Recognizing the Compassion, Professionalism and Leadership of Distinguished UH Nurses

By Amy M. Tanner

University Hospitals pauses each year to recognize the outstanding nurses, nurse leaders and nurse researchers whose commitment to providing compassionate, cutting-edge care forms the backbone of UH’s service to the community.

“I look forward to the UH Distinguished Nurse award ceremony every year,” said Michelle Hereford, MSHA, RN, FACHE, Chief Nursing Executive, Ethel Morikis Endowed Chair in Nursing Leadership. “My favorite part of being a nurse leader is recognizing our outstanding nurses for their commitment, compassion and leadership. They exemplify the very best of nursing and the very best of University Hospitals.”

UH CEO Cliff A. Megerian, MD, FACS, Jane and Henry Meyer Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair, thanked the distinguished nurse honorees on behalf of both the leadership team and the one million patients and families who entrust UH with their care.

“You are the heart and soul of University Hospitals — and the reason our patients feel cared for, supported and safe,” he said. “Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our mission and for making healing possible.”

The ceremony honors excellence in three categories: Distinguished Nurse, Distinguished Nurse Leader and Distinguished Nurse Researcher. Ashley Carlucci, DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, CENP, UH Market and UH Conneaut Medical Center Chief Nursing Officer and Thomas F. Zenty III Fellow, served as the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony.

She noted the many changes in the current healthcare environment – evolving technology, increasingly complex patient needs, the demand for data-driven outcome metrics – and said nurses are the bridge holding everything together.

“Across our hospitals, clinics and communities, nurses are reimagining how care is delivered,” she said. “We’re leading virtual care initiatives, harnessing analytics to improve safety and efficiency, and developing new care models that put the patient — and the caregiver — at the center.

“Excellence in human caring is what truly defines us as nurses and it’s what defines this organization,” Dr. Carlucci said.

Caregivers across the system submitted nearly 600 nominations for the 2025 UH Distinguished Nurse, Nurse Leader and Nurse Researcher awards. Each submission was reviewed with a blinded process and scored with a rubric. 

Here is a small sample of praise these nurses received from their colleagues:

• Carys co-led a quality improvement project focused on early mobilization protocols in post-cardiac surgery patients that resulted in reduced ICU length of stay.
• Cassandra advocates for the patient’s autonomy and updates families calmly and compassionately, reducing fear and confusion during some of the most overwhelming moments of their lives.
• Elizabeth collaborates with surgeons, physical therapists and oncologists to develop comprehensive, personalized care plans that address the unique needs of breast cancer patients.
• Emily empowers new nurses to communicate effectively and deliver high-quality care; she is a core part of our unit culture. She is particularly skilled at providing updates that are easy for patients and families to understand.
• Eric is part of the rapid response team and excels at comforting grieving families during life-altering events. His guitar hangs on the wall in the MICU and he will play songs for patients upon request.
• Larisa has spearheaded the growth and expansion of the robotic surgery program at UH CMC. She supports the development of new perioperative nurses by ensuring their learning environment is a safe and protected space.
• Melissa is a recognized leader in lung cancer screening and prevention. Her mastery has directly contributed to earlier detection and improved outcomes for countless patients. She integrates current evidence-based practice into every patient interaction while never losing sight of the human being behind the diagnosis.
• Nichole is working on a grant-funded mammogram screening event for female inmates – a first for the Portage County Jail. She has contributed to the successful management of complex and medically fragile inmates, reducing the number who need to go to the ED.
• Tracy is an expert at addressing the clinical needs and treatment of people with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. She makes the clinical environment welcoming – even the most tactilely sensitive or physician-phobic patients are able to cooperate with vital signs, weights and the check-in process.

The UH Distinguished Nurse Award recognizes nurses who stand out for their knowledge, compassionate care, professional development, teamwork, teaching and service to patients and the nursing profession.

The 2025 UH Distinguished Nurses are:

• Abigail Speckman, RN, Emergency Services, UH Cleveland Medical Center
• Andrea DeSapri, RN, Nursing Professional Development Specialist
• Angelia Candelario, RN, BSN, Labor and Delivery, UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital at UH St. John Medical Center
• Carys Wooldridge, RN, ICU Assistant Nurse Manager, UH Cleveland Medical Center
• Cassandra LaRose, RN, BSN, Emergency Services, UH Portage Medical Center
• Doron Bennett, RN, BSN, CICU, UH Cleveland Medical Center
• Elizabeth Stratton, RN, BSN, Radiation Oncology, UH Avon Health Center
• Emily Jakovina, RN, CICU, UH Cleveland Medical Center
• Emma DuPerow, RN, BSN, Labor and Delivery, UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital at UH Ahuja Medical Center
• Eric Drvenkar, RN, BSN, MICU, UH Cleveland Medical Center
• Gianna DiPippo, RN, BSN, Labor and Delivery, UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital at UH Ahuja Medical Center
• Heather Hicks, RN, BSN, Rapid Response Team, UH Cleveland Medical Center
• Jeff Fowler, RN, ESS Cath Lab, UH Ahuja Medical Center
• Jessica Cahill, RN, Nursing Professional Development Specialist
• Karen Davis, RN, Home Care
• Larisa Rebello, RN, BSN, Mather OR, UH Cleveland Medical Center
• Maria Denis, RN, BSN, UH Ambulatory
• Melissa Loop, RN, UH Seidman Cancer Center
• Michael Hitchlock, LPN, UH Ambulatory
• Michelle Ingram, RN, BSN, NICU, UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
• Michelle Janas, RN, BSN, Care Coordination Pediatrics, UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
• Nichole Clegg, RN, UH Portage Jail Services
• Nicole Elam, RN, BSN, Emergency Services, Pediatrics, UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
• Shannon Bracken, RN, Step Down, UH Lake West Medical Center
• Tara Barr, RN, BSN, Emergency Services, UH Portage Medical Center
• Topaz Golan, RN, BSN, TSICU, UH Cleveland Medical Center
• Tracy Booker, RN, Psychiatry, UH MSO
• Tracy Kustra, RN, BSN, Medical Oncology, UH Seidman Cancer at UH St. John Medical Center

The UH Distinguished Nurse Leader Award recognizes outstanding nurse leaders who exemplify the UH Leadership promise to inspire, innovate and achieve.

The 2025 Distinguished Nurse Leaders are:

• Deborah Prusak, RN, Nurse Manager, Pediatrics, UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
• Jennifer Carpenter, DNP, RN, CENP, Chief Nursing Officer, UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s and UH MacDonald Women’s Hospitals and UH Chief Nursing Informatics Officer
• Libby Svoboda, RN, Manager, Community Education, UH Women’s & Children’s Outreach
• Lindsey Colangelo, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, UH Ahuja Medical Center
• Wanda Gailey, RN, Manager, Quality and Risk Management, UH Home Care

The UH Distinguished Nurse Researcher Award recognizes nurses who advance the science of nursing research, are actively involved in research, publications and dissemination of knowledge and continue to develop.

The 2025 Distinguished Nurse Researchers are:

• Esther Thatcher, RN, PhD, Nurse Scientist, Population Health, UH ACO   
• Julia Blanchette, RN, PhD, Nurse Scientist Lead, Diabetes Care and Education, UH Cleveland Medical Center