A Picture of Health: Meet the 2018 Outstanding Nurses

Nurses are health care pioneers. They see patient needs firsthand. They see care opportunities. They explore new ways to treat people and teach future generations of nurses. They implement new technology and techniques, and look for ways to make them even better. They see suffering and joy. Meet 17 of these game-changers who have been named Mpls.St.Paul Magazine Outstanding Nurses, and see how they are impacting our world. These notables—nominated by peers, families, and patients—were selected from a pool of finalists by a panel of nurse judges (see end of this article for the list of additional finalists).

---

Lifetime Achievement

Anne Meyer Ruppel, RN, CPN 

Women’s Health, Allina Health, Northfield

Anne Meyer Ruppel didn’t set out to become a nurse. In fact, she graduated from St. Olaf College with a bachelor’s degree in history. One of her first jobs after school was working as a receptionist with a group of midwives. “Their care and compassion for their patients impressed me and started me down the path to nursing as a career,” she says.

Ever since her first role 37 years ago as an RN in gynecologic oncology at the University of Minnesota Masonic Hospital, Ruppel has cared for women of all ages. One of her greatest strengths is her ability to give patients her full attention. “Each patient has her story, and it is important for her to be heard,” Ruppel says. “I’ve learned over the years that the ‘reason for the visit’ is not always why the appointment was scheduled. Body language can be a quick clue, but listening is key, along with leaving all assumptions outside the exam room.” 

By building strong relationships with her patients, she’s been able to encourage young women with eating disorders to seek treatment and help victims of domestic abuse find ways to get out of dangerous situations. “Anne believes that health care is rooted in relationships of trust,” a nominator says. 

Beyond the clinic, Ruppel lobbies for health care reform, goes on mission trips to Nicaragua, and helps people overcome fears while creating end-of-life health care directives—all with the same focus and dedication she brings to her nursing care.

 “Anne’s modesty and humility belie a steely resolve,” another nominator says. “She is a fierce advocate for patients. She never hesitates to take on challenging patients, so her caseload is heavy with women being treated for addictions or mental illness. She crosses linguistic and cultural barriers to treat Hispanic and African patients in our city. She treats all with compassion and grace.”

---

Women’s Health

Bethany Beattie, BSN, RN, PHN

Labor and Delivery, United Hospital—The Mother Baby Center

From the start of nursing school, Bethany Beattie was determined to be a labor and delivery nurse, though it took a little time to get there in her eight-year career. In this role, she cares for the mother and the infant in utero through the delivery process. “One of the things that is simultaneously amazing and somewhat terrifying about my job is the fact that I don’t know what assignment I am going to get when I walk onto my unit,” she says. “I have to be ready for whatever situation is waiting for me. Each day, I ask God to match me with the patient I’m supposed to have that day. ”

Over the years, she has witnessed much joy, but also unexpected trauma when babies arrive early or have life-threatening complications. “It’s crucial to be there in those moments to support patients and families dealing with tremendous loss,” she says.

One of Beattie’s patients went into labor three months early with twins, and one of the babies was not expected to survive. Beattie encouraged the patient to make an audio recording of  her babies’ heartbeats, a gift this mother now treasures. Beattie also helped the patient prepare to care for her other fragile child who survived and was in the NICU.

“This was a very stressful and emotional time, but Bethany kept me as calm as possible,” this mother recalls. “She took the extra time to go above and beyond to help. She is an amazing nurse.” 

---

Researcher

Ann Garwick, PhD, RN, LP, IMFT, FAAN

Child and Family Health Nursing/Children with Special Health Care Needs, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota

Ann Garwick isa caregiver, professor, researcher, and highly regarded mentor to staff and students at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. During her 47-year career, Garwick has been a principal investigator or co-investigator on 31 research grants totaling more than $18 million. Her work has focused on finding ways to improve childrens’ physical and mental health and the quality of care for high-risk adolescents, children with special needs, and children with chronic illness. She taps this knowledge to better equip nurse trainees with the skills they need to care for these young patients and their families. 

