Every nurse cares for thousands of patients in his or her career. That’s a lot of hands to hold, temperatures to take, and stories to gracefully enter—and exit. Our sponsors are pleased to introduce you to five of our area’s medical superstars; help us celebrate both their skill and their grace.

2017 Nurses of Excellence

Everyone agrees that nurses can change your life—whether your life is in their hands, or your loved one’s is. This year’s nominations for Nurses of Excellence introduced us to nurses “on the floor” and throughout administration. The nurses who touched people’s hearts care for people at all stages of life—from birth to hospice—and through every specialty you can imagine.

While each nurse who was nominated deserves recognition—you can read about all of them here—we chose five who embody the essence of nursing. Patients, co-workers, administrators, and family members valued non-judgmental, thorough, level-headed caregivers who by their very natures anticipate their patients’ needs, include patients’ families in their approach, and, most of all, are “there for them.”

We heard heroic stories, including: hiking an hour each way through a blizzard—twice a day, for four days—to care for a single hospice patient; driving injured or ill children from school to doctor appointments when parents could not make it; making care packages or “chemo baskets” for patient families or newly diagnosed patients; planting a tree in memory of a patient who passed away; singing and dancing to cheer people on their way to surgery; standing in for co-workers so they can attend their children’s events; regularly encouraging nursing home residents to do “just one more minute” on the exercise bike; cutting hair at Behavioral Health while listening to patient stories; ensuring that hospitalized children receive gifts at Christmas.

They also show this same nature outside their work. Nominated nurses serve in many civic, cultural, spiritual, and medical associations and organizations. They’ve planned events for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (14 years!) and Black Hills Ski for Light (17 years!), volunteered at the local jail, distributed coats for homeless folks, and started foundations for special needs kids. Our nurses are our community’s lifeblood, and we are thrilled to honor them here.

Congratulations to our five 2017 Nurses of Excellence!

Click the photos above, or the names below, to read their inspiring stories.

Corinne Blomme, RN
Black Hills Surgical Hospital

Kari Nielsen, RN
Black Hills Pediatrics

Jessica Kearns, MSN, MHA, RN
Rapid City Medical Center

Rikki Plaggemeyer, RN
Sturgis Regional Hospital

Jennifer King, RN
Meade Co. Community Health Services

Congratulations to all of the 2017 Nurses of Excellence Nominees:

Ashley Vermeulen, RN The Endoscopy Center	Jayne Backes, RN Fromm Dermatology	Michele Harkin-Meverden Spearfish Regional Health
Carrie Brown, RN Regional Health	Jennifer Holdaway Youth and Family Services	Michelle Sieveke Home Plus Hospice
Carrie Collins, RN Rapid City Medical Center	Jenny Bothwell, RN/BSN Rapid City Medica Center	Pina Bryan, RN VA Black Hills Health Care System
Danielle Schneider, LPN Health Concepts, Somerset Court	Kherdine Weber Pennington Co., State of SD	Rebecca Williams, RN Rapid City Medical Center
Diana Cornford, RN Rapid City Medical Center	Kyleen Liebig, LPN Regional Health	Rob Simon, RN Veterans Hospital
Deirdre Monahan, RN Regional Health	Laurie Rogers, RN/BSN Lead Deadwood School District	Sarah Benne, RN Rapid City Medical Center
Diane Schabauer, RN/MSN/CNP Regional Heart Doctors	Leslie Moss, RN Regional Health	Stephanie DeGroot, RN Regional Health
Eileen Muellenberg Clarkson Mountain View Nursing Home	Lisa Gibbon University of South Dakota	Susan Evans, RN Founders Park Clinic
Faith Hennie Featherstone Black Hills Pediatrics	Lois Bucholz, RN Regional Health	Tiffanie Massingale, RN Regional Health
Heather Jackson, RN Regional Health	Mavis Jefferies, CRN/CIU Rapid City Regional