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October 20, 2011

Loyola Nurse Earns National Award for Contributions in Patient Care

MAYWOOD, Ill. -- Judy McHugh, MSN, RN, a nursing quality improvement coordinator at Loyola University Health System (LUHS), has received the Validator Award. McHugh earned this national award for the work she has done to advance the organization and the profession of nursing through quality and safety initiatives.

She was among a prestigious group of more than 50 nurses who were nominated for this honor. This contest was part of a nationwide campaign to recognize nurses for their good work in the profession. McHugh accepted this award at the ANCC National Magnet Conference® in Baltimore earlier this month. This was the first time the award has been given.

“Judy is always a champion for improving quality of patient care,” said Deborah Jasovsky, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, associate chief nurse executive and Magnet program director, LUHS, who nominated McHugh for the award. “She continuously strives for excellence and inspires her colleagues to do the same."

As a member of LUHS’ Nursing Quality and Safety Council, McHugh has been integral in quality campaigns and committees to improve patient safety. She also has been involved with fall prevention, restraint reduction, and communication and documentation improvement initiatives in nursing. McHugh also mentors other nurses, equipping them with evidence-based practices.

McHugh earned her bachelor’s degree from Elmhurst College and her master’s of science in nursing from Loyola University Chicago.

Loyola Nurse Earns Critical-Care Certification

Karen Brown, RN, earned her Critical-Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification. Brown works in the intensive care unit at Loyola University Medical Center.

Loyola Nurse Appointed to Board of Directors for Otorhinolaryngology Society

Ramute Kemeza, RN, was elected to a two-year term of the board of directors for the Society of Otorhinolaryngology Head-Neck Nurses. Kemeza also is the national chapter coordinator and has served on the society’s nominating committee and as committee chairwoman. Kemeza works in Employee Health Services at Loyola University Medical Center.

Loyola University Health System (LUHS) is a member of Trinity Health. Based in the western suburbs of Chicago, LUHS is a quaternary care system with a 61-acre main medical center campus, the 36-acre Gottlieb Memorial Hospital campus and more than 30 primary and specialty care facilities in Cook, Will and DuPage counties. The medical center campus is conveniently located in Maywood, 13 miles west of the Chicago Loop and 8 miles east of Oak Brook, Ill. The heart of the medical center campus, Loyola University Hospital, is a 569-licensed-bed facility. It houses a Level 1 Trauma Center, a Burn Center and the Ronald McDonald® Children’s Hospital of Loyola University Medical Center. Also on campus are the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola Outpatient Center, Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine and Loyola Oral Health Center as well as the LUC Stritch School of Medicine, the LUC Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and the Loyola Center for Fitness. Loyola's Gottlieb campus in Melrose Park includes the 264-licensed-bed community hospital, the Professional Office Building housing 150 private practice clinics, the Adult Day Care, the Gottlieb Center for Fitness, Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care and the Loyola Cancer Care & Research at the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center at Melrose Park.

MEDIA RELATIONS

Nora Plunkett

Media Relations

(708) 216-6268

nplunkett@lumc.edu
Anne Dillon

Media Relations

(708) 216-8232

adillon@lumc.edu