Burlington, VT – Each year, University of Vermont Medical Center celebrates the life-changing impact nurses have on patients, families and colleagues. 

As part of the ongoing Nurses Week celebration, nurse leaders from UVM Medical Center and University of Vermont Health Network gathered to celebrate the hospital’s annual Nursing Awards and Scholarships ceremony. 

The awards and scholarships, many of which are made possible through philanthropic contributions to the hospital, celebrate clinical and leadership excellence in nursing and a wide range of work that supports patients and staff every day. 

“All that we accomplish here begins with our frontline staff and leaders providing comfort, hope, skill, compassion, advocacy, education and caring to our patients, their families, and each other,” said Peg Gagne, chief nursing officer at UVM Medical Center. “During Nurses Week, we recognize our extraordinary nurses and caregivers who demonstrate excellence in many ways.” 

2025 Nursing Award Winners 

“These awards and scholarships recognize our nurses for the incredible work they do every day, while also remembering many of the great nurses who have served before – such as Sally Sample, Kate FitzPatrick and Mary Fletcher,” said Betsy Hassan, DNP, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, director of nursing education and professional development at UVM Medical Center. “Our scholarships support nurses as they continue their professional development and contribute to the high-quality care that we provide patients every day.” 

Paul W. Horton Award 

Clare Rowley, BSN, RN, CEN, a member of the hospital’s Clinical Emergencies Response team, is the winner of this year’s Paul W. Horton Award. The award recognizes a registered nurse who demonstrates excellence in clinical practice and serves as a clinical leader and role model while also being involved in program development, patient and family education, and supporting colleagues in a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings. 

Rowley, who has been a member of UVM Medical Center’s nursing team for more than 35 years, was nominated by a co-worker who called her clinical skills “unmatched.” 

“Clare’s ability to triage a crisis is impressive,” wrote the individual when nominating Rowley. “She can enter a chaotic scene, bring the level of anxiety down, address the health care team, patient and family … and set the tone for efficiency and compassion.”  

LNA Clinical Excellence Award

Bhola Gurung, LNA, unit secretary on the hospital’s Acute Inpatient Rehab unit, is the winner of this year’s LNA Clinical Excellence Award. The award recognizes a licensed nursing assistant (LNA) who demonstrates exemplary patient care and communication skills, and acts as a role model while implementing care plans and providing timely observations related to patients’ response to care. 

“Bhola’s work ethic is impeccable and his approach to care is kind and compassionate,” wrote the individual who nominated Gurung. “He is detail oriented and extremely gifted at ‘closing the loop’ on all communications. He is truly a role model of excellence for his peers.” 

LPN Excellence in Clinical Practice Award

Lisa Maple, LPN, is the winner of this year’s LPN Excellence in Clinical Practice Award. The award recognizes a licensed practical nurse (LPN) who demonstrates exemplary clinical skills, communication skills and collaboration while also participating in patient and colleague education initiatives and committees. 

“Lisa is a natural leader among all clinical and non-clinical staff,” wrote the individual who nominated Maple. “She is a reliable source of support … stay(s) current with policies and procedures… and if she does not know the answer, she knows how to find it. Lisa’s kind and gentle demeanor are highly appreciated, and she consistently demonstrates active listening, empathy and honesty.” 

Sally Sample Award

Jessica Charbonneau, DNP, RN, CNML, nurse manager of Inpatient Psychiatry at UVM Medical Center, is the winner of this year’s Sally Sample Award for nurse managers. The award is named in honor of the first nurse to serve on the then-Fletcher Allen Health Care Board of Trustees. It recognizes a nurse manager who demonstrates leadership in advancing the quality of patient care, manages the performance improvement process and ensures the implementation of measurable quality improvement initiatives. 

“Jess has fostered a culture of diversity, inclusivity and respect for staff and patients. She is organized and thoughtful and teaches accountability as a leader,” wrote the individual who nominated Charbonneau. “She has increased the unit’s permanent staff from forty percent to ninety percent and has been instrumental in mentoring new leaders within the division of nursing.” 

Excellence in Advance Practice Nursing Award

Lindsey Jehle, CRNA, DNP, is the winner of this year’s Excellence in Advance Practice Nursing Award. The award recognizes an advance practice nurse who exemplifies professional nursing practice as well as caring and compassion when interacting with patients and their support network, demonstrates leadership and commitment to patient care and improves patient care through evidence-based best practices. 

