Ansell Announces Winners of the 2014 H.E.R.O. Nurse Service Award
Ansell announces the winners of the 2014 Ansell H.E.R.O. [Heal, Educate, Reach, and Overcome] Nurse Service Award, established to recognize nurses who have made lasting impressions on their peers, patients, the profession and the community.
The 2014 contest was launched at the 61st annual AORN (Association of periOperative Registered Nurses) Congress held March 30 through April 2, 2014 in Chicago. The program began with nurses being nominated by their peers, followed by a voting period. The 10 nominees receiving the most votes from peers, friends, and family, were named the winners of the 2014 Ansell H.E.RO. Nurse Service Award. Each winner will receive a H.E.R.O. Nurse Service Award Plaque, nursing reference book of their choice, and will have their story profiled online at www.ansellhero.com.
This year’s winners include:
- Grace Gildea, RN, Overlook Medical Center, NJ
- Patricia Decker Boniello, RN, Monmouth Medical Center, NJ
- Betsy Ball, RN, Englewood Hospital, NJ
- Marilyn Azuelo, BSN, RN, CNRN, Morristown Medical Center, NJ
- Jodi Gauthier, RN, Case Manager, Hospice of Michigan
- Linda Easter, Neurology Specialty Nurse, Arkansas Children's Hospital
- Rita Sanders, RN, Noble Hospital, MA
- Jeanne LaFountain, RN, Educator & Lt Col in Air Force Reserves, Ross Heart Hospital (Ohio State University) and U.S. Air Force
- Belva Dyer, Rehabilitation Specialty Nurse, Arkansas Children's Hospital
- Jennifer Butch, Nurse Manager, Operating Rooms, Penn State Hershey Medical Center
In addition to highlighting outstanding nominees, this year’s program saw monumental jumps in participation. Year-over-year results rose by hundreds, and in some categories, thousands of percentage points. Votes came in at 32,172 – a 50,000 percent increase over last year. Total visits to the Ansell H.E.R.O. website soared from 818 to 39,358. Overall nominations climbed from 20 to 81, and confirmed nominations rose from nine to 56. These numbers become even more impactful when you take into account that the 2013 program ran two months longer.
“On behalf of everyone at Ansell, we would like to congratulate all of the nominees, especially the very deserving top 10,” says Anthony López, president and general manager of medical aolutions at Ansell. “Our appreciation and admiration for what nurses do is endless, and we are thrilled that this year’s program has received such exceptional exposure, so that these nurses can be widely recognized for their tireless contributions.
Source: Ansell
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
