May 6, 2021
SVSU Department of Nursing recognizes excellence in nursing
The SVSU Department of Nursing has recognized several area registered nurses and three nursing units for their contributions to the regional community and extraordinary dedication to public health over the past year. Recipients of the 2021 Carleen K. Moore Nursing Excellence Award are:
Acute Care Nursing
- Amber Alaniz, oncology unit, MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland
- Heather Kinney, operating room/post-anesthesia care unit, Ascension St. Mary's Hospital at Towne Center
- Jessica Kleinfeld, Great Lakes Bay Health Centers
- Sue Lennon, employee health and wellness, MidMichigan Health
- Jaime Makela, medical intensive care unit, MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland
- Jennifer Sajdak, COVID unit at McLaren Bay Region
- Three Covenant HealthCare nursing units: Surgical Intensive Care, 6 North and 5 East
Nursing in the Community
- Joyce Hardy, Helen Nickless Volunteer Clinic of McLaren Bay Region
- Public Health Nurses at Bay County Health Department
- Tawnya Simon, Saginaw County Health Department
Nursing Education
- Robin Begick, Covenant HealthCare
Each winner received a crystal bowl, one dozen roses and a check for $800.
“This award meant a lot to the nurses, their organizations and their work units,” said Andrea Frederick, associate professor of nursing at SVSU, who presented the awards with Judy Ruland, dean of the Crystal M. Lange College of Health & Human Services. “2020-2021 was a hard year for nurses working on the COVID units. This was a nice slice of good news and an affirmation of the value of their loving work and dedication to the community.”
Multiple recipients are SVSU graduates. Begick earned her Master of Science in Nursing from SVSU in 1999. Kleinfeld is a 2011 graduate of SVSU, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Simon graduated from SVSU in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Through the Carleen K. Moore Nursing Excellence Awards, SVSU’s Department of Nursing acknowledges and honors the valuable contributions registered nurses make in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Recognized nurses work in four service areas: acute care, community/public health, long-term care/rehabilitation, and education.
This award is possible due to the generous support of Terry Moore and his wife Carleen K. Moore, RN. The Moores believe in the importance of recognizing and encouraging nurses who demonstrate excellence in their field and in promoting the reputation of Saginaw Valley State University and its nursing program. The awards have been presented since 2011.