“Lindsey is profoundly dedicated to achieving clinical excellence,” wrote the individual who nominated Jehle. “She consistently seeks out opportunities to educate others … and serves as a role model in our community. She strives for achieving quality in every aspect of her well-rounded life and career and has become a role model for us all.” 

Jehle has led the nursing team’s New Hire Mentorship Program and is an integral part of the hospital’s Quality and Improvement Committee and Anesthesia Hiring and Leadership Committee, and a founding member of the Wellness Community Collective. 

Joan Webber Jones Award

Amelie Thurston, BSN, RN, c-EFM, a nursing practice development practitioner at UVM Medical Center’s Birthing Center, is the winner of this year’s Joan Webber Jones Award for nurse educators. The award recognizes a nurse who demonstrates leadership in advancing the quality of nursing education or patient education, excellence in the professional development of staff, exceptional clinical expertise and creative and interactive approaches to education. 

“Through her innovative, engaging and thorough approach to nursing education, Amelie utilizes numerous creative and interactive methodologies to … address and satisfy all proficiency requirements,” wrote the individual who nominated Thurston. 

In the past year, Thurston led the implementation of quantitative blood loss – a system that measures blood loss during medical procedures – 2nd Stage Multidisciplinary Labor Huddles, acted as professional mentor of several post-doctoral fellows and served on the hospital’s DEI Steering Committee and Nurses Skills Fair Planning Committee 

Kate FitzPatrick NPG Award

Kimberly Cohen, BSN, RN, CURN, of the hospital’s outpatient Urology unit, is the winner of this year’s Kate FitzPatrick NPG Award, which was created in 2019 through a gift from FitzPatrick as she stepped away from her role as the hospital’s chief nursing officer. 

The award is given to an exceptional nurse who has served on any of the hospital’s NPG-related councils and spends most of their time providing direct patient care, while also providing leadership related to the Magnet Model – a set of criteria used to assess nursing facilities and identify nursing care of the highest quality. 

“Kimberly knows how important it is to showcase the work of direct care nurses and make sure the ambulatory care nurse’s voice is being heard,” wrote the individual who nominated Cohen. “She stepped outside of her comfort zone, leading the inaugural ambulatory showcase where over seventy people were in attendance. She has been able to move the dial on ambulatory nursing practice, which elevates the care we deliver.” 

Cohen joined the hospital’s NPG Ambulatory Council two years ago and began serving as the council’s chairperson last year. 

The UVM Medical Center Rising Star Award

Neil Fitzsimons, RN, is the winner of this year’s UVM Medical Center Rising Star Award. The award recognizes a registered nurse (RN) or LPN with fewer than two years’ experience in practice who demonstrates outstanding skill, dedication and compassion in patient care, and personal and professional growth while making a significant impact in their short time with the hospital. 

“Neil has already made a tremendous impact on his patients and peers,” wrote the individual who nominated Fitzsimons. “He is kind, caring and compassionate … and described as ‘a team player’ who inspires his team with his accountability and presence.” 

Having been with the hospital for about four months, Fitzsimons has made an impact by demonstrating poise and quick action during a cardiac arrest that occurred during one of his first post-orientation night shifts. He also volunteered his weekends to help a long-term patient write a 25-page memoir, taking dictation when the patient was unable to write the document themselves. 

The UVM Medical Center Excellence in Leadership Award

Joe Wells, AND, RN, administrative nurse coordinator, is the winner of this year’s UVM Medical Center Excellence in Leadership Award. The award recognizes a nurse leader who begins or actively supports new initiatives, advocates for staff, is a creative problem solver, and promotes a positive, respectful and supportive work environment while demonstrating great communication. 

“Joe exemplifies outstanding leadership through his approachable, solution-oriented style and unwavering dedication to supporting his team,” wrote the individual who nominated Wells. “He leads with integrity, compassion and respect, fostering a collaborative environment where open community, shared decision-making, and creative problem-solving thrive. His consistent impact, calm leadership under pressure and commitment to excellence make him truly deserving of this award.” 

The UVM Medical Center Preceptor Excellence Award

Jessica Sabick, BSN, RN, OCN, is the winner of this year’s UVM Medical Center Preceptor Excellence Award. The award recognizes the key role of preceptors in onboarding and retaining new nursing staff. Preceptors support student learning and work with experienced nurses who are new to the hospital as they transition into practice. 

