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Say hello to our 12 Nurses of the Year finalists! The narrowing the field down to 12 was the hardest thing we’ve had to do in, well, forever. We have soooo many talented and dedicated nurses in Mifflin and Juniata counties, so it was no fun at all having to leave some out.
That being said, it is go-time for voting for five of these folks to be named a Nurse of the Year from Shade Mountain Naturals and Merf Radio! The five nurses receiving the most votes will each win a $75 gift card to Shade Mountain Naturals!
Keep this in mind, before you vote: you may vote once a day every day, from now through 11:30 p.m. on May 12th. Make sure you tell your family and friends to vote for your favorite nominee. An awesome prize is on the line!
And, before we introduce the candidates, a sincere thank you with much appreciation and love for all of our area nurses. We love you. We appreciate you. Happy Nurses Week!
MEET OUR NURSE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Karena Bassler is from Mifflintown. The RN works in the Radiology Department at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. The person who nominated Karena says “nursing is Karena’s passion and she will always put the care for her patients first. She continued to work through the COVID pandemic as she was pregnant with her second child. The COVID virus did not scare Karena because she knew her patients would need her care. She is a God-fearing woman that puts in the sacrifices to be an asset for Lewistown Geisinger Hospital.”
Beth Cavanaugh is an LPN from Lewistown who works at the Geisinger Clinic in Lewistown. Beth has picked up extra shifts to help out during the pandemic. “Beth is a very caring individual,” says the person who nominated her. “She is a single mother and still is 100% dependable and devoted to her job.”
April Coder is an RN from Mifflintown who works for Bayada as a Clinical Manager! “April has the most love and compassion for not only her job but for her clients as well,” said her nominator. Did we just make up a word? Anyway, “she deals with a lot of stress but you could never tell because she is always smiling. April not only deals with the stress of that but her husband is currently going through medical issues (also).”
Amy Felmlee is an RN from Lewistown. She works at the Geisinger Lewistown Cancer Center full-time and, get this, at the William Penn nursing Home part-time. “Being an RN isn’t just a job to Amy. It’s her passion and what she was meant to do. She loves her patients and takes pride in what she does.” Her supporter goes on, “And when she’s not helping total strangers get through some of the worst times of their lives she’s helping (her) mother who has cancer.”
Brittany Graybill, from McVeytown, is and RN who is the school nurse at Mifflin County High School. “It has been a daily struggle for her to make sure that our school has the opportunity to stay open as long as it has.,” says the person who nominated her. “Throughout all of this, she is still upbeat, positive, and pleasant to be around. ..what she is doing for her school and community makes me very proud. ”
Laura Hannon is from Lewistown and works as an RN for Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. Her biggest supporter said, “she is an amazing nurse. She is the type of nurse that goes above and beyond for her patients and their families…She will make the time to sit with you and hold your hand if you are scared or lonely, she will listen if you need to talk, or she will push you if you need it. All she wants is to make sure she helps people the best she can…”
Tina Loht, from McClure, is a Pediatrics LPN for the Geisinger Medical Group. “Tina is always putting her patients first. She is kind. Has a sweet smile every time you see her. Tina is battling cancer and she doesn’t put that first when she is working. She easies her patients with her personality,” says her nominator (there’s that word again).
Alexis Love lives in Lewistown and is and RN at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. Alexis “is a very compassionate registered nurse. She cares about her patients who come into the hospital,” says the person who nominated her. “She has received several thank you cards from her patients in appreciation of the care she provided for them. She also cares about her co-workers.” And, recently, she took a course in Trauma Nursing and received her certification. “I guess that makes her a Trauma Queen!”
Tammy Miller is an LPN who lives in Lewistown and works for Geisinger Surgical Services. “Tammy is an angel in a nurse’s uniform! She truly loves her career and her patients! Tammy always goes above and beyond in her job and has actually been awarded for her exemplary actions and hard work.” She started out as a Medical Assistant but, when her place of employment closed permanently, she decided to go back to school and earn her LPN license. “She had found her calling!!” Tammy “will offer support, whether it be an ear to listen, shoulder to cry on or just a big hug, to anyone in need.”
Stephanie Ritter is from Lewistown. She is an LPN for Geisinger Pediatrics at Grey’s Woods. She’s a mother if four. “Always moving, always willing to help a friend. She’s had to work hard for everything and even though she had to do everything on her own. She’s still willing to help anyone she can. She loves her patients and loves being a nurse.”
Riley Taylor, and LPN, is from Lewistown who works for the William Penn, Bayada and Penn State in Occupational Health. “Riley is an excellent nurse and always has the patients best interest at heart. If there is a call off or a shift change, you can rely on Riley to fill the hole and he does so with much enthusiasm to assist his patients. Not only does Riley work as nurse at multiple locations, he is also a fitness instructor. Riley is a great motivator and deserves to be recognized for his amazing efforts’
Danielle Wert is from East Waterford. She is an RN who works in the ED at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. “Not only does she provide competent and compassionate nursing care to her patients, she also is devoted to helping create well-rounded nurses by teaching nursing students. She shows kindness, compassion for others and patience on a daily basis. Her nursing students are lucky to have a nursing instructor who is truly passionate about nursing and teaching.”
Now remember, you can vote once a day, every day through the 12th, so come back and support your favorite nurse every single day!
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