VA Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Nursing

Bay Pines VA’s Associate Director for Patient Care Services, Carrie Hawkins, has earned the Secretary of Veterans Affairs’ top recognition for nurse executives.

Hawkins’ selection marks the third-consecutive year a Bay Pines VA leader has been selected as a recipient of the Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Nursing.

“We wouldn’t have a world-class health care system without world-class nurses,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “VA nurses are the strong foundation of all we do to care for Veterans, and everyone who encounters our health care system—as a patient, a visitor, an employee—is touched by one of our nurses.”

Hawkins will join the winners of five other categories for the official awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., the first week in May.

“Carrie Hawkins epitomizes leadership in every capacity.”

“Carrie Hawkins epitomizes leadership in every capacity of her role as the senior nurse executive for our health care system,” said Bay Pines VA Director Paul M. Russo. “I, along with our executive leadership team and nearly 1,500 nurses throughout our organization, congratulate her on this tremendous achievement.”

Hawkins was appointed to her current role in 2020 after serving with Denver VA since 2005. Throughout her career, she has served as the deputy associate director for patient care services, chief nurse of inpatient care and as the VISN 19 virtual intensive care unit coordinator.

Last year, Sonya Arnold was recognized as the registered nurse in an expanded role for her leadership as the Bay Pines VA chief of geriatric and extended care. And, in 2022, Russo earned honors as VA’s executive director recipient for his advocacy of nurses and their role in Veteran care.