Congratulations Nurses!
15-5-2025
Nurses Honoured With Recognition for Excellence, Leadership, and Quality Care
Nurses at Windsor Regional were honoured this week to recognize nursing excellence and continuing education efforts, including many new award categories recognizing nursing leaders, newcomers to the profession, and our nurses of tomorrow.
Winners of the annual Jeanne Mance Extraordinary Nursing Care Awards go to a nurse who continually goes above and beyond to provide compassionate and professional patient care and exemplifies teamwork, compassion, stewardship and respect. This year’s Jeanne Mance Extraordinary Nursing Care Awards go to the following WRH recipients, listed here in alphabetical order with some quotes about them directly from their colleagues who nominated them:
In addition to the traditional Jeanne Mance Extraordinary Nursing Care Awards, WRH introduced a number of new categories as well and are listed below:
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SPENSER DIONNE, Registered Practical Nurse (RPN), CTU, Ouellette Campus
Spenser is known by colleagues for going “above and beyond” for her patients. She was instrumental in the implementation of a “golden star” program to reward patients working on their mobility progress.
“Spenser not only provides exceptional patient care, but she also brings joy and cheer into her patients’ lives. Spenser spreads joy and positivity to her patients and colleagues. Her work ethic and team effort are unmatched!”
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MICHELLE GAGNE, Registered Nurse (RN), Emergency Department, Met Campus
In a very busy Emergency Department with high volumes and work demands, Michelle is known as “the calm in the storm” as a charge nurse at Met Campus.
“When the most challenging cases arrive in our department, she is the glue that keeps this department together. This RN represents all the best qualities an RN can have in the ER. She stands up for all of her patients and always leads this department. She cares deeply about her patients and leads the department with grace.”
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AHMAD KHALIL, RPN, Mental Health, Ouellette Campus
Ahmad is recognized as a mentor for future nurses and a heartfelt compassion for patients in the mental health unit.
“He is the kind of nurse who helps everyone - patients, coworkers, even strangers - because kindness is simply who he is. “He is a fantastic teacher and understands the importance of molding future nurses to be compassionate, caring, and intelligent. Ahmad’s compassion, clinical expertise and dedication to patient-centered care makes him the perfect candidate for this award.”
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LINDA LARAMIE, RPN, 4 North, Met
Colleagues describe Linda as “the epitome of compassionate care,” consistently going above and beyond for her patients.
“Her dedication to not only treating their medical needs but also providing emotional support sets her apart. Linda's unwavering commitment to making her patient feel valued and heard is a testament to her exceptional empathy and passion for nursing.
Whether it's adjusting a pillow to ensure a better rest or making sure a patient is clean, dry, and comfortable, Linda goes above and beyond in providing a level of care that focuses on dignity and respect.”
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KAREN MCCONNELL, RN, Day Surgery, Ouellette Campus
Karen has been a Registered Nurse for nearly 39 years. This alone is admirable, but throughout her years of work she had made lasting impacts on her patients, co-workers, friends and the newest generation of nurses.
“She always seeks out the newest information to advance her practice to ensure the patient is prioritized. She is the smartest and most compassionate nurse and continues to inspire every single day.”
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JOSEPHINE PIAZZA, RN, Cancer Centre, Met
Josephine has worked in numerous departments over her career and is currently inspiring the oncology team to achieve excellence by providing patient-centered care.
“She always demonstrates WRH's core values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence. She teaches young nurses and inspires the oncology team to achieve excellence by providing patient-centered care, helping us reach the highest potential through mentorship, advocacy, and collaboration, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and the cyberattack.”
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In addition to the traditional Jeanne Mance Extraordinary Nursing Care Awards, WRH introduced many new categories as well, and they are listed below:
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ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD:
Lawrence Campbell,
RN, 4 West, Met
Zoe Janisse,
RN, 8 West, Ouellette
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"STUDENT" OF THE YEAR AWARD:
Owen Silverthorne,
Extern, Surgery, Met Campus
Seerat Tiwana,
Extern, 4 Medical, Ouellette Campus
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NURSING LEADER AWARD:
Lori Clarke,
RN, Cancer Centre, Met Campus
Casey Kouvelas,
Manager, Cancer Centre, Met Campus
Karen MacKinnon,
RN, Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Ouellette Campus
Natalie Zarac,
CPM, Mental Health, Ouellette Campus
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VETERAN OF THE YEAR AWARD:
Sharon Furtah,
RPN, CTU, Ouellette Campus
Maureen Toole,
RN, Day Surgery, Met Campus
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PATIENT SAFETY AWARD (TEAM):
Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Met Campus
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PATIENT EXPERIENCE AWARD (TEAM):
Renal Dialysis, Ouellette Campus/Leamington Satellite Dialysis Unit
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Three WRH nurses were also named as recipients of the annual Lori Dupont Bursary, which assists staff with continuing education costs. Each successful candidate is awarded up to $1,000.
This year’s Lori Dupont Bursary recipients are:
- Autumn Ganney, 6 North, Met Campus
- Sandra Maroszek, Mental Health, Ouellette Campus
- Jean Meloche, ICU, Ouellette Campus
“Our whole team at WRH is extremely proud of our Nurses Week award winners and truly all nurses and staff throughout our organization,” said Karen Riddell, Acting President and CEO and Chief Nursing Executive. “Each and every day, our nurses provide compassionate, safe, quality care to our community and the region that we serve, and we are pleased to celebrate these award winners and their colleagues for their successes.”