HONORING EXTRAORDINARY NURSE LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY2024 Awards and Scholarships Recipients
Since 1982, ONL has recognized the outstanding contributions of nurse leaders in the region with our Awards and Scholarships. Each year, our committee has the challenging task of selecting recipients from our pool of incredible nominees. We are proud to have so many exemplary nurse leaders within our community and congratulate all our nominees on their accomplishments.
Candidates are nominated by colleagues and evaluated by an awards committee, except for the Sherwood Award, which is selected by the Board of Directors, and the President’s Award, which is selected by ONL’s President. Awards are bestowed at the ONL Annual Meeting during our Member Reception and Awards Ceremony.
Please join us in congratulating our 2024 ONL Awards and Scholarships Winners!
Patricia M. Noga, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Vice President, Clinical Affairs
Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association
Mary B. Conceison Award
The Mary B. Conceison Award for Excellence in Nursing Leadership recognizes outstanding contributions of a nursing leader.
Dr. Patricia M. Noga is recognized at the state, regional, and national levels as a nursing and healthcare leader who advocates for healthcare quality and safety, uniquely focusing on transparency and emphasizing nursing’s role. Having held a leadership role at the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association for over 17 years, Pat provides strategic leadership for all clinical issues, quality, patient safety, public health issues, professional practice, workforce issues, and emergency preparedness. An articulate spokesperson, Pat effectively interacts with legislators, public sector leaders and members of the media, strongly influencing health policy. She serves as an expert resource to nursing and other leaders in understanding policy, how to influence it and how to implement it in the real world. She holds a unique role as the only nurse on the MHA staff, and in an executive level position to ensure that nursing’s voice and contributions are highlighted, recognized, and addressed. Pat bridges the perspectives and interests of clinicians, administrators, and legislators to build consensus and create effective policies.
Pat led the creation and ongoing robustness of Patient Care Link, establishing transparent healthcare data for patients, families, consumers, and providers. Patient Care Link affords unmatched access to comparative data, empowering patients regarding where to receive care. It also highlights the link between staffing and outcomes as well as providing benchmarking data. Pat has responded to nationwide requests to consult on publicly reported nurse staffing data. She has created position statements on the role of APRNs and developed effective approaches to workplace safety and substance abuse care. Using her experience and knowledge, Pat co-developed opioid prescribing guidelines and responded to consultation requests from several states, many of whom implemented her recommendations.
A long and contentious issue in Massachusetts, Pat has provided clinical expertise and advocacy for nurse leadership regarding nurse staffing ratios, government- mandated nurse staffing legislation, and regulations. Her input is clear, data based, and addresses key points of any proposal.
She is a long-standing member of ONL – MA, RI, NH, CT & VT and its Board, Pat serves as MHA’s representative to the ONL Board.
Pat coaches and mentors nursing staff and leaders as well as executives and interdisciplinary team members, particularly in the area of the intersection of practice, leadership and policy. Colleagues within MHA and the regional nursing community view Pat as a resource who is consistently approachable and supportive, a strong communicator, and a fantastic collaborator, and they deeply appreciate her willingness to take on new issues, collect information, and gather groups to share key knowledge, insights and recommendations.
Pat Noga’s work influences every nurse and healthcare organization in Massachusetts and the region. Congratulations, Pat, on receiving this year’s Mary B. Conceison Award!
President’s Award
In 2007, ONL established the President’s Award to recognize contributions that go beyond expectations. The award is given at the discretion of the President, President-Elect, and Past President.
This year, we present our President’s Award to Dr. Rose Sherman, an accomplished nurse leader who needs little introduction, for her significant contributions to our organization and members.
Dr. Sherman is the editor of Nurse Leader, the American Organization of Nurse Executives’ official journal; author of the popular leadership blog EmergingRNLeader.com; emeritus professor at the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University; nursing leadership consultant, speaker, and author; and, current faculty member at the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nursing Leadership Academy at Case Western Reserve University.
When the Covid-19 pandemic abruptly cancelled ONL’s in-person meetings and events, it was very unclear what leadership development programming would look like for our organization in the coming years. Nurses and leaders were operating in an all-hands-on-deck approach, and in-person events were not possible. These realities stimulated ONL to think about virtual leadership development and explore new program faculty who were not also serving in operational roles. These challenges opened the door to a relationship that would ultimately re-shape ONL's leadership development education around New England. ONL Program Committee member Barbara Weatherford shared, “I think Dr. Rose Sherman could really help us, she writes a wonderful blog that covers every leadership topic imaginable, and she is a great speaker too!” And this is how we began working with Dr. Sherman.
