Nurses meet you on the front lines of your best and worst medical moments. The specialty training and expertise they are required to have is tested daily, hourly, and sometimes minute by minute. The care and commitment they deliver is critical. They are behind-the-scenes advocates, essential experts, and a constant reassuring presence for many patients. The field, more dynamic and complex than it’s ever been, demands much of those who choose it, and we are honored to celebrate some of the very best in our community in our fifth annual Outstanding Nurses Awards. These winners—nominated by peers, colleagues, and patients—are standouts in a field filled with individuals who have dedicated their lives to caring for and serving the needs of our community.
Photographs by Becca Sabot
Betty Bishop, Nurse Coordinator at University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital
Betty Bishop
Lifetime Achievement
- Nurse coordinator, pediatric arthritis and rheumatology program, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
- Years in nursing: 33
When Betty Bishop joined the newly created pediatric rheumatology program at theUniversity of Minnesota 21 years ago, she was a jack-of-all-trades care coordinator who helped grow it into a comprehensive provider. She quickly became the go-to nurse for a multitude of families whose children deal with life-changing illnesses like lupus and juvenile arthritis.
“As a nurse, I am often with patients and families who are very scared, frustrated, and feel vulnerable,” she says. “It’s important to just be with patients and listen to them.”
Under Bishop’s leadership, the program expanded from a half-time nurse and half-time physician team that had 400 clinic visits the first year, to a practice with five doctors, two nurses, and more than 2,400 clinic visits. Helping patients is her first love, and Bishop revels in being able to take care of many children throughout their lives and see them improve. Her comforting, engaging rapport with these young patients continually impresses families and colleagues alike. So, too, do her efforts to look out for the needs of these children well beyond the bedside as she helps families navigate the challenges and complexities of life surrounding a child with a chronic disease. She also uses her years of experience to guide her team on how to best care for these young patients.
She is tireless. “Even on my hardest days, I wouldn’t want to do another job,” she says. “I have learned to let go of those things I can’t control and not get too discouraged by setbacks. I often have to remind myself that I am just one human being. . . . And if all else fails, I spend more time with patients, as it reminds me of what I love about my job.”
Cheryl Robertson
Public Health/Activism
- Associate professor and chair, Population Health and Systems Cooperative Unit, University of Minnesota School of Nursing
- Years in nursing: 38
Cheryl Robertson’s nursing reach spans from East and Central Africa to supporting refugee health in Minnesota. A veteran public health nurse, Robertson co-developed community-based strategies to support refugee war, trauma, and torture survivors.
Leading an interdisciplinary and international team, Robertson has helped develop tested coping interventions for Minnesota’s Somali and Oromo communities. Her team also studies climate-driven conflict, forced migration, and livelihood loss among communities in the Horn of Africa arid lands.
Though Robertson travels to dangerous places, she says, “I don’t have many hard days. I get to make a living by talking with fascinating people all day—in the community, in the classroom, and with colleagues.”
Jessica Riemenschneider
Rising Star
- Nurse and tier-two trainer, Pediatric Home Service.
- Years in nursing: 2
Jessica Riemenschneider deftly handles the wide-ranging, daily care of medically complex children, from giving respiratory treatments and tending to G-tubes to administering therapies ordered by doctors and keeping airways open. A key part of her work is building deep bonds with her patients and their families while working solo in their homes.
She knows that safeguarding patients’ health is her chief priority but also loves to boost their quality of life with doses of fun. “Doing activities that make them happy is also crucial,” she adds. “That’s why home care is so great.”
Riemenschneider enjoys honing her critical-thinking skills and learning best nursing practices. She takes a long-term, personal approach to caring for her patients, being there for them during all their ups and downs.
Judith Pechacek
Administrative Leadership
- Clinical assistant professor and director, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, University of Minnesota School of Nursing
- Years in nursing: 37
Judith Pechacek is the nurse who takes care of not only other nurses but also future nurses. Obtaining a macro view of an organization’s systems, Pechacek applies her knowledge and experience to improve processes, develop innovative programs, and solve problems.