Garwick also has explored new ways to approach challenges like pregnancy prevention in adolescence and culturally competent care of Native American children. “I continue to learn so much from the children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds,” she says. “They generously share invaluable recommendations for improving the quality of care and access to culturally relevant resources needed at home, school, and in the community.” 

At the university, leadership and peers look to her for advice on grant proposals and research initiatives. “Ann’s impact is clearly evident as she leaves her mark of excellence deeply and quietly embedded in us, and in the flourishing careers of so many others she has mentored,” one colleague says. 

---

Cancer Care

Jill May, RN, BSN, OCN

Cancer Care Coordinator, Allina Health—Virginia Piper Cancer Institution, Abbott Northwestern Hospital

Jill May sometimes measures her day in moments. Having worked for 29 years in all areas of adult oncology, from diagnosis, chemotherapy, and surgery to radiation and hospice, she is well suited to the role of cancer care coordinator at Abbott, working with patients who have pancreas and liver cancer. Some are  having surgery or undergoing chemotherapy or radiation. Others may be beyond surgery and are trying to manage complex symptoms and time. “I approach my day with an unwavering, unapologetic focus on advocating for my patients to receive the best possible care and outcome, if even for a moment,” May says. “Moments make a difference!”

Her patients trust her to help them find their way through care options and strategies, and to always be there in times of need. As one patient’s husband says, “When you are at your lowest point—most vulnerable and scared—Jill is there to hold you, hug you, let you know that she can help you navigate this huge health care system.”

A colleague adds, “Jill is always on the phone talking to patients and families; supporting them through tough times; guiding them through the difficult journey of treatable, untreatable, or terminal cancer; and making sure her patients get the best care in the most timely fashion. She is the best patient advocate I have ever encountered in my career.”

---

Public Health

Kristin Lau, PHN, RN, CLE

Maternal Child Health, Ramsey County Public Health

Part of the Nurse Family Partnership program in Ramsey County, Kristin Lau visits first-time mothers in their homes, and works with them from pregnancy until their child turns 2 years old. “This allows me to build a strong, meaningful, and engaged relationship,” she says. “I am with these families during an amazing and life-changing time.” 

Many of the mothers Lau works with are young. One was 15 at the time they met. The mother delivered her baby girl, finished high school, and went on to college during the two years Lau interacted with her.

Deeply impressed by Lau’s ability to be present, to answer any question, and to support her during a tough time, the mother  now says, “She taught me how to care for my child and motivated me to continue school because she saw how education will help me in my future.” Now preparing for her own career in nursing, this former patient says, “She really cares for her patients and goes out of her way to help. She makes me feel empowered, motivated, and wiser.”

Lau, now in her seventh year as an RN, is humbled by the trust these women place in her. “Their resilience and strength inspires me. I am motivated by them,” she says. “I want them to be healthy and to have healthy babies.”

---

Rising Star

Kayla Warner, RN 

Care Coordinator, Family Medicine, U of M Physicians: Smiley’s Family Medicine

Just four years into her nursing career, and studying for a master’s in public health, Kayla Warner has wasted no time finding ways to positively impact clinic outcomes at Smiley’s Family Medicine. “Our clinic serves a diverse patient population ranging from infants to geriatric patients,” she says. “This, along with the opportunity to work in a teaching-learning environment, brought me to the clinic.” 

As part of a multidisciplinary team that oversees medically complex patients, Warner has worked to devise new strategies, including creating a coordinator role, to reduce emergency and hospital admissions for this group they call Priority Patients. She helped develop a process whereby the nurses meet with patients while they are still in the hospital to outline a care plan that may improve the transition to outpatient care and reduce readmissions. “I have enjoyed getting to know and interact with these patients on a deeper level, and having a direct role in their health care,” she says. 

One of her colleagues considers Warner “one of the most energetic and positive people you will ever meet. She looks for ways to use her nursing skills at their highest and most useful level.” 

---

Informatics

Nicole Virnig, RN, BSN

Nursing Informatics, CentraCare Health

Nicole Virnig began her nursing career as a home-health RN 11 years ago at a time when the medical industry was shifting to electronic medical records. “I quickly realized how big an impact the structure and design of these records has on clinicians and the patients that they care for,” she says. “I found myself wishing that I could customize things to make documentation easier.”

