This nurse is special because she makes every single patient feel special. She holds everyone’s hands going into surgery reassuring that they will be greatly taken care of. She put everyone before herself whether it’s her children, patients, coworkers, etc. and that’s what being a nurse is all about. To be a nurse you have to be selfless and bridget is.

Immediately after graduation from nursing school Mary Kousagan began working in the ICU at Aultman Hospital. Her role model was her mother who was a nurse, a gentle spirit who exemplified compassion and sensitivity to everyone, not just her many patients. For the first six years of her career in nursing, Mary came to regard the ICU as the most exciting and gratifying type of nursing because of its challenges and complexity, due to the vulnerability of the patient population.
Later on, Mary joined a multi-disciplinary team to optimize the care of pneumonia patients. She had the advantage to reflect on the quality of care her team of co-workers was delivering to patients with this diagnosis.
After her term in ICU, Mary joined bed management, and, along with other nurses, she was assigned the task of optimizing patient flow across the inpatient units and assuring the clinical appropriateness of bed assignments. Among her various assignments, Mary floated to all the Intensive Care units throughout the hospital, further broadening her nursing skills.
And now, for the past 14 years, Mary has served as a Clinical Documentation Specialist, which has proven to be the steepest learning curve of her career. In this capacity, Mary is required to assess and review a patient’s medical records to ensure that all the information documented reflects the patient’s severity of illness, clinical treatment, and the accuracy of documentation. As a Clinical Documentation Specialist, Mary understands ...

Sherin has one of the biggest, kindest, and selfless hearts you will ever meet. Her smile radiates and there is nothing you can do but smile with her. She is an Oncology nurse at Akron Children's, a former member of the SANE program at Aultman hospital and is currently working on her Master's degree in Psych/Behavioral Health. She is proud to be a nurse. #NurseStrong

I want to recognize the entire nursing department at Stark State College for their role in ensuring that we have qualified nurses to fulfill the needs of hospitals and meet the needs of families. When we had to move courses online, they were quick to come into the college to videotape labs for students. The identified strategies to help students continue their clinical hours, such as use of simulation equipment. They assisted each other in the technical environment needed to offer the course online, which meant the students were ensured a quality experience. They each fulfill the requirements of a nurse through their care for students, care of families, care of facilities, and care of our community. They see life, they see death, and they know what it takes to prepare students for each of those circumstances. Their compassion for the field, families, and the community makes each of them my hero. I want to see all recognized, not just one, for they all are the best!

Marie is the department chair for our nursing program. She is responsible for ensuing that students are learning the material required to be successful in their profession. She also has to ensure that the program remains accredited and meets all accreditation standards. Her ability to do so, along with the other faculty members in the department, ensures that we have students who can pass their nursing boards, be hired by local hospitals, and meet the needs of our community. It is thanks to her leadership and that of her faculty that each of our families are safe, are cared for when needed, and hospital personnel have skilled graduates to meet the needs of their facilities. Stark State has always maintained a high-quality program and Marie's leadership and management as a department chair ensures that it continues. She is very deserving of the recognition of this award.

I have known Lisa for over 13 years now. She is a multi-tasker to the highest degree. She is the first one in to work every day and the last to leave.
Lisa is the most selfless health professional I have ever known. She always puts her patients and others first and foremost before herself as a RN. Lisa exemplifies what a true and dedicated nurse should be.

Alan L. Foutz
Mercy Cardiac Rehab Center Member

“In a moment of crisis, reactions set the leaders apart from the followers.”
– Peter Stark Leading in a Crisis

In times of crisis, true leaders step forward, go above and beyond, and lead by example. Nowhere has this been more evident than at Mercy Medical Center during the current Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Mercy was the first hospital in Stark County to receive a COVID-19 patient. As Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer, and Patient Safety Officer, Barbara Yingling, RN, BSN, MAed, immediately stepped forward to lead Mercy’s efforts. She had already proactively opened the Mercy incident command center the prior week. Barbara quickly and efficiently established herself as the incident commander and put her team in place. She has continued to guide this team, as well as the entire Mercy staff of health care workers through the very difficult planning, coordination and implementation of process changes that were needed to care for these patients. Barbara has worked tirelessly, 24/7 since the COVID-19 outbreak in our area. She has collaborated with area hospitals and health agencies both locally and state-wide to ensure that all patients in our community received the best care possible, while also protecting the team of healthcare providers needed to combat this disease.