Working with Dr. Rose Sherman helped the ONL staff to think more broadly about the benefits and possibilities of virtual nurse leader development, including improved access and affordable pricing. Dr. Sherman teaches one of ONL's foundational leadership education programs, The Nuts and Bolts of Nursing Leadership, three times each year with her colleague Dr. Joyce Batcheller. She has taught countless hot topic sessions on recruitment and retention, coaching as a leadership skill, and re-designing care delivery. She has led Member Roundtable discussions on topics such as: leading a multi-generational workforce, holding colleagues accountable, and leader self-care. One can literally ask Dr. Sherman any question related to nursing leadership and the current climate of health care delivery, and she will have an answer that is supported by an example and current publications on the topic. She is remarkable, and a truly phenomenal leader in our profession.
Dr. Rose Sherman has influenced ONL as an organization, and our members, in very important ways over the past few years. She is kind, efficient, and absolutely wonderful to work with. We are so very pleased to recognize her contributions to ONL’s nursing community with our presitgious President’s Award.
Rose Sherman, Ed.D, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Nursing leadership development expert and author
Karen Kirby Award
In 2020, the Organization of Nurse Leaders introduced the Karen Kirby award to recognize nurses who exhibit exceptional leadership skills, innovation and creativity, advocacy for excellence in nursing practice and patient care, mentorship of nurses and nurse leaders, and support for ONL as well as other nursing organizations.
The recipient of this year’s Karen Kirby award is Dr. Nadia Raymond, Regional Nursing Director at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Raymond is an ONL Board Member, a leader in our region, and a passionate and impactful leader in global health nursing.
Nadia’s passion for global health nursing does not derive from an educational exercise, but rather from a way of seeing that enriches perspectives, deepens knowledge, and motivates leaders to look beyond what they know and experience. In the last decade, she has worked to educate and mentor nurses globally, including recently in Haiti, where in a time of chaos and uncertainty leadership has never mattered more.
In the last few months, Dr. Raymond has led, in partnership with the Haiti Ministry of Health Nursing and the Partners in Health main hospital leaders and educators, a funded preceptor and simulation program. This program was launched at the peak of the unrest in Haiti, with the airport shutting down and roadblocks everywhere. Adapting to the chaotic realities, the program was redesigned the program from in- person to online. This entailed creating guidelines, and online platform training for both faculty and participants. After a successful launch, the nursing team is planning to disseminate it to frontline nurses across the board despite the chaos.
The late Paul Farmer posited that “The essence of global health equity is the idea that something so precious as health might be viewed as a human right.” Globally as nurses, at our core, we are about human rights while rising in solidarity to the moment.
Congratulations, Nadia, and thank you for your relentless and fearless leadership, your focus on the core value of human rights and dignity, and for rising to the moment.
Nadia Raymond, PhD, MSN, MHA, RN
Regional Nursing Director
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Janet Madigan Award for Excellence in Advocacy
This award was created to honor Janet Madigan, who passed away in July 2013. The award honors excellence as a community advocate, or political leader committed to supporting and advocating for the nursing profession and patient care. This year, we are thrilled to announce two recipients of the Janet Madigan Advocacy Award.
Our first recipient of this year’s Janet Madigan Award is Dr. Jeannette Bronsord, Executive Director of Surgical Services at Yale New Haven Hospital.
Being influential in policy discussions is associated with professional presence and the ability to build and maintain relationships. Jeannette is both influential and an expert nurse leader who serves as ONL's Connecticut State Representative for Government Affairs. In this role, Jeannette collects and shares key policy and advocacy information with different stakeholder groups, seeking to learn different perspectives and share points of view. Jeannette builds and cultivates trusting relationships with leaders of other nursing organizations in Connecticut and is able to skillfully collect and share detailed information while also navigating divergent perspectives and preserving collaboration.
During the course of the last few legislative sessions, Jeannette has been instrumental in guiding ONL's advocacy in Connecticut on fast moving policies including workplace violence, nurse staffing and the nurse licensure compact. She consistently offers expert knowledge and detailed analysis of current policy issues in Connecticut and in our region. She shares this information with leaders from around New England and advances ONL's Government Affairs agenda. We are thrilled to recognize her contributions with our Janet Madigan Advocacy Award. Congratulations, Jeannette!
Jeannette Bronsord,
DNP, MSN, MS, RN, NEA-BC
Executive Director, Surgical Services
Yale New Haven Hospital
Our next Janet Madigan Advocacy Award is presented to Ara Millette, Director of Talent Acquisition at Lifespan.