Inspired, she pursued a master’s certificate program with a nursing and nursing informatics focus. Virnig now works with IT and care teams at CentraCare Health to modify system designs and make them more accessible, to improve data management, and to ultimately improve the patient experience.

“I work most closely with home-health and hospice nurses who interact with patients at a very personal level in their home environment,” she says. “It’s rewarding when I hear that system modifications allowed a clinician to focus more time on patient care and less time researching patient history or documenting the care provided.”

As one co-worker says, “Nicole is able to analyze a problem from all angles, and always keeps the patient at the center of the conversation and the solution. She is calm, patient, and understanding. This, along with her ‘never settle for less than best’ work ethic, makes everyone around her feel more confident and more successful.”

---

Clinic Setting

Janyce Majkozak, RN, CDE

Diabetes Educator—Pediatrics, Children’s MN

When a child is newly diagnosed with diabetes, Janyce Majkozak, a diabetes educator in pediatrics with 30 years of nursing experience, becomes a vital point person and resource for parents and caregivers who have to learn how to manage this chronic condition on a daily basis. 

“I was drawn to this role because it involves in-depth knowledge of diabetes, the understanding and management of the ever-changing technologies and diabetes practices, and, most importantly, fostering and empowering patients and their families to independently manage diabetes,” she says. 

Unfortunately, diabetes patients who have to be so mindful of the foods they eat also often have barriers and challenges in their lives that make it difficult to make good health decisions. “Jan volunteered to assist on a study to develop education materials for Somali patients,” a colleague says. “She facilitated focus groups to gain knowledge on Somali food to help develop a comprehensive carb-counting guide. We now utilize it when educating Somali families regarding diabetes.” 

She also helped develop the care coordination process to monitor newly diagnosed patients and is partnering with others to develop a walk-in clinic for patients. “These projects show that Jan is a natural leader,” her colleague says. “Her insight is invaluable when implementing change.”

---

Educator

Jocelyn Bessette Gorlin, PhD, MSN, CPNP

Teaching Pediatrics, St. Catherine University

For 20 years, Jocelyn Bessette Gorlin made a career as a national leader and researcher in pediatric hematology. Starting at Boston Children’s Hospital and continuing at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, she focused on helping children with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia, and served on the national and world boards of Hemophilia Nursing.

Then, in 2011, she decided it was time to make a shift. She returned to school to get her PhD so she could fulfill a promise she had made to herself. She wanted to teach aspiring nurses in a better way than she’d been taught. “I had some very strict nursing professors who didn’t appreciate all my questions,” she says. Gorlin, now a professor at the School of Health at St. Catherine University, says, “I encourage students to ask questions. I teach students to seek the answers through research, to have confidence in themselves, and to recognize their powerful role as a crucial inter-professional health care team member.” 

A favorite among students and  mentor to many, Gorlin feels inspired by these future professionals. “This generation of nurses is unique because they care for their own health, they embrace holistic health care, and they understand health care policy, which is a dynamic trifecta,” she says. 

---

Hospice

Marcia Weidenbacher, RN

Hospice, NCLittle Hospice

A hero among the staff at NCLittle Hospice where she works, Marcia Weidenbacher could have retired years ago. But her love for her work and compassion for patients keeps her on the job. It’s not uncommon for Weidenbacher, now 86, to work the night shift, and then stay late in the morning to cook breakfast for patients.

Early on, she says, nursing didn’t feel like a perfect fit for her. It wasn’t until she discovered hospice care 26 years ago that she found her calling. And now, though she has more than six decades of nursing experience, she always strives to learn more about disease processes or therapies to provide better care for her patients.

Overflowing with empathy, this nurse puts families at ease during challenging times. One of her colleagues says, “Marcia is an absolute joy to our patients and staff. She is beloved by all and an exceptional example of longevity in nursing and living.”

When asked what fulfills her, Weidenbacher says, “Knowing that I have done the best I can for the patient and family to have a peaceful end of life. It’s a bonus when your co-workers share the same commitment, and they do at the NCLittle Hospice.”