“Caregivers or faculty need systems that work for them,” she notes. “They deserve to work in a place that respects their talents and allows them to be the best they can be.”
Pechacek also leads the wider profession. She serves on boards for Behavior at Work Collaborative, Inver Hills Community College, and the Minnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing (MOLN), where she guided development of a thriving public policy internship for nurses.
Amy Daly
Hospital Setting
- Nurse manager, critical resource teams, Minneapolis VA Medical Center
- Years in nursing: 10
On her most challenging days at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, Amy Daly reminds herself why she chose nursing: to serve and advocate for others. She finds it even more meaningful to do that for American veterans.
As a nurse manager, Daly takes a systematic-level view of the hospital’s facilities so she can manage and allocate the resources necessary to provide safe patient care. She also chairs the Minneapolis and VA National Nursing Practice Council, giving her the opportunity to influence overall nursing practices and standards.
Daly takes her leadership role seriously. “We need strong leaders who will advocate and understand the complexities and concerns experienced by nurses in a variety of capacities,” she notes. Daly is also extremely proud to be a VA nurse. “I have never met a more appreciative or deserving group of patients than the veterans we serve,” she says.
Thomas Klint Jr.
Nurse Educator
- Liver and intestinal transplant
- Coordinator, University of Minnesota Medical Center/Fairview
There are many tough workdays for Thomas Klint Jr., when people in dire need of a transplant wait for a match or suitable live donor. But seeing pictures of successful transplant patients doing things they wouldn’t have been able to do—such as walking their daughter down the aisle or graduating from college—sustains him. So do the handshakes and hugs during patients’ post-transplant follow-ups. “No matter how difficult it is to leave my kids each morning, being able to answer ‘yes’ at night when they ask if I helped someone makes me know I did something good that day.”
Klint empowers and educates patients about their disease and transplants while raising awareness about the need for organ donors. To him, being a nurse means helping people during their most desperate times: “Knowing we’re able to give someone a second chance at life, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Marci Knaak
Clinic Setting
- Pediatric liver, intestine, and kidney post-transplant coordinator, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
- Years in nursing: 36
For many transplant patients, Marci Knaak, a certified clinical transplant coordinator, is that reassuring voice on the phone who can answer any question. She has seen it all during her long tenure in transplant medicine, and she applies that expertise to giving comfort and knowledge to patients.
Having seen myriad children grow into thriving adults, Knaak abides by the saying, “Once a transplant patient, always a transplant patient.”She coordinates the details of post-hospital care, doing everything in her power to make a transplant work with a patient’s life.
Knaak stays engaged by the constant learning necessary for her job, working with excellent providers, and making a difference for patients and families.
David Jensen
Advanced Practice Nurse
- Clinical supervisor in geriatrics, HealthPartners
- Years in nursing: 34
Striving to keep patients out of hospitals and emergency rooms, David Jensen does whatever he can to assist seniors with their chronic illnesses. Whether that means giving rides to the doctor or picking up a prescription, Jensen is committed to helping homebound seniors enjoy the best possible quality of life.
During a long nursing career, Jensen developed expertise in caring for elderly people. He goes out of his way to share this knowledge with less-experienced nurse practitioners.
Despite patients’ complicated cases and continuous distractions at work from lab results and phone calls, Jensen aims to stay focused on the patients in front of him and works tirelessly to meet their care goals.
Doreen Carson
Children’s Health
- Infusion nurse and co-educator, Pediatric Home Service
- Years in nursing: 28
Taking care of very ill children at home, Doreen Carson adheres to a Maya Angelou quote: “. . . People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
She always strives to make patients and families feel her passion for their care, making them comfortable in uncomfortable situations. With a warm smile, a hug, or statement of concern, she believes, “not only will you touch their life, but they, too, will touch yours.”
Carson views herself as an educator of newer nurses and a patient advocate. Above all, she treats patients like she would want to be treated and builds relationships with families so she can provide the best care during their toughest times.
