Services GBMC HealthCare
MINETTE SANTOS
Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital
JAMIE SNEDIKER
Stroke Medical Unit Northwest Hospital
CHANELLE TANG
RN II, Medical Surgical/COVID MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
JILL WHEELER
Director of Infection Prevention, Specialty & Inpatient Surgery Wound/Ostomy/HBO GBMC HealthCare
KRISTY WHEELER
Senior Clinical Nurse II, Service Line Coordinator of Acute Care Emergency Surgery University of Maryland Medical Center
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CHAD BOWMAN
Team Coordinator, Special Operations Response Team, Lifeline Critical Care Transport Team, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
“As a transport nurse, we are moving critically ill patients who may need a time-sensitive medical intervention or require tertiary care. The most gratifying part of my job is getting the patient safely to the care they need and knowing that we were instrumental in giving them a chance for the best possible outcome.”
Neurology/ Psychology/ Behavioral Health
HANNAH BLOOM
Certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
LORA CLAWSON
Founder and Director of ALS Clinic Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
KAREN WASHINGTON
Behavioral Health Northwest Hospital
Oncology
MARIA CUARESMA
Oncology Assistant Manager Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital
STEPHEN DAILY
Outpatient Infusion Oncology Mercy Medical Center
MYLENE R. DE VERA
Senior Clinical Nurse II, Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center
LORI FRAILER
Registered Nurse III, Infusion and Cancer Center Northwest Hospital
MAUREEN KLEIN
Specialty Infusion Oncology Mercy Medical Center
CLIFTON THORNTON
Nurse Practitioner Pediatric Oncology Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
Orthopedics
CHERYL GEARY
OR Clinical Coordinator, Crane OR Mercy Medical Center
SUSAN KOLLER
Registered Nurse IV, Surgical Orthopedics Northwest Hospital
VALERIYA MOROZ
Inpatient Orthopedics Medstar Union Memorial Hospital
SHEREENA SORRELL-WHITAKER
Certified Family Nurse Practitioner University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Institute
ELIZA ZENCZYKIEWICZ
Orthopedic Operating Room Medstar Union Memorial Hospital
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MÉLANGE (MEME) DAVIS SCOTT
Mother Baby Post-Partum, Mercy Medical Center
“My biggest challenge this year was being pregnant during the pandemic while working at the patients’ bedsides and personally experiencing COVID after my own positive diagnosis.” [Davis has since recovered.]
Pediatrics
CARRIE BEALEFELD
Lead Clinical Nurse, Ambulatory Services The Johns Hopkins Hospital
HEATHER DEWAN
Clinical Applications Manager, IT Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital
YAFFA ELEFANT
Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Unit Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital
AGNES IHEDIOHAMMA
Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital at Capital Region Health
ERICA JONES
Director of Infection Prevention Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital
COLLEEN NEIDIG
Nurse Manager Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital at Capital Region Health
CLIFTON THORNTON
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Division of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Herman & Walter Samuelson Children’s Hospital at Sinai
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VALERIYA MOROZ
Inpatient Orthopedics, Medstar Union Memorial Hospital
“The most gratifying thing about my job is seeing patients smile and feel better during their most challenging moments of their life.”
Psychiatric Nurse
TIARA COLLINS
Charge Nurse, Behavioral Health Unit University of Maryland Medical Center, Midtown
AMANDA DAVIS
Assistant Director, Behavioral Health and Crisis Intervention Services MedStar Harbor Hospital
ED MACSHERRY
Community Psychiatry Program Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
MARLENE MEYER
Lead Clinical Nurse, Psychiatry Nursing The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Rehabilitation
ROEUL CIMAFRANCA
Charge Nurse Subacute Northwest Hospital
AMANDA MITTELSTETTER
Rehab MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
MYLENE MYERS
Rehab MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
KIMBERLY QUADRINI-ELLIOTT
Rehab MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
Research
BETH ONNERS
Immunology Oncology Research Nurse The Johns Hopkins Hospital
NANCY TAIT
Research Nurse Coordinator Oncology University of Maryland
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STEPHEN BENKO
Nurse Manager, Unit 38 (COVID Unit), Medicine/Telemetry, GBMC HealthCare
“Our unit took the point position in caring for COVID-19 patients for an extended period of time, particularly at the beginning of the pandemic. So, the biggest thing to shoulder, from a purely nursing and humanistic point of view, was seeing the morbidity, mortality, and suffering caused by the disease.”
Senior Services
GINA RANIERI-BENDER
Clinical Manager Gilchrist Center Towson
JEANNE LEONARD
Regional Director of Health and Wellness Brightview Senior Living
TINA MAGGIO
Clinical Manager Gilchrist Center Towson
CECILIA “CECE” MAMBO
Health Services Director Brightview Mays Chapel Ridge
KATHERINE PACKETT
Clinical Manager Gilchrist Center Baltimore
KERRY AVANT
Clinical Manager Gilchrist Center Howard
Women's Health
CRISTINA AQUIA HAAS
Senior Clinical Nurse II, Labor & Delivery UM St. Joseph Medical Center
MÉLANGE (MEME)
DAVIS SCOTT
Mother Baby Post-Partum Mercy Medical Center
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