---

Advanced Practice

Marie Cook, APRN, CNP-Pediatric, MPH, CCTS

Pediatric Transplant Clinical Operations Manager, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital

Marie Cook de-scribes pediatric solid organ transplant (i.e., heart, liver, and kidney) as a hopeful area of nursing. “Outcomes have improved for some of our smallest patients,” she says, “allowing them to lead a very normal, healthy life.” 

Cook first became interested in kidney disease, diabetes, and transplant as a college nursing student, and started her career at the University of Minnesota in the solid organ transplant unit in 1979. When she returned to school for her master’s, she focused on pediatrics and now works to improve the experience of young patients battling with conditions such as chronic pancreatitis.

“I love watching the quality of life of these children improve,” she says.

As one of her colleagues says, “Marie leads by example, working long hours until the work is done, always cross-covering and assisting her team as needed. She ensures exceptional care and processes to support our pediatric patients.”

Cook has even been known to continue working through the weekend to help acute patients get their paperwork in place for a transplant and to prepare families for what follows the transplant experience. 

---

Mental Health

Diane McCord, RN, CARN

Chemical Dependency, Hazelden BettyFord Foundation

Diane McCord has spent 18 of her 22 years in nursing studying detox and addiction. She has earned advanced certification in order to better understand the challenges her chemically dependent patients face. A colleague says, “Diane is instrumental in the wellbeing, safety, and future of our opiate-use patients. She does incredible work educating them on medication-assisted treatment options, and helping them determine which path is the best for their needs and life.” 

McCord says, “My commitment is to help people feel they are important and that their health matters.” 

Recently, a trauma patient, whose regular counselor wasn’t available, was highly agitated and contemplating leaving treatment. Despite having trust issues, the patient accepted an offer of  support from McCord. She made time for this person, and was able to listen and help this individual make the commitment to stay. “Diane’s action kept the patient engaged in treatment and safe,” her colleague says. “She inspires her patients to take ownership of their chronic brain disease and realize they can thrive in life, as long as they manage their disease.”

In the end, McCord says, “What fulfills me the most is when patients state that they are glad they decided to get help. This tells me that they have found a place that gives them hope.” 

---

Intensive Care

Natalie Wilson, RN, BSN, CPLC

Neonatal Intensive Care, RN Care Coordinator, Children’s MN

Natalie Wilson’s choice of a career in the neonatal intensive care unit was a foregone conclusion. “In first grade we completed the ‘What I Want to Be When I Grow Up’ project, and I said I wanted to work with sick babies,” she recalls. “I always felt it in my heart that I was going to work in the NICU.” 

Early in her 13-year career, as Wilson cared for fragile, end-of-life patients, she also tried to look out for the needs of families struggling with unthinkable journeys and outcomes. She sensed something was missing and was determined to find a way to improve support for families experiencing loss. She became a neonatal resuscitation program instructor, received perinatal/neonatal death and bereavement training, and was certified to provide care for those experiencing perinatal loss. 

Then, in 2012, “I found myself on the other side of the looking glass when our family chose to use perinatal hospice with our son Liam,” she says. She witnessed firsthand the limited support in our community for such young patients. “He gave me the gift of perspective, and from there on, I was thrust into improving legislation, programs, support, education, and the family experience of perinatal hospice.” She’s also played an integral role in the creation of Crescent Cove in Brooklyn Center, the Midwest’s first pediatric respite and hospice home. It’s a place where families with children and young adults who have shortened life expectancies can stay and be supported by a caring, integrative staff.

---

Emergency Care

Kathleen Koivisto, CFRN, CCRN

Flight Nurse, Life Link III

Imagine starting your day aboard a helicopter flying to the scene of a serious motorcycle accident. You and a flight paramedic meet first responders, and within minutes, you assume full care of the victims, stabilizing them and running diagnostics while you fly back to the Level 1 trauma center. There, the ER team takes over, and you turn around and do it again.

This is Kathleen Koivisto’s world, and for nearly four years she has thrived in the intense world of in-flight emergency medicine. “It’s awesome to be able to help someone in their most critical times,” she says. 

Before joining Life Link III, an air medical company with helicopters and airplanes fully outfitted to function as intensive care units, Koivisto started her career eight years ago in Michigan at Marquette General Hospital’s ICU. “I loved the initial resuscitation efforts and being able to get patients through their most critical phases of illness and injuries,” she says. 

