Five Paulding Hospital care providers who were honored at a recent WellStar nursing award ceremony.

WELLSTAR PAULDING HOSPITAL NURSING AWARDS HIGHLIGHT EMERGENCY CARE

DALLAS, Ga. (June 22, 2017) – Nurses play a critical role in helping patients heal, both physically and emotionally. Across WellStar Health System, nurses are at the center of the not-for-profit’s mission to deliver world-class healthcare to patients. WellStar Paulding Hospital’s nurses and physicians who work to elevate the field of nursing were recently recognized at WellStar’s annual Excellence in Nursing award ceremony.
“We have a fantastic nursing staff at WellStar Paulding Hospital, who treat our patients with compassion every day,” said Vicky Hogue, chief nursing officer at WellStar Paulding Hospital. “We are excited to honor Renee, Nic, Nona, Kendra and Dr. Cheng for their contributions to the nursing profession and for elevating patient care.”
The awards spanned five categories and nurses and physicians who actively support the nursing profession were recognized, including:

Renee Smith, RN
Renee was awarded the 5-Star Nurse award for her work in the Emergency Department. She provides exemplary care to ensure positive patient outcomes. She takes every opportunity to learn and grow and is the first to volunteer for process improvement. She takes particular care to educate patients and family members so they understand the care being performed.

Nic de Jong, RN
Nic was awarded the Rising Star in Nursing award for his work in telemetry, the close monitoring of patients’ vital signs. He embraces life-long learning, quickly adapts to new initiatives and consistently sets an example to others. He is eager to learn new technologies to better serve patients. Nic is a standout among his peers and always projects a positive attitude while anticipating the needs of others.

Nona Harris, RN
Nona was awarded the Nightingale Nurse award for her work in the Emergency Department. Nona has served patients at the bedside for her 28-year-career. She encourages her colleagues to expand their horizons by furthering their education and joining unit initiatives. Nona uses a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach in her practice and shares her skills and experiences to ensure the best care for patients. In addition, she was recognized with the Systemwide level Nightingale Nurse award.

Kendra Mathis, RN
Kendra was awarded the Administrative Leadership and Management award for making a positive impact on the team and her leadership colleagues. She helps the team members feel empowered by making sure they are sufficiently prepared. She helps increase their confidence and encourages camaraderie and which lead to positive patient outcomes. With her intuition and expertise, Kendra is a true nursing leader.

Alan Cheng, M.D.
Dr. Cheng was awarded the Provider Partner in Excellence award. He has been instrumental in supporting the nursing staff. He has a passion for what he does and instills this same passion in nurses, ensuring they know their contributions are valued and he is part of their team.

During the ceremony, a total of 54 nurses and physicians spanning WellStar Health System were recognized.
Pictured with Nona Harris, RN (and the other winners) are: Susan Thurman, interim chief nursing officer at WellStar Paulding Hospital (tan shirt) and Jill Case-Wirth, chief nurse executive for WellStar Health System.

About WellStar Health System
WellStar Health System, the largest health system in Georgia, is known nationally for its innovative care models, focused on improving quality and access to healthcare. WellStar consists of WellStar Medical Group, 240 medical office locations, outpatient centers, health parks, a pediatric center, nursing centers, hospice, homecare, as well as 11 hospitals: WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South, WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (anchored by WellStar Kennestone Hospital), WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, and WellStar Cobb, Douglas, North Fulton, Paulding, Spalding Regional, Sylvan Grove and Windy Hill hospitals. As a not-for-profit, WellStar continues to reinvest in the health of the communities it serves with new technologies and treatments. For more information, visit wellstar.org.