May 05, 2003

Genesis & IDPH Receive National Nursing Award

Davenport, IA - Twenty Quad City-area nurses have advanced their careers thanks to a new Genesis Medical Center program funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH).  This program, called Retention Through Certification, has received national recognition by the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS).

ABNS President, Sharon Kemerer and Vice-President, Sharon Carter presented the first-ever Award for Nursing Certification Advocacy today to Carole Reid, MSN, RN, Vice President of Patient Services at Genesis Medical Center and Mary Mincer-Hansen, EdD, RN, Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health.

The award recognizes individuals and organizations that advocate for, or promote specialty-nursing certifications. These organizations:

• Benefit the public by promoting quality patient care and ensuring safety
• Have influence beyond the individual or organization level - impact is felt community-wide, state-wide, nationally, and/or internationally
• Inform the public about specialty nursing certification and its value
• Influence the process, standards, legal mandates relevant to specialty nursing certification specifically and/or certification in general
• Advance the cause of specialty nursing certification.

Genesis Medical Center received the award for its Retention Through Certification Program. Genesis initiated this program with a grant from the IDPH and matching funds from the Medical Center. This new program strives to enhance nursing retention, promote professional practice and improve staff satisfaction by supporting professional nursing certification. "I can't tell you how proud I am of our nurses," said Leo Bressanelli, President and CEO of Genesis Health System and Genesis Medical Center. "No one does more to fulfill our mission of providing compassionate, quality health care to all those in need, than the nurses of Genesis Medical Center - nearly 850 of them."

In the fall of 2002, Genesis Medical Center developed the Retention Through Certification Program, which won a $15,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Public Health. The grant comes from a $1.1 million federal funding pool used to establish the Center for Health Care Workforce Shortage at the Iowa Department of Public Health. The funding for this center was a result of the efforts of Sen. Tom Harkin and fueled by work completed through Gov. Tom Vilsack's nursing task force. "Iowa has a national reputation for the high quality of care provided to people in our health care system," said Gov. Vilsack. "We need to do everything we can to recruit and retain quality nurses and caregivers, and give them the support they need to help maintain the health security and quality of life enjoyed by all Iowans."

This program is one of many ways Genesis and the IDPH are combating the nationwide nursing shortage. A study conducted by the Nursing Credentialing Research Coalition found that certification has a dramatic impact on the personal, professional and practice outcomes of certified nurses. These nurses report more confidence in detecting early signs of complications, more personal growth and job satisfaction and received high patient satisfaction ratings.

Since the program's implementation, 20 Quad City area nurses have obtained their specialty certification or re-certification. They include:

Denise Lofgren, Rock Island Mary Masterson, Eldridge Susan Goodall Embree, Davenport Leanna DeWild, Bettendorf Cathie Nichols, DeWitt Michael Curry, Davenport Renee Fay, Davenport Dolletha Harris, Davenport Samantha Irelan, Davenport Glenda Dobbins, Durant

Linda Ruggeberg, Davenport Mary Lou Kaney, Eldridge Donnette Serrano, Davenport Monica Youngblut, Davenport Sheri Heber, Davenport Anna Marie Doubet, Henderson, Illinois Susan Jansen, Long Grove Shelley Wiborg, New Windsor Pat May, Davenport Anne Pauly, DeWitt

"Nurses lifting sprints, touching lives" is the theme for National Nurses Week.  Genesis Medical Center and the Iowa Department of Public Health are honored to kick off Nurses Week, May 6-12, with this national recognition.

Pictured left to right: Leo Bressanelli, President and CEO Genesis Health System, Shannon Carter, ABNS Vice-President, Annette Holst, GMC Education Specialist, Jon Lemke, Ph.D., GHS Chief Biostatistician, Carole Reid, GMC Vice President of Patient Services, Barb Minks, GMC Grant Team Member, Sharon Kemerer, ABNS President, Rebecca Gannon, GMC Education Dept. Manager, Deb Stockdale, GMC Grant Team Member.

Pictured left to right: Julie McMahon, Iowa Department of Public Health, Mary Mincer-Hanson, Director, Iowa Department of Public Health, Lorinda Inman, Iowa Board of Nursing, Eileen Gloor, Iowa Department of Public Health.