November 17, 2020

Honoring nursing excellence

Our nursing excellence award winners have exhibited extraordinary efforts in advancing the delivery of exceptional, compassionate care.

The 7 individuals chosen as the recipients of the 2020 Kaiser Permanente National Nursing Excellence Awards exhibit the essence of Kaiser Permanente nursing. They represent a group of leaders, clinicians, researchers, innovators, and scientists who deliver excellent, compassionate care for our members.

“During a year that has been marked by so many giving so much, it’s a challenge to name just a few who worked even harder to advance our mission of improving the health of our members and the communities we serve,” said Linda Knodel, senior vice president and chief nursing executive. “These nurses have inspired others to even greater heights of professionalism during the World Health Organization’s Year of the Nurse and Midwife and in the face of an unprecedented pandemic.”

Extraordinary Nurse Award

Rainould “Choi” Bagnol, RN, Southern California Region

Rainould “Choi” Bagnol is well known for his dedication, his ability to inspire others, and for challenging the status quo. His innovation on a performance improvement team contributed to a drop in needlestick injuries, which reduces the risk of a health care worker being exposed to blood-borne infections like hepatitis C.

Bagnol also demonstrated how compassion and empathy can provide a higher quality care experience. This past year he provided nursing care for a patient who was having difficulty following her care plan. He took the time to listen to her fears and frustrations and helped her see her care team members as allies.  

Excellence in Quality and Safety Award

Lorraine Barry, RN, Patient Safety and Quality, Northwest Region

Lorraine Barry is recognized for her significant contributions in safety and quality that have resulted in improved outcomes for members and patients. She utilizes data to help unit-based teams within our Labor Management Partnership improve workflows to enhance quality. She has contributed to a number of projects that have improved outcomes in maternal-child health including the reduction of postpartum opioid use and early identification of blood loss during childbirth.

Emerging Nurse Leader Award

Heather Trevino, RN, Systems Training and Publications, Georgia Region

Heather Trevino is known for her strong work ethic, her passion for excellence, and her ability to evaluate situations thoroughly and then present solutions that are followed by quick decision-making. With Trevino on the Systems Training and Publications team, the department delivers user-friendly tools with an eye toward patient and family needs and expectations. The tools emphasize superior member service and communication best practices, and weave quality and safety into all work processes.

Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award

Ruby Gill, RN, Chief Nurse Executive, Southern California Region

Ruby Gill’s colleagues and staff say her true leadership essence is embodied in the person that she is — an unequivocally generous, compassionate, and empathetic person who relentlessly advocates for what is right. Under her leadership, the Kaiser Permanente Irvine Medical Center in California earned many accolades including Magnet Designation, an industry gold standard signifying a culture of excellence; and an A grade from the Leapfrog Group, which compares hospital performance on national standards of patient safety, quality, efficiency, and management structures that prevent errors.

Excellence in Professional Development Award

Janet Sohal, RN, Clinical Education Practice and Informatics, Northern California Region

Janet Sohal is recognized for taking the practice of nursing to the next level. To help promote the voice of the patient, she created and chairs a council to gather patient and family feedback. She also supports Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to diversity by chairing a council dedicated to transgender patients. She has earned trust and respect through her daily exercise of checking in on patients and team members to make sure they have what they need to be successful. In addition, Sohal demonstrates the importance of professional development through example. She recently completed her doctoral degree in Nursing Practice from the University of San Francisco and Nursing Executive Advanced certification.

Excellence in Research and Evidence-Based Practice Award

Cecelia L. Crawford, RN, Evidence-Based Nursing Practice, Southern California Region

Cecelia Crawford is recognized as a champion in providing evidence to inform decision-making, enhance the practice of nursing, and achieve the best outcomes for patients. To date, her work has appeared in 27 publications, 3 books, and more than 100 presentations. She has completed more than 65 evidence reviews on topics such as medication administration errors, rapid response teams, pain management, and the prevention of falls with injury. In 2010, Crawford created the Academy of Evidence-Based Practice, a collaborative team of experts from Kaiser Permanente and other health care organizations who provide reviews and summaries of evidence to advance evidence-based care. In 2019, she received the prestigious designation of fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. 

Friend of Nursing Award

Adam Hauser, Operations Administration, Colorado Region

Adam Hauser is recognized for his significant support of and collaboration with nursing. When he says he’s “on it,” the care team knows the job will get done. Hauser’s contributions helped all 4 facilities in Kaiser Permanente’s Northern Colorado market achieve zero patient falls last year. He identified a need for more virtual resources in the region’s small clinics and implemented kp.org registration stations in all Northern Colorado medical facilities. Hauser is often consulted as the subject matter expert for a variety of matters including technological problems and safety issues in the workplace.