Despite the intense scenes Koivisto encounters, she is a skilled leader who is comfortable making decisions under pressure. As one of her colleagues notes, “Kathleen has an amazing ability to clearly articulate an effective treatment plan. Nursing in an air medical setting has its challenges, and Kathleen rises to the challenge and positively impacts every flight she is on.”

---

Children’s Health

Jill L. Wall, BSN, CRNI

Pediatric Home Care/Infusion Nursing, Pediatric Home Service

Jill Wall began her career 35 years ago in the areas of labor and delivery, and the NICU at a Level 1 obstetric hospital. There she witnessed tremendous perinatal grief, but no support for families experiencing loss. Wall, a certified perinatal grief counselor, proposed what became a successful program to fill the gap. 

As a current colleague says, “This implementation of a crucial support system to help parents and families struggling with loss is an example of how Jill looks for opportunities to meet a need, and goes above and beyond for those she cares for.” 

After the birth of her fourth child, who has serious medical complexities, she became familiar with Pediatric Home Service’s approach to high-level care for her child. She was inspired to become an infusion nurse, and obtained her infusion certification. Now, 11 years later, she is an infusion educator and mentor to many. 

As home care continues to become more commonplace, she looks for ways to enrich the quality of care, including the implementation of a new infusion simulation lab. “Utilizing computerized, life-like mannequins, simulation is a bridge between classroom learning and real life,” Wall says. “We will be able to simulate real-life clinical scenarios in a safe learning environment to educate nurses and families.”

---

Administrative Leadership

Mari Holt, RN, MSN, MBA, NE-BC 

VP Clinical Opperations, Administration, Women’s andChildren’s Health, Allina Health—Mercy Hospital

Early in her 33-year nursing career, Mari Holt caught the attention of managers for her leadership instincts. Though her career path started out in pediatrics, postpartum, and labor and delivery, Holt soon transitioned into oversight roles, and has now spent two-thirds of her career guiding teams. 

Among the many challenges she’s faced, one that stands out is when she had to help a front-line team at Unity Hospital prepare for Ebola in 2014 and treat three patients who may have been infected. “When many people were fearful of Ebola, I led a team who embraced what the possibilities were and what we could do for our community,” she says. “The employees helped develop a program for care, committed to extra training, made changes to their schedules, and reaffirmed why they were in health care.”

It’s no surprise Holt was able to rally such a capable, committed team. She is a trusted leader. She makes regular rounds on all shifts to get to know the teams. During a crisis, Holt will go to the hospital at all hours to support nurses so they can provide the best care possible.

“My job is to serve those who serve our patients,” she says. “Spending time with employees helps me know what challenges they are facing and what is on their mind. On difficult days, talking with employees or patients helps re-focus and energize why I am a nursing leader.”

---

Hospital Setting

Karine Zakroczymski, BSN, RN, SANE-A 

Forensic Nurse Program Manager, Allina Health Mercy Hospital—Unity Campus

Seventeen years ago, Karine Zakroczymski started a forensic nursing program at Allina Heath to better address the needs of patients experiencing sexual and family violence. She was inspired by an experience early in her 45-year career when she helped a traumatized sexual-assault patient who was nearly overlooked because there weren’t protocols for both patients and staff. 

The program she created establishes a framework for patients experiencing violence in their lives. “Now there’s more complete documentation regarding the violent event and any injuries that occurred,” she says. “This provides information primary care physicians need to continue to support the patient in the long term, and prevent or minimize potential long-term consequences of family violence. If the criminal justice system is involved, forensic nurses have the expertise to testify to the exam finding and the science surrounding violence.”

In 2017, Allina took the program system-wide under Zakroczymski’s leadership. “The expansion of the program has had a huge impact,” she says. “We have a systematic response in place that provides whole-person care and helps the patient begin the healing process.”

A key to the success, she notes, is her staff. “They are passionate, empathetic, smart, and authentic,” she says. “It’s a small circle of special nurses who do this work, and it can be emotionally draining. However, in almost every encounter, we know that the patient had a better experience because we were there.”