LuAnn Johnson, lead nurse practitioner at Hennepin County Medical Center
LuAnn Johnson
Nurse Practitioner
- Lead nurse practitioner, Hennepin County Medical Center/Hennepin Health System
- Years in nursing: 29
It’s common for hospitals to rapidly discharge patients or not admit them at all. As a result, primary care providers like LuAnn Johnson devote considerable time to helping them tackle complex medical conditions. It can be overwhelming for patients as they learn to address their illnesses.
Johnson partners with patients on their care, involving them with education and listening to their concerns, while always advocating and prioritizing what’s best for them.
One patient who struggled with heart failure recently gave Johnson high praise. After they devised a care plan together, his condition improved and, as she notes, “He introduced me to his family stating, ‘That’s my nurse. She saved my life.’”
Mary Roen
Women’s Health
- Nurse, Colon & Rectal Surgery Associates
- Years in nursing: 43
Mary Roen always wanted to be a nurse who spent her days caring for people. She brings compassion and medical knowledge to her employers, the Pelvic Floor Center, which she helped grow over the last 15 years.
Women arrive desperate, fearful, and embarrassed, grappling with sensitive conditions like loss of bowel control and pelvic pain. Roen provides hope and healing while gently guiding them from testing to treatment.
“Many patients suffer in silence and are unaware that there are solutions,” says Roen, who livens up work with crazy socks, sprinkles, a magic wand, and Green Bay Packers scrubs. “I feel I am part of the solution to their problem, even if it just involves helping them through their testing.”
Andrew Wallin
Mental Health
- Inpatient psychiatric nurse, University of Minnesota Medical Center/Fairview
- Years in nursing: 4
Working in inpatient psychiatric care often feels like a Sisyphean task to Andrew Wallin. But he continues to persevere, even if patients don’t always recognize or appreciate his care. He often looks back on a shift and thinks, “What I did today mattered, even if in a small way.”
Wallin returned to nursing school after about a decade in social service. He finds enormous satisfaction in helping the complex and diverse population of people battling mental illnesses and chemical dependencies. He gets motivation from seeing patients improve and working with other providers. “Inpatient psychiatry is a team effort, even more so than medical nursing,” he says, “and I love working with my team.”
Becky Bogan
Cancer Care
- Pediatric certified nurse working in pediatric hematology/oncology, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
- Years in nursing: 15
Becky Bogan tries to remember that her typical workday is often a frightening, once-in-a-lifetime experience for her patients. So she makes it a bit more bearable for the children and families in her care by telling a joke, holding a hand, or reassuring them with information.
And when her coworkers and patients are down, Bogan bucks them up. After morale plunged last year as her department contended with a multitude of stressful and emotional situations, Bogan taught herself videography, then made an inspirational video set to the tune “Fight Song.” Seen by more than 450,000 people, Bogan’s video celebrates the toughness, compassion, and optimism of patients and their caregivers.
Louise Jacobs
Intensive Care
- Director of cardiovascular and critical care patient care, Abbott Northwestern Hospital/Allina Health
- Years in nursing: 30+
Louise Jacobs gravitated throughout her career to taking care of the sickest patients. It allows her to help people in their most critical time of need, while evolving her skills with new technologies and treatments.
Now as an administrator, Jacobs still prioritizes a patient-oriented approach. She collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to constantly improve care, ensuring that nurses have what they need to help acutely ill patients.
Jacobs is delighted Abbott received the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ Beacon Award for Excellence—a testament to its excellent patient care. She says, “I’m very proud of where we are as an institution, and I am a part of that.”
Diane Treat-Jacobson
Nurse Researcher
- Professor and chair, Adult and Gerontological Health Cooperative, University of Minnesota School of Nursing
- Years in nursing: 35
Diane Treat-Jacobson gets a double whammy of satisfaction from her work. She helps patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD)—a chronic condition that causes leg pain—while making pioneering discoveries that help other providers treat patients.
For her dissertation, Treat-Jacobson researched whether aerobic arm-based exercise helps people with PAD similar to walking. She was right. Arm cycling does help to promote cardiovascular health throughout the body and reduces PAD-related pain.
