St. Luke’s Health Nurses Receive Florence Nightingale Award

Florence Nightingale is famously remembered as the founder of modern nursing. She sparked worldwide health care reform in the late 1800s with her tireless dedication to the sickest of patients. During National Nurses Week, celebrated May 6-12, St. Luke’s Health-Memorial recognized five nurses who exemplify dedication, caring, competence, self-sacrifice, strength, passion, leadership, and a servant’s heart with the inaugural Florence Nightingale Award.

The recipients were chosen based on peer nominations.

Matt Clark, RN, the clinical nurse award recipient in Lufkin, works in the Emergency Department as a Charge Nurse. His co-workers agree that Matt leads by example, according to several nomination letters he received.

“He is a joy to work with and makes each day run as smoothly as possible while keeping patient satisfaction high with the best possible care,” one nomination stated.

“Matt exemplifies servant leadership.”

“Matt is one of the most dedicated nurses I know. Matt takes great pride in his work and devotes himself to make sure all patients are taken care of and his crew has what they need.”

Mary Bannon, RN, the non-clinical nurse award recipient in Lufkin, is the Director of Clinical Informatics which is a hospital department that combines nursing with information systems to create, acquire, store and process meaningful data that is used for patient care.

“Mary shows determination and diligence to find ways for the staff and physicians to consistently use the Electronic Health Records system the way it was intended. Mary is challenged on a daily basis and never seems to be affected by the challenges. She continues to look for more efficient ways to utilize the system,” a nomination letter stated.

Kayla Moreland, RN, works as a nurse at Memorial Specialty Hospital, the area’s only long term acute care facility. Although she has worked for the hospital a little less than a year, her passion for taking care of patients is evident to all who work alongside her.

“She is dedicated to providing 5-star service on a daily basis. Kayla is a great team player and does not mind helping anyone. She is also full of knowledge. She is one who truly loves what she does and it shows!” the nomination stated.

Marge Asper, MSN, RNC, works in Labor and Delivery at St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Livingston. According to her peers, Ms. Asper is dedicated to her profession and to her co-workers.

“She is an instrument in the facilitation of family-centered care and embraces change with her unique strategies,” a nomination letter stated. “Marge is always willing to lend a helping hand, answer questions, and encourage others to enhance their knowledge of obstetric and neonatal nursing. Marge is the epitome of self-sacrifice and devotion. She goes above and beyond in all that she does in serving our patients.”

“There is no nurse more deserving of the Florence Nightingale Award than Marge. She is very knowledgeable in this profession and someone that I strive to be like,” another nomination stated.

Along with her duties at the hospital, Ms. Asper serves as the Chair of the Livingston Chapter of the Texas Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. 

Barbara Cogburn, LVN, is known by her St. Luke's Health-Memorial San Augustine co-workers as a passionate, caring and devoted nurse.

“She is committed to her job and goes above and beyond to help her co-workers. Barbara always has a smile on her face regardless what type of day she is having,” a nomination letter stated. “She is competent and very knowledgeable. She takes pride in her work and she takes great care of her patients.”