December 15, 2000

This year's recipients of the Stephanie M. Macaluso, RN, Expertise in Clinical Practice Awards were honored in a well-attended, emotional ceremony Dec. 7 in the O'Keeffe Auditorium. A record number of Patient Care Services (PCS) employees were chosen to receive the award – seven in all. Recipients were Gae Burchill, OTR/L, of Occupational Therapy; Pamela DiMack, RN, of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit; Claire Farrell, RN, of the Pre-Admission Testing Area; Marie Elena Gioiella, LICSW, of Social Services; Irene Giorgetti, RN, of Psychiatry; Lisa Sohl, RN, of Ellison 14; and Susan Primm Thel, MSW, of Social Services.

The awards were created in 1996 to recognize PCS direct-care providers, whose practice is based on caring, innovation, knowledge, the spirit of inquiry, leadership and teamwork.

The first recipient of the award in 1996 was Stephanie M. Macaluso, RN, a thoracic clinical nurse specialist who died in 1998. In honor of the high standards she set as a caregiver, the award now is known as the Stephanie M. Macaluso, RN, Expertise in Clinical Practice Award.

"This award mirrors our delivery of patient care at this hospital; every year the bar gets higher," said Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, MS, senior vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nurse. "But we continue to thrive, continue to celebrate excellence and continue to grow expert clinical practice."

Awards were presented to recipients by the managers, supervisors or directors of their respective departments. Many who spoke at the ceremony had known or worked with Macaluso and took the opportunity to reflect on her memory and the strong inspiration she still provides. Recipients received a gift, a plaque and tuition and travel expenses to a professional development conference of their choosing.

In closing, Ives Erickson said: "Stephanie would be very proud. When we established this award and presented it to her back in 1996, it seemed like the right thing to do." Looking at this year's recipients, she added, "It seems like an even better idea now."

The next Macaluso awards are slated for summer 2001.

From left, Farrell, DiMack, Giorgetti, Sohl,
Burchill, Primm Thel, Gioiella and Ives Erickson.