---

2018 Outstanding Nurses Awards Finalists 

This is the seventh year Mpls.St.Paul Magazine has celebrated Outstanding Nurses in our community. Once again, we received a tremendous number of nominations from colleagues, supervisors, patients, and families. The award winners profiled in this feature and the finalists listed here* are a testament to the rich pool of talent in our medical community.

*Note: Information is current as of the time of nomination earlier this year. Some nurses may have changed practice locations in the interim.

Administrative Leadership

• Karen Brandl, Mercy Hospital—Unity Campus
• Jennifer Hood, Fairview Southdale Hospital
• Steven Omodt, Hennepin Healthcare
• Teresa Tungseth, Minneapolis VA Health Care System

Advanced Practice

• Rachel Gaynor-Horejsi, Allina Senior Health
• N. Holly Melroe, Hennepin Healthcare
• Barbara Slotsve, Minneapolis VA Health Care System

Cancer Care

• Terry Devine, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
• Farah Olson, Minnesota Oncology

Children’s Health

• Jennifer Bradley, M Health Pediatric Specialty Care Discovery Clinic
• Chanon Ridore, Hennepin Healthcare
• Lindsay Schipper, Children’s Minnesota

Clinic Setting

• Jennifer Bradley, M Health Pediatric Specialty Care Discovery Clinic
• Jolyn Brakke-Johnson, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
• Peg Demmer, Metropolitan Heart and Vascular Institute
• Amy Driscoll, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
• Jacqueline Goettl, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
• Lisa Highley, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
• Rebecca Indahl, Primary Care Clinic, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
• Hope Robinson, Fairview Clinics—University Children’s 

Educator

• Joanne Donnelly, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
• Connie White Delaney, University of Minnesota School of Nursing

Emergency Care

• Melissa Moe, Fairview Ridges
• Rachel Onwuachi, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital

Hospice Care

• Katherine T. Rose, J.A. Wedum Residential Hospice 

Hospital Setting

• Tara Andrus, Children’s Minnesota
• Kelly Berg, Children’s Minnesota
• Mary Kielty, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
• Annette Klein, United Hospital
• Lynn Mandle Usem, Children’s Minnesota
• Morganna Moon, Mercy Hospital
• Mary Murphy Kruse, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
• Queen Obasi, United Hospital
• Julie Ohara, Children’s Minnesota
• Leah Seiberlich, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
• Emily Spillman, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
• Rose Swanson, St. Francis Regional Medical Center

Informatics

• Connie White Delaney, University of Minnesota School of Nursing

Intensive Care

• Lynn Mandle Usem, Children’s Minnesota
• Julie Ohara, Children’s Minnesota
• Barbara Slotsve, Minneapolis VA Health Care System

Mental Health

• Jolyn Brakke-Johnson, Allina Health Mental Health—Abbott Northwestern

Public Health

• Marcia Rich, Allina Health

Researcher

• Debra Sisler, St. Francis Regional Medical Center

Rising Star

• Courtney Kenefick, Children’s Minnesota
• Dmytro Koshevy, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
• Cam Nguyen, Pediatric Home Service
• Emily Novak, Pediatric Home Service

Women’s Health

• Annette Klein, United Hospital
• Renie Smith, Allina Health Eagan Women’s Health Clinic

Lifetime Achievement

• Amy Driscoll, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
• Sharon Eriksen, Neurosurgical Associates
• Karen Jackson, Children’s Minnesota
• Queen Obasi, United Hospital
• Julie Wagner, Minneapolis VA Health Care System

---

Nominations were judged by the following nurses: Faith C. Broman, RN, MAHS, CCRN-K, Nurse Manager ICU/Critical Care Float Pool/Rapid Response Team, Minneapolis VA Health Care System; Monica Cook, RN, BSN, OCN, Minnesota Oncology; Sandra Hoffman, MS RNC-EFM, Clinical Practice Coordinator-Master’s, The Mother Baby Center of Abbott Northwestern and Children’s Minnesota; and Judith M. Pechacek, DNP, RN, CENP, Clinical Associate Professor & Director, Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, University of Minnesota School of Nursing.