National Service Office awards recognize the exceptional commitment of NFP teams to improving the lives of families and communities
DENVER, COLO. (Dec. 13, 2022) – Through its National Service Office, Nurse-Family Partnership ® (NFP), a national program serving first-time moms and their children affected by economic inequality, has awarded the Tenacious Caregiver Awards to four distinguished NFP providers at Re:Ignite 2022, NFP’s annual education summit. In its third year as a virtual event, the summit provides the opportunity for NFP nurses to learn and connect across the country.
The recipients are: Maria Otero, RN, an NFP nurse at the Brooklyn Nurse-Family Partnership at SCO Family of Services in NY; Lynn Lauri, BSN, RN, an NFP nurse supervisor at Maternal & Family Health Services in PA; Lisa Ritchey, BSN, RN, an NFP nurse administrator at UPMC Home Healthcare of Central PA; and the Nurse-Family Partnership team at McLeod Health in SC.
The annual Tenacious Caregiver Awards are awarded to a nurse, nurse supervisor, administrator and network partner. The awards are given to professionals who exemplify an extraordinary commitment to delivering the NFP model and achieving positive outcomes for families.
“This year we received an amazing slate of nominees in all categories, which is a testament to the outstanding impact and dedication of the NFP network across the country,” said Kate Siegrist, chief nursing officer for Nurse-Family Partnership. “The 2022 group of Tenacious Caregiver Awardees are dedicated in service to the NFP program, to their communities and to the families they serve. We were proud to recognize them at Re:Ignite in front of their peers and colleagues.”
The Tenacious Caregiver Award for Nurse Home Visitor is given to an exceptional NFP nurse who exemplifies commitment to the NFP model and families. This nurse serves a full caseload of at least 25 NFP families and seeks to assist the new moms to solve their own problems and be empowered to make lasting change in their lives.
This year’s recipient of the Tenacious Caregiver Award for Nurse Home Visitor was awarded to Maria Otero, RN, of Brooklyn Nurse-Family Partnership at SCO Family of Services in NY. Otero has dedicated 14 years of service to Nurse-Family Partnership. Her consistent performance – from her strong caseload to her retention of clients – shows her passion and dedication for bringing excellence to the nursing profession. It’s clear that Otero embodies NFP’s values. Most importantly, she is a steadfast advocate for her clients, who often feel unheard or ignored by the healthcare system.
The Tenacious Caregiver Award for Nurse Supervisor is given to an exceptional NFP nurse supervisor who consistently supports high performance among their team. This nurse supervisor maintains fidelity to the NFP model, while encouraging the team to achieve and maintain its caseload. In addition, the supervisor advocates for their team and seeks out professional development opportunities for them.
This year’s recipient of the Tenacious Caregiver Award for Nurse Supervisor was awarded to Lynn Lauri, BSN, RN, nurse supervisor at Maternal & Family Health Services in PA. Lauri’s 40-year nursing career includes 20 years at Nurse-Family Partnership, where she has served as nurse supervisor for two years. Lauri’s personal goal is to change the future, one baby at a time. Lauri has proudly served 270 NFP families over the years. Even when her team doubled in size last year, Lauri never faltered in her support of her team’s professional development, self-care and reflective practice.
The Tenacious Caregiver Award for Administrator is given to the outstanding NFP administrator who is at or above funded capacity, has high nurse retention, and who finds and secures multiple, sustainable funding streams for Nurse-Family Partnership in their community. The administrator also actively participates in the Community Advisory Board and advocates for the program at the local and state levels.
This year’s recipient of the Tenacious Caregiver Award for Administrator was awarded to Lisa Ritchey, BSN, RN, director of Nurse-Family Partnership at UPMC Home Healthcare of Central PA. Ritchey has dedicated more than 20 years of service to Nurse-Family Partnership during her 40-year nursing career. Ritchey has been a steadfast advocate for NFP in her community and beyond – from using her voice to push for new funding streams, to leading her team’s participation in several pilots with the National Service Office (NSO) to innovate and improve the collective impact. She is dedicated to empowering first-time families to succeed and has presented NFP to various human service providers across the region.
The Tenacious Caregiver Award for Network Partner is given to an exceptional NFP network partner who is at or above funded capacity, has high nurse retention, high client retention and excellent graduation rates. The award is given to a network partner that pursues collaboration in the communities it serves and is a leader in innovation and stands as an example for others across the network.
This year’s recipient of the Tenacious Caregiver Award for Network Partner is McLeod Health in SC. With seven hospitals, McLeod Health is composed of approximately 15,000 staff and more than 90 physician practices throughout its 18-county service area. The system currently has 988 licensed beds, including Hospice and Behavioral Health. The McLeod Health team has been implementing Nurse-Family Partnership in SC since 2014. They have been a consistent and high-achieving partner to the National Service Office – maintaining high operating performance, fidelity to the model and delivering life-changing outcomes to SC families. The team at McLeod Health has been willing to go above and beyond to advance the goals and mission of Nurse-Family Partnership.
All award winner recipients receive an engraved award to proudly display in recognition. Award winners also will be featured on the National Service Office’s Tenacious Caregiver Wall of Fame in the Education Center in Denver, Colo and highlighted in NSO’s quarterly magazine, NewsLink.