She adores helping patients improve their lives while raising awareness and advancing knowledge for an under-the-radar disease. “Every day is a challenge, and there are problems to solve,” says Treat-Jacobson. “When you solve them it feels great.”
Teresa Cahill
Emergency Care
- Pediatric emergency department nurse, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
- Years in nursing: 15
Working in a pediatric emergency department is hectic, unpredictable, and often heartbreaking. But Teresa Cahill wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. She relishes helping kids and families during extremely stressful times and emergencies big and small.
With her calming presence and deep knowledge, Cahill guides families through the crisis and to a place of healing. She believes that her calling as a nurse includes being a leader for patients, co-workers, and nurses in training, and exceeding expectations.
“We may only get that one chance to make a difference in [a patient’s] emergency department experience,” says Cahill. “Being a nurse is who I am. It’s much more than just a job.”
2016 Outstanding Nurses Awards Finalists
This year marks the fifth year of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s Outstanding Nurses Awards. Once again, we received a tremendous number of nominations from colleagues, supervisors, patients, and families. The winners profiled in this feature and the finalists listed below are a testament to the rich, diverse pool of talent in our medical community.
Administrative Leadership
Mary Ketchum (Minnesota VA Medical Center)
Cathy McCallister (Regions Hospital)
Maria Pyle (HealthPartners)
Shannon Wagner (University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital)
Advanced Practice
Candace Coonrod (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Kathryn Houselog (Minnesota Oncology)
Marsha Moreen (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Cancer
Kathryn Houselog (Minnesota Oncology)
Bryn Thompson (Minnesota Oncology)
Children’s Health
Shawna Althouse (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Carina Hill (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Bonnie Giacomini (Children’s Respiratory and Critical Care Specialists)
Kathryn Joseph (Pediatric Home Service)
Steve Moehrle (Pediatric Home Service)
2016 Outstanding Nurses Awards Finalists Continued
Suzanne Morrissette (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Michelle Steen (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Barbara Wiemann (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Hospital Setting
Rhonda Donahue (Minneapolis VA Health Care System)
Carina Hill (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Comfort Nkengla (Regions Hospital)
2016 Outstanding Nurses Awards Finalists Continued
Maryanne Obst (HealthPartners)
Lynn Orton (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Barbara Wiemann (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Intensive Care
Charlena Bryant-Wolf (Fairview Southdale Hospital)
Patrick Leonard (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Comfort Nkengla (Regions Hospital)
Mental Health
Michelle Belair (North Memorial Medical Center)
Pamela Noone (Hennepin County Medical Center)
Nurse Educator
Rhonda Donahue (Minneapolis VA Health Care System)
Donna Fabian (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Sandra Hodnett (Minneapolis VA Medical Center)
Mary Steffes (University of Minnesota School of Nursing)
Nurse Practitioner
Candace Coonrod (Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota)
Kristin Epland (Midwest Immunology Clinic)
Hope Ukatu (HealthPartners)
Nurse Researcher
Maria Pyle (HealthPartners)
Public Health/Activism
Heidi Streed (Minnehaha Academy)
Steve Moehrle (Pediatric Home Service)
Rising Star
Kathryn Joseph (Pediatric Home Service)
Holly Mahowald (Fairview Ridges Cancer Clinic)
Angela Ranzau (Fairview Southdal)
Lifetime Achievement
Cathy McCallistern (Regions Hospital)
Mary Meeks (Hennepin County Medical Center)
Maryanne Obst (HealthPartners)
Vicki Schmidt (Fairview Southdale)
We greatly appreciate the help of this year’s expert judges who have a combined 65 years of experience: Linda Lindeke, University of Minnesota School of Nursing; Beckie Hines, Summit Orthopedics Surgery Centers; and Amy Erlandson, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Their commitment and integrity as they completed the task of selecting these finalists and winners was inspiring.
Nominations were assessed on professionalism, bedside manner, patient interaction, credentials and experience, impact on an organization, leadership, and an “it” factor exemplifying kindness, compassion, and empathy. Additional weight was given to those who received multiple nominations from a variety of sources, and to those nominated by their patients or their patients’ families.