This is just one example demonstrating Barbara’s accomplished nursing and healthcare leadership. She has a passion for project management, as well as a reputation for accomplishing demanding system integration initiatives and managing quality andpatient safety ...

Sherry Zimmerman is the consummate professional RN. as a graduate from Aultman Hospital of Nursing in 1985, she started her career as a float nurse at mercy hospital for 3 years before transferring into ICU. As a retired ICU nurse, myself I had the honor of working with her for 10yrs.

When I first worked with her in 1997 she was always in charge. In the leadership role she was always accessible and kind to the staff and patients. What struck me first washer vast knowledge base. She was well read; she had her CCRN along with other professional associations. After awhile she asked to do total patient care as this was her first love. She invariably got the hardest cases, recently caring for COVID 19 patients.

In 2018, she obtained her BSN from Chamberlain University and is currently working on her MSN thru Western Governor University. Sherry is also working as a clinical adjunct professor working for Stark State College. Dr. Randall Harris, the past director of ICU at Mercy Medical Hospital stated "Sherry has always been a strong leader through any kind of crisis, and she always did it with a sense of humor".

Finally, she is always trying to improve herself and those around her. Sherry loves nursing and it shows in her care. It is for all these reasons I am proud to nominate Sherry Zimmerman RNBSN.

Teresa cares for very seriously ill patients. With no visitors currently permitted, she keeps anxious patients comforted.
She truly is one of God's angels here on earth. Those who know Teresa and work along side her are not surprised at the lengths she goes to in ministering to her patients, always with a smile and much kindness, warmth, and compassion.
She also distributed countless home made masks to her fellow nurses and doctors, as well as friends who requested them.
Teresa studied nursing while raising her children, studying and working full time while doing so. She is a proud graduate of Aultman's School of Nursing.
I am so very proud and obviously biased, (as her mother), to nominate Teresa to your Salute to Nurses 2020 Celebration contest.

the success of the health dept. is due to her

As Katlyn’s mother it is impossible for me to summarize in a few words the kind of nurse she is to the Emergency Dept. patients that she treats everyday. Katlyn has devoted the past 10 years to working at Mercy Medical Center starting out as a dietary aid and then moving in to the role as a ED Tech II which she performed for 4 years when she decided to take the necessary steps in furthering her career to become an ER Nurse. Katlyn continued to work, be a wife and mother of 4 children all while going to school, this feat alone shows her inner strength, determination and courage. Katlyn consistently displays and promotes the highest ethical standards and prides herself in providing great quality care to her patients. She values the discipline of nursing and respects her colleagues. Katlyn is a quiet nurse that demonstrates what nursing exemplary professional practice is by example not bravado. Most importantly, Katlyn is a compassionate and passionate human. She has worked very hard to develop her nursing career; a career she truly loves and one for which she most definitely was meant for. I am truly blessed to be Katlyn’s mother and am honored to solute and nominate her for this award. Respectfully, Michelle Divine

Abigail graduated from the Honors College of Nursing at Akron University.
She works in the ICU unit where all of the COVID-19 critical patients are located.for the Cleveland Clinic Hospitals. She works 12 hour shifts, and volunteers when needed. She works both days and night on rotation and rarely complains. She is always smiling and encouraging each patient , she is a team player , one who will never stop giving 100 per-cent.
She is proud of being a ZIPPY and we as Grand-Parents love her so much.
We applaud all the First Line Responders from all walks of life.
We love you all - -
Respectfully Submitted;