As we celebrate National Nurses Week, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and The Robbins Family Foundation recognize seven distinguished nursing staff members for their exemplary service. Each member of this select group is being honored with the inaugural 2020 Robbins Family Award for Nursing Excellence.
This is the first year that The Robbins Family Foundation is sponsoring these awards which honor extraordinary achievements by MSK nurses in patient care, research, clinical trials, teaching, and other areas annually. The award winners are nominated by fellow nurses, administrators, physicians, and patients.
“We are blessed that long time MSK Board member, Clifton S. Robbins and his family have generously pledged their support of our annual Excellence in Nursing Award program, traditionally the highlight of our Nurses Week celebrations,” said Elizabeth McCormick, Chief Nursing Officer of MSK. “We thank The Robbins Family Foundation for their generous leadership and we salute the honorees for their exemplary service.”
“Memorial Sloan Kettering nurses play an indispensable role in giving the finest care to their patients. This dedication never wavers, even in the most challenging times,” said Clifton S. Robbins. “The Robbins Family Foundation is proud to support this recognition program and honor the very best of the best at MSK.”
MSK’s nursing excellence has been recognized by the prestigious Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Ms. McCormick credits “unwavering support from leadership that consistently empowers us to deliver high quality nursing services and to achieve our professional aspirations.”
2020 Robbins Family Award for Nursing Excellence honorees:
Excellence in Nursing Leadership
Andrea Smith
BSN, RN, CBCN®
Nurse Leader, Outpatient, Breast and Imaging Center
Excellence in Advanced Nursing Practice
Leon Chen
DNP, RN, AGACNP-BC, FCCP, FAANP
Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care-Intensive Care Unit
Excellence in Nursing Practice
Jessica Agostini
BSN, RN, CCRN®
Clinical Nurse III, Perioperative-Josie Robertson Surgery Center
Excellence in Nursing Education
Jennifer Fox
MSN, RN, OCN®
Clinical Nurse IV, Outpatient-David H. Koch Center
Excellence in Clinical Trials Nursing
Meghan Salcedo
MSN, RN-BC, OCN®
Clinical Trials Nurse III, Outpatient-Myeloma Service
Excellence in Nursing Research
Kristen Fessele
PhD, RN, ANP-BC, AOCN®
Senior Nurse Scientist, Nursing Research
Excellence in Patient Care Support
Joseph Kesselbrenner
MBA, CPHQ
Senior Systems Analyst, Nursing Quality Management