There was a beautiful symmetry as, like the five points of a star, a handful of special nurses joined the galaxy of Johns Hopkins’ best at a Hollywood-themed gala celebrating students, faculty, and alumni.
An Evening With the Stars, a second-annual event, unspooled September 28 at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, with Adam May of Al Jazeera America serving as host and presenting the awards to the five winners. (New this year is the Cynthia and Peter Rosenwald Star Nurse of the Year Award, established by the Rosenwalds to recognize critical care nurses at The Johns Hopkins Hospital who go above and beyond the call of duty in providing compassionate and competent care.)
Awards were handed out to five nurses in four categories: Shining Hospital Star, honoring nurses from Hopkins Hospital and its affiliates (two winners); Shining Faculty Star; Shining Student Star; and Rosenwald Star Nurse of the Year. The winners:
Shining Hospital Star--Keith Franqueiro, All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL
Systems analyst Keith Franqueiro is “a role model” who works with the perioperative services team to enhance quality, safety, and efficiency of care, drawing upon 16 years of experience. He led the implementation of the electronic medical record system across the perioperative services areas. “Keith is admired and respected by surgeons, management, and staff.”
Shining Hospital Star--Donna Prow, Johns Hopkins Hospital
ICU Nurse Manager Donna Prow “encourages nurses to ask critical questions, make decisions, and take initiative.” Her number is in each patient room as well, with an invitation for families to call with any concerns. Her standards of patient care are a magnet for loyalty and commitment from her staff. “Donna helps nurses find their voice.”
Shining Faculty Star--Lori Edwards, DrPH, RN, APRN
"Everyone who comes into contact with her becomes a better person,” a student wrote of Instructor Lori Edwards, whose teaching and research focus on underserved populations. She founded the School of Nursing’s Community Outreach Program, coordinates global health placements for students, and directs the Coverdell Fellows Program for returned Peace Corps volunteers.
Shining Student Star--Emily Hutto, RN
Recognized for her bedside manner, Emily Hutto has represented Johns Hopkins “in an extremely positive way” as an emergency nurse, as a doula, and in clinical rotations. Focused on primary care and chronic disease management, the FNP student will “listen to her patients and truly show them how much she cares” and not just see a disease or illness.
Rosenwald Star Nurse of the Year--Mandalyn “Mandy” Schwarz, RN
A senior nurse in the WICU at Johns Hopkins Hospital, “Mandy is the nurse that I would want to take care of me and anyone in my family if they ever became ill,” a longtime colleague says of Mandalyn Schwarz, calling her a ‘quiet’ hero. “She is an exceptional role model to all new nurses.”