Olean General Hospital Nurses Honored

OLEAN, NY -- Olean General Hospital (OGH) honored its nursing staff during the eighth annual Hilal Nursing Recognition Program in conjunction with National Nurses Week.

The hospital presented its annual Nurse of Distinction Award to Deborah Stevens, RN, CCRN, CDN while Christina Fusco, LPN was named Outstanding LPN, and Ann Burke, RN was selected as Outstanding Staff Nurse.

“We congratulate Deb, Christina, and Ann for their outstanding achievements,” said Timothy J. Finan, president and CEO of Upper Allegheny Health System and member hospitals Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center. “These three nurses each demonstrate leadership, and the passion and dedication that we value from our nurses. We thank them, and all of our nurses, for helping our hospital fulfill its mission of providing excellent care in response to the health care needs of the community.”

The Hilal Nursing Recognition Program was established in 2005 by Drs. Ahmad and Naheed Hilal to express their profound appreciation of the important work that nurses accomplish on a daily basis. The event annually highlights three nurses for their dedication to the hospital and its patients.

“Our hospital has worked hard to provide dynamic and comprehensive services for the community. As the Director of the Chest Pain Center, I have seen first hand the devotion of our nurses to streamlining the process for patients entering our emergency department with chest pain,” said Ahmad Hilal, M.D. “These services cannot be effectively and efficiently managed without skilled nurses. I salute all of our nurses who work hard every day to meet that challenge.”

Deborah Stevens, RN, CCRN, CDN, was recognized as the hospitals’ Nurse of Distinction. She began her career at Olean General Hospital in 1977 as a staff nurse in the ICU, a role that eventually included her promotion to assistant nurse manager. Stevens was named the Nurse Manager of the Marie Lorenz Dialysis Center in 1996, where she worked closely with Muhammed Javed, M.D. to introduce outpatient dialysis as a new service to the Olean community. Serving on the Nursing Quality Assurance Committee for over 10 years, Stevens was instrumental in promoting quality service as a meaningful goal for all hospital nursing staff. In 2007, she received the Gift of Life award from the National Kidney Foundation of Buffalo for her work with chronic kidney disease patients.

Christina Fusco, LPN, was recognized as the hospitals’ Outstanding LPN. She began her career at Olean General Hospital in 2009. Beginning as a nurse assistant and eventually becoming an LPN, she most recently has served in the Sub-acute Rehabilitation Unit. Fusco is described by her peers as someone who “excels in direct patient care”, and “is willing to help in whatever is needed for the benefit of the patient.” Fusco has been a preceptor for newly hired LPN’s and is considered the “go-to” person for her colleagues.

Ann Burke, RN, was named Outstanding Staff Nurse. She began working at Olean General Hospital in 2005. Burke continuously demonstrates a commitment to her patients and is known for her continuous positive approach to tasks. Her professional commitment has frequently carried over into her personal life, as demonstrated during a recent tornado clean up effort. Burke was recipient of the Nightingale Award in 2008.

“The Hilal Nursing Recognition Program, where we honor our most distinguished nurses, is the highlight of our National Nurses Week at Olean General Hospital,” said Jeff Zewe, vice president of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Olean General Hospital. “These are challenging and evolving times in healthcare. Amid all these changes in a fast paced environment, we often don’t take the time to reflect on all the good our nurses do. The Hilal reception is a great time to acknowledge and celebrate the difference that Olean General Hospital nurses make in our community.”

For more information about Olean General Hospital, visit www.ogh.org.

Pictured, Naheed Hilal, M.D. (far left) and Ahmad Hilal, M.D. (far right), are shown with (from left) Deborah Stevens, RN, CCRN, CDN, Ann Burke, RN, and Christina Fusco, LPN.
Upper Allegheny Health System photo