Ara is an expert in workforce issues in Rhode Island and lends this expertise to advancing ONL's policy goals in Rhode Island and around New England. Ara applies her deep working knowledge of workforce and labor practices to contemporary policy issues relevant to nursing leadership in New England.
In the 2023 legislative session, Ara served in ONL's state appointed seat to explore the Nurse Licensure Compact. In this role, she engaged deeply with nursing and public sector leaders - including legislators to address concerns about the Nurse Licensure Compact through detailed and personalized education. She testified at multiple legislative hearings, met with legislators, collaborated with Chief Nursing Officers, leaders of RI nursing associations, and government affairs professionals. Ara collaborated with other NLC supporters to provide accurate and detailed information about the NLC, and she engaged in thoughtful and strategic negotiation as the legislative session began to wind down.
Ara demonstrates poise and thoughtful persistence in her leadership, both of which are important when working to influence policy. She serves as the ONL Rhode Island State Representative for Government Affairs and is incredibly deserving of this award in recognition of her significant contributions to helping the NLC pass in RI last summer. We are delighted to recognize Ara’s contributions with our Janet Madigan Advocacy Award. Congratulations, Ara!
Ara Millette, MBA, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Director, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development
Lifespan
Pamela Leigh Vecchiarino Nursing Leadership Award
This award was created to honor the memory of Pam Vecchiarino by ONE CT, which merged with ONL in 2016. The award recognizes nurse leaders who are patient-focused change agents committed to improving outcomes. Honorees advance the profession, are compassionate, and serve as role models to others. This year we are pleased to honor two nurse leaders with this award.
Laura Nelson, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Nurse Manager, Crisis Intervention Unit and Interventional Behavioral Health Services
Middlesex Health
The first recipient of this year’s Pamela Leigh Vecchiarino Nursing Leadership Award is Laura Nelson, Nurse Manager for Middlesex Health’s Crisis Intervention Unit and Interventional Behavioral Health Services. Laura truly embodies Pamela’s legacy.
During her tenure in this role, Laura has faced an increased volume of behavioral health patients with high risk for violence and safety risks. She has responded skillfully, navigating these challenges by creating a bridge between the inpatient behavioral health nurses and the emergency department setting. She has elevated safety concerns and successfully advocated for resources such as new equipment and additional staff to ensure that this vulnerable population is cared for in a safe environment and with adequate resources.
Laura’s colleagues share that she embodies the definition of a change agent. She excels at leading her nurses through rough seas and imparts a sense of calmness on her unit where acuity and constant patient churn remain the norm.
Besides her direct unit responsibilities, Laura often mentors new nurse managers, providing support and reassurance. She is active in the Nurse Management Collaborative and often takes on tasks and projects to ensure that the organization meets strategic plan goals. She works across service lines, collaborates with interdisciplinary team members, and loves meeting with and mentoring aspiring nurse leaders. Laura manifests a sense of true compassion for a challenging behavioral health population to ensure their safety while maintaining their respect and dignity.
We are pleased to recognize Laura’s compassion and patient-centered focus with this year’s Pamela Leigh Vecchiarino Nursing Leadership Award. Congratulations, Laura!
Our next recipient of this year’s Pamela Leigh Vecchiarino Nursing Leadership Award is Pamela Stevens, Director of Nursing Practice & Outcomes at University of Vermont Medical Center.
In her 22 years at UVMMC, Pam has long been recognized as a colleague who invigorates the practice environment through her passion, energy, enthusiasm, and positivity. She leads organization-wide initiatives to improve patient and staff outcomes and is a leader that staff want to work for and with. When new problems arise in the clinical environment, the organization relies on Pam to understand the problem, develop solutions, and deliver results.
Pam serves as the Director lead for the organization’s Retention & Engagement Committee, which has been integral in the pursuit of Pathway to Excellence. They have implemented “Suits to Scrubs” programs which bring executives and leaders to experience frontline workers’ experiences; “Nurses Night Out” to provide an opportunity for the nursing department to socialize and receive recognition; and created a “Preceptor Award” to recognize the incredible contributions of our nursing staff who serve as preceptors for new staff. Pam is also the leader that supports the Nursing Professional Governance (NPG) Council. Pam has infused quality improvement and evidenced based practice into the annual work of our Council, and mentors the NPG Chair who is a direct care nurse. Pam has developed others by ensuring that direct care staff have opportunities to participate in her quality improvement work.
ONL is pleased to recognize Pam for her dedication to quality, the impact she has had on her organization, patients and community, and her devotion to the nursing profession. Congratulations, Pam!
