New York, NY – May 28, 2009 – The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) today honored 55 outstanding nurses whose dedicated service has earned them the respect of their colleagues and the gratitude and recognition of the public hospital system.

The nurses represent the 8,000 dedicated women and men who treat 1.3 million New Yorkers annually in the city’s public hospitals, long term care centers, and health centers in every borough.

“Nurses: Building a Healthy America” is the theme the American Nurses Association selected for this year's annual tribute.

“Every day of the year, our nurses deliver care professionally and compassionately,” said HHC President Alan D. Aviles. “HHC is fortunate to have such extraordinarily talented and dedicated nurses who have been instrumental in transforming New York City’s public hospital system into one of the most patient-centered, safe and efficient providers of health care.”

The HHC nursing workforce comprises registered nurses, licensed practitioner nurses, senior level nurses in administration, nurse practitioners, nurse educators, and nursing support staff. Registered Nurses provide their clinical expertise system-wide in a variety of settings such as neonatal, critical care, emergency services, behavioral health, pediatrics, obstetrics, community health, and oncology. Those honored this year include a group of nurses recognized for their exemplary care of older adults.

2009 Nurse Excellence Award Recipients

Rosalee Richburg, RN, BSN, MPHA
East New York Diagnostic and Treatment Center Ruth Eligio, RN, BSN, CCRN

Kings County Hospital Center Lora Clarke, RN, BSN
Dr. Susan S. McKinney Nursing Rehabilitation Center

Marie Previl, RN
HHC Health & Home Care – HHC Home Care and Long Term Care/ Manhattan

Karen Johnson-Fairclough, RN, BSN
Jacobi Medical Center

Paula Brown, RN, MSN, CNM
North Central Bronx Hospital

Pamela Jones, RN, BSN, CLC
Cumberland Diagnostic and Treatment Center

Lydie Desrosiers, RN, BA
Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center

June McWilliams-Bobcombe, RN, MPS/HCA
Harlem Hospital Center

Luz Aguirre, RN
Morrisania Diagnostic and Treatment Center

Camille Montenegro, RN
Segundo Ruiz Belvis Diagnostic and Treatment Center

Denise Benford, RN, BSN
Renaissance Diagnostic and Treatment Center

Monica Caicedo, RN, BSN
Elmhurst Hospital Center

Elizabeth Pahk, RNC, BSN
Queens Hospital Center

Romeo Victoriano, RN, BSN
Bellevue Hospital Center

Lincy Varghese, RN, BSN, MA
Coler Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility Coler Campus

Milana Leviyev, RN
Coler Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility Goldwater Campus

Patricia Cunningham, RN, BSN
Gouverneur Healthcare Services Nursing Facility

Patricia Scatliffe-Richards, RN
Gouverneur Healthcare Services Ambulatory Care

Myrlande Gedeon, RN, BSN
Metropolitan Hospital Center

Alex Goldengur, RN, BSN
Coney Island Hospital

Deborah Turkovic, RN, BSN
Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home

Excellence in Nursing Care of Older Adults Award Recipients

Lurline Dixon, RN, NP
East New York Diagnostic & Treatment Center

Cindyann Gaskin-Best, RN, AAS
Kings County Hospital Center

Virginia Simon, RN
Bronx/Manhattan Health & Home Care

Okkyun Kim, RN, BSN
Jacobi Medical Center

Luz Garcia, RN, BSN
North Central Bronx Hospital

Keumhye Weinberg, RN
Elmhurst Hospital Center

Jeanette Travieso, RN
Coney Island Hospital

Michelle Getz, LPN
Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center & Home

Alma McLaughlin, RN
Bellevue Hospital Center

Pureza Capriles, RN, BSN
Coler Goldwater Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility

Noe Corro, RN, BSN
Coler Goldwater Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility

Janet Cuaycong, RNC, MSN, RAC-C
Gouverneur Healthcare Services Diagnostic and Treatment Center

Rusian Anderson, RN, MA, NP
Metropolitan Hospital Center

Service Excellence Award Recipients

Anarkaly Shaw-Clarke, RN
East New York Diagnostic and Treatment Center

Loretta Lawrence-Reid, RN, MS
Kings County Hospital Center

Ghislaine Bell, RN
Kings County Hospital Center

Francine Keogh, RN, BSN, CPN
HHC Home Health & Home Care, Intake Nurse

Chinyere Ahaneku, RN
Jacobi Medical Center

Miriam Junor, RN, BSN, CDE
North Central Bronx

Denise Robinson, RN, BSN
Harlem Hospital Center

Alison Benjamin, RN, BSN
Harlem Hospital Center

Hemodialysis Staff
Elmhurst Hospital Center

Medical ICU Staff
Bellevue Hospital Center

Octavia Vishnevsky, RN, BSN
Coler Goldwater Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility, Coler Campus

Carmen Silvestre-Tan, RN, BSN
Coler Goldwater Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility, Goldwater Campus

Christine Lewis, RN, MSN
Metropolitan Hospital Center

Flore Lafontant, RN
Coney Island Hospital

Annie Leslie Varghese, RN
Sea View Hospital and Rehabilitation Center and Home

Corporate Awards

Sharon Graham, RN, BSN
East New York Diagnostic and Treatment Center

Maria Mendoza, RN, EdD, ANP, GNP-C, CDE
Healthcare Improvement/Chronic Disease Management

Joan Altman, RN, BSN, MPH
Patient Safety, Accreditation and Regulatory Services

Erin Moss, RN, BSN
Managed Care/Network Development/Coney Island

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), the largest municipal hospital and health care system in the country, is a $5.4 billion public benefit corporation that serves 1.3 million New Yorkers, nearly 450,000 of whom are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, four skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 80 community based health centers. For more information about HHC, visit www.nyc.gov/hhc.