Multiple individuals nominated Sabick for the award, saying her commitment to professional development inspired them, and that her way of encouraging those she mentors and celebrating their achievements made a positive impact as they joined the hospital’s nursing team. 

2025 Nursing Scholarships 

UVM Medical Center’s annual Nursing Scholarships highlight the importance and impact of continuing education and professional development within all aspects of nursing practice. The scholarships are awarded to individuals enrolled in programs related to health care and help defray the cost of tuition, books, applications and other academic expenses for individuals pursuing degrees, certifications or other health care-related education. 

Mary Fletcher Nursing Alumni Fund Scholarship

Established in 1997 through a contribution by Mary Fletcher Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association, the fund supports the growth and development of nursing to benefit those who receive health care services, education or research sponsored through UVM Medical Center or its affiliates. 

This year’s recipients are: 

Taylor Mathieson, US/LNA, of the hospital’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU); Tessa Krygier, LPN, of the hospital’s Operating Room (OR) team; Stephanie Stone, RN, of the hospital’s SCIU; and Veranice Bishop, LNA, of the hospital’s Orthopedics team. 

Nursing Scholarship Program

Recognizing the impact nursing education has on quality patient care, UVM Medical Center supports the career development of nurses through its Nursing Scholarship Program, which helps defray the cost of tuition, books, applications and other academic expenses for individuals pursuing degrees in nursing.

This year’s recipients are:

Melinda Pariser-Schmidt, MSN, RNC-NIC, IBCLC, of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU); Mary Dineen, BSN, of the hospital’s inpatient care team; Jenny Parker, BSN, RN, PMHNP-S, AMB-BC, of the hospital’s vascular surgery team; Kathryn Calisti, RN, of the SICU; Tessa Krygier, LPN, of the OR; Marcijo Lombard, LPN, of the hospital’s Obstetrics, Midwifery and Gynecology unit; Nicole Martin, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, a nurse leader on the hospital’s inpatient care team; Heather Tetrault, BSN, RN, NPD-BC, a nursing professional development practitioner on the hospital’s Nursing Research and Education team; Emma Sullivan, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC, CLC, of the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU); Jason Kirchick, MPH, MSN, CNL, of the hospital’s Oncology care team; Angela Band, BSN, RN, assistant nurse manager on the hospital’s inpatient care team; and Lisa Gale, BSN, RN, OCN, assistant nurse manager on the hospital’s Oncology care team. 

UVM Medical Center Auxiliary Nursing Scholarship

Established by the hospital’s all-volunteer Auxiliary, these scholarships are available to employees enrolled in education programs ranging from professional licensure to advanced degrees in nursing. 

This year’s recipients are: 

Melinda Pariser-Schmidt, MSN, RNC-NIC, IBCLC, of the NICU; Jenny Parker, BSN, PMHNP-S, AMB-BC, of the Vascular Surgery team; and Heather Tetrault, BSN, RN, NPD-BC, of the Nursing Research and Education team. 

Ellen Seuss Evans Oncology Nurse Education Scholarship 

Established in memory of Ellen Suess Evans, who died of cancer in 1998, and the nurses who made significant contributions to her care, this scholarship is open to nurses who care for patients with cancer during any phase of their treatment and supports ongoing education for Oncology nurses at UVM Medical Center. 

This year’s recipients are: 

Amanda Musser, BSN, RN, NPD-BC, MEDSURG-BC, of the hospital’s Resource Department; and Lindsey Willis, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, a professional development practitioner on the hospital’s Neurological Surgery team. 

Riley W. Olson Critical Care Nurse Education Fund Scholarship

Established in memory of Riley Olson, who passed away in 2016 following a skiing accident, and the nurses who made an impact on his family’s experience, this scholarship is awarded to a critical care registered nurse who demonstrates excellence in clinical practice and commitment to the care of patients and their families. 

This year’s recipient is Aaron Early, MBA, RN, of the SICU, who plans to use the funds to help colleagues earn trauma care certification and attend a critical care fellowship that is being organized in conjunction with the hospital’s Emergency Department. 

Arabella Trudeau Nursing Education Endowment Fund

This scholarship is available to employees who are pursuing a registered nursing degree. This year’s recipient is Rebecca Jager, LNA, of the hospital’s inpatient care team.