VA Facilities To Hold Memorial Day Observances

Washington, D.C. — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing winners of its annual awards to recognize achievement in nursing care and support to nursing by medical center administrators.

Recipients of the Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Nursing are:

• Penelope (Penny) Abegglen, R.N., of the Fort Harrison, Mont., VA Medical and Regional Office Center
• Estella M. Reynero, L.V.N., at the Temple Integrated Clinical Facility of the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System
• Doris Conley, C.N.A., at the Chillicothe, Ohio, VA Medical Center
• Douglas M. Kenyon, Director of the Fargo, N.D., VA Medical and Regional Office Center, is the recipient of the Secretary’s Award for the Advancement of Nursing Programs.

The awardees are being honored for their exceptional contributions to quality VA health care in ceremonies today in Washington, D.C.

“The work of VA’s nurses goes right to the heart of the Department’s historic role — caring for those who have borne the battle. These award winners represent the very best among the more than 60,000 nurses who provide quality care to millions of our nation’s veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Togo D. West, Jr.

Criteria for the Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Nursing include the recipient’s integration of current standards of nursing practice into clinical care, meeting performance standards, interaction with co-workers to achieve excellence in care, and maintaining skills through continuing education and inquiry.

The Secretary’s Award for Advancement of Nursing Programs considers factors such as the incorporation of contemporary nursing practices into the facility’s existing nursing program, the involvement of nursing as a clinical discipline at the facility, and provision of support services such as personnel or technology to enhance nursing’s contribution to health care.