Pamela Stevens, MSN, RN, CPHQ, CLSSGB
Director of Nursing Practice and Outcomes
University of Vermont Medical Center
ONL/DAISY Nurse Leader of the Year Award
Established in 2024, the ONL/DAISY Nurse Leader of the Year Award recognizes a prior DAISY recipient for exceptional nursing leadership, demonstrating compassion and respect for the care clinical nurses provide, and fostering an environment where compassion and care are valued. ONL and the DAISY Foundation established this award to recognize the incredible impact and importance of nurse leaders across our region in all practice settings, academia, and beyond.
The first ever recipient of the ONL/DAISY Nurse Leader of the Year Award is Wendy Napolitano. Wendy has been a nurse leader for over 5 years and was a 2021 Daisy Nurse Leader Award recipient. She is a passionate, energetic leader who brings an upbeat attitude to her work and demonstrates what it is to be true change agent, setting high standards in departments she leads. Initially leading her critical care unit as the manager, Wendy is the current director of Nursing for Critical Care, director of the STAR (Specially Trained and Responsive) Team responsible for supporting inpatient nursing and intravascular access and line care, the regional Director of Wound Care, and the Inpatient Dialysis Liaison for the Hospital of Central Connecticut.
Under Wendy’s directorship, the critical care culture is thriving. Through her leadership, Wendy has developed a synergy that incorporates improved care delivery. She has introduced new services, reduced infections, and improved the nursing turnover rate to less than 10%. The healthy work environment that Wendy has championed has improved staff engagement, decreased need for contracted nurses to zero, and established a 2:1 nurse to patient ratio. Her innovative plan to provide critical care assistance in the inpatient units has proven remarkable, leading to improved collaboration among staff and providers, improved health care delivery, critical care response to acute patient events, and real time coaching and mentoring for novice staff in need of support. She was the catalyst for incredible synergy on the inpatient units. Her leadership efforts have resulted in the formation of a Regional Ethics Committee, and staff driven committees such as the Intravenous Access Committee and the Pressure Ulcer Prevention (PUP) Committee in the critical care unit at the Hospital of Central Connecticut. Wendy is also on an area board where she is able to enhance the image of nursing in the community.
Wendy is adamant in her search for ways to grow personally and professionally, and she supports her staff to accomplish the same growth. By caring for and supporting her staff, she has helped them to broaden their own practice skills. As a result, they are better positioned to care for the patients they serve.
We are thrilled to recognize Wendy with the first ONL/DAISY Nurse Leader of the Year Award.
Wendy Napolitano, MSN, RN
Director of Nursing Critical Care
Hospital of Central Connecticut
Marilyn Rinker Memorial Scholarship Award
This award was established by the Vermont Organization of Nurse Leaders in 2009 to honor Marilyn’s lifelong commitment and dedication to professional nursing practice, nursing education and leadership. The award provides scholarship support for nurses pursuing an advanced degree with an emphasis on nursing leadership.
Megan Corbett,
MSN, RN, NPD-BC, OCN
Clinical Nurse Specialist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Doctoral Program
Melissa Maher,
MSN, RN
Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Ambulatory and Emergency Services, Women and Infant's Hospital
Doctoral Program
Sharon A. Smith Scholarship Award
The Sharon A. Smith Scholarship Award honors Sharon's legacy by developing nurse leaders and supporting their continued educational journey in nursing programs or advanced degree programs.
Joseph Gordon-Reznar, MPA, BA, BSN, RN
Associate Chief Nursing Officer,
Cambridge Health Alliance
Doctoral Program
Jennifer Torosian, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Associate Chief Nursing Officer,
Catholic Medical Center
Doctoral Program
Susan Whiting, MSN, RN, OCN
Nurse Director,
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Doctoral Program
Laudio Outstanding Nurse Manager/Nurse Director Scholarship
This scholarship, sponsored by Laudio, recognizes nurse leaders that demonstrate strong leadership skills, support a continuous journey towards excellence, and exhibit promise for greater contribution and levels of responsibility. Recipients receive scholarship funds exclusively for ONL’s nurse leader development programs.
Mary Allegra, DNP, NEA-BC, NPD-BC
Director for Nursing Professional Practice, Research, Magnet Designation, and Pregnancy and Birth Center
Middlesex Hospital
Molly Forsa, MSN, RN
Clinical Nurse Director Inpatient Psychiatry
Tufts Medical Center
Perry J. Wein, RN, MSN, CNOR
Director, Perioperative Services
Newport Hospital
Past Award Recipients
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