19 C.O. nurses in running for honor

With nearly 400 nurses nominated, there remain 183 finalists for 2012 Oregon Nurse of the Year — 19 of them live in Central Oregon.

For the second year, this award will honor outstanding Oregon nurses for their constant care and compassion toward patients. Sixteen nurses will be awarded Nurse of the Year; one in each of 16 categories.

The finalists are from every corner of the Oregon. The 19 Bend area finalists are:

* Aina Aliperti, Advance Practice, St. Charles Medical Center, Bend

* Randa Bates, Critical Care, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Kimberly Bruhn, Charge Nurse, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Debra Dymock, Critical Care, St. Charles Medical Center, Bend

* Joan Goodwin, Community Health, Volunteers In Medicine, Mobile Medical Unit, Central Oregon Veterans Outreach, Bend

* David Kirk, Emergency, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Rebecca McColl, Women’s Health, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Monique Miller, Charge Nurse, St. Charles Medical Center, Bend

* Sara Mosher, finalist in two categories: Nurse Educator and Community Health, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Shannon Ogden, Pediatrics, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Janice Procum-Robbins, Women’s Health, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Bonnie Reid, Nurse Educator, St. Charles Medical Center, Bend

* Debra Robinson, Nurse Leader, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Susin Saunders, Charge Nurse, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Nancy Simonson, Nurse Leader, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Crystal Sully, Nurse Leader, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Bend

* Andrea Westfall, Rising Star, St. Charles Medical Center, Bend

* Christy Lytle, Critical Care, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Redmond

* Melodin Cornis, Women’s Health, St Charles Medical Center Bend, Sisters

A hundred of the finalists are from the greater Portland area, 18 from The Gorge area, 12 from the Salem area, 11 from Lane County, seven from Washington, seven from North Coast, three from Eastern Oregon and two from the Medford area.

Award winners will be announced at the Nurse of the Year Breakfast on November 2, at the Hilton Portland & Executive Towers. Joanne Warner, Dean of the School of Nursing at University of Portland, will be the Keynote speaker and the awards are emceed by Amy Troy from KOIN Local 6.

Awards will be given in the following 16 categories:

* Advanced Practice

* Charge Nurse

* Community Health

* Critical Care

* Distinguished Nurse of the Year

* Emergency

* General Medical & Surgical Services

* Hospice, Home Health, Long Term Care, Rehab and Palliative Care

* Mental Health

* Nurse Educator

* Nurse Leader

* Pediatrics

* Rising Star

* Small Hospital

* Student Nurse

* Women’s Health

For more information or to register for the event, visit marchofdimes.com/Oregon.

Presented by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), the March of Dimes Oregon Nurse of the Year is also sponsored by Cambia Health Foundation, Columbia Memorial Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Health, Providence Health & Services, PeaceHealth, St. Charles Medical Center, Tuality Healthcare, Adventist Health, ODS and Samaritan Health.

March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find out what is going on in the Greater Oregon Chapter by visiting OregonMOD.com.