Special Care
9 Outstanding Nurses

Brett Fadgen has been able to overcome his own disability to become a hospital nurse anesthetist and first responder with local rescue companies. Elaine Copney is a bereavement doula, providing gentle and caring support for parents who have lost babies at birth or shortly afterward. Jill Demirci has focused her research on improving access to lactation help for new mothers who are struggling to breastfeed.

These are among the honorees in Pittsburgh Magazine’s seventh annual Excellence in Nursing Awards. This year, a panel of 18 esteemed nursing professionals reviewed 136 nominations — the most ever — to make a selection in each of our eight categories, including one new category: Clinical Instructor/Educator, to recognize achievement in this important area of training. Also, we have our first tie, with two nurses honored in the Community/Ambulatory category, for a total of nine honorees.

By RACHEL WEAVER LABAR | Photos by BECKY THURNER BRADDOCK

HONORABLE MENTION

Academic
Amber Kolesar, Instructor and Director, Second Degree BSN Program, Duquesne University

Marcia S. Cook, Director, AHN Schools of Nursing & Nursing Research

Brayden Kameg, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Department of Health and Community Systems; Coordinator, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Area of Concentration, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing; Director, Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Program, Veterans Administration Pittsburgh Healthcare System

Denise Lucas, Chair, Advanced Practice Programs, Duquesne University School of Nursing

Rhonda Maneval, Dean and Professor, Carlow University College of Health and Wellness

Advanced Practitioner
Rob Bauer, Co-Director of APP Education, UPMC Department of Critical Care Medicine; Associate Medical Director, Adult ICU, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital

Janet Leahy, Supervisor APP, Palliative Medicine, UPMC

Ashley Aspiotes, ICU Nurse Practitioner, AHN Jefferson Hospital

Janelle C. Johns, Health Education Coordinator, AHN Jefferson Hospital

Clinical Instructor/Educator
Sara Angelilli, Director, Perioperative Education, Allegheny Health Network

Emily Berta, Director of Professional Practice and Education, AHN Grove City Hospital; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Georgetown University School of Nursing

Clinician
Rayna Amato, Clinical Nurse III, AHN West Penn Hospital

Julie Brown, Lactation Consultant, AHN West Penn Hospital

Community/Ambulatory
Judy Adams, Director of Outpatient Education, Allegheny Clinic, Allegheny Health Network

Christina Weiss, Outpatient Clinical Business Manager & Manager of Community Center Operations, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Outpatient Clinic & Neighborhood Centers

Emerging Leader
Erin Bernhardt, Clinical Manager, Inpatient Hospice, UPMC-Family Hospice

Keeylynn McGriff, Nurse Manager, Orthopedics, AHN Allegheny General Hospital

Glenn Repko, Director, Care Support, Excela Health

Leadership/Executive
Lisa Graper, Chief Nursing Officer, AHN Wexford Hospital

Sandra Rader, President, UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside

Researcher
Anna Vioral Gavin, Director, Oncology Practice and Professional Development, AHN Cancer Institute

Mary Kay Gill, Program Administrator, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital

Judith Tinelli, Programmatic Nurse Specialist, UPMC St. Margaret