L+M and Westerly Hospitals Announce 2025 Nursing Award Winners

(Photos: L+M Hospital award winners (top) and Westerly Hospital award winners)

New London, CT/Westerly, RI (May 13, 2025) – This week, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital (L+M) and Westerly Hospital (WH) honored employees for excellence in care during Nurses Week (May 6-12). 

Awards were given in seven categories:

DAISY Award – an internationally recognized award bestowed several times annually to a nurse who demonstrates extraordinary care and compassion with a patient and/or a patient’s family.

The recipients are:

• L+M: Emily Jo Huddy, RN, and the Outpatient Infusion Clinic team (Dyann Hathaway, RN, Tayla Morin, RN, Sheena Regnere, RN, and Carey Anderson, RN)
• WH: Ian Chapelle-Conklin, BSN, Medical/Surgery Unit

Interprofessional Collaboration Award – recognizes someone who exemplifies the Yale New Haven Health values of patient centered care, respect, compassion, integrity and accountability.

The year’s recipients are:

• L+M: Stephen Socha, senior nurse practitioner II, Smilow Medical Oncology; Jennifer Archilla, room service ambassador; and Griselle Ortiz Archilla, housekeeping
• WH: Amy Rajsasombat, clinical logistics lead, OR/Materials Management 

Nightingale Awards – given annually to nurses who have demonstrated excellence in nursing care, professionalism, innovative/clinical practice, a collaborative nursing environment and improving health of the community.

The year’s recipients are:

• L+M: Angela Lamoureux, RN, Pequot Health Center Emergency Department; Joann Regan, RN, Critical Care Unit; Debbie Dodson, RN, Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit; Morgan Shaker, RN, Intensive Care Unit; and Margaret Haire, RN, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Waterford.  
• WH: Jacquelyn Rato, BSN, clinical care coordinator; and Toni Gears, BSN, Intensive Care Unit.

Preceptor of the Year Award – recognizes nurse mentors who stand out for empowering and training new nurses.

The year’s recipients are:

• L+M: Kelsey Wilson, RN, Emergency Department; Ashley Griswold, RN, Medical/Surgery Unit; Denica Edgley, RN, Cardiac/Pediatrics Unit
• WH: Brittany Peruzzotti, BSN, RN, Emergency Department

Rising Star Award – is given to a nurse with less than two years of experience who exemplifies Yale New Haven Health values of patient centered care, respect, compassion, integrity and accountability.

The year’s recipients are:

• L+M: Kelsey Camacho, RN, Medica/Surgery Unit; Madison Kiss-Vega, RN, Emergency Department; and Yasmine Basave, RN, Cardiac/Pediatrics Unit
• WH: Emma Hislop, BSN, RN, Medical/Surgery Unit

Sunflower Awards – are bestowed several times annually and recognize a patient care associate (PCA), certified nursing assistant (CNA) or hospital unit coordinator (HUC) who has demonstrated outstanding leadership by developing creative solutions and providing compassionate care to patients and families.

The recipients are:

• L+M: Cania Mitchell, PCA, and Sandra Reynolds, urology assistant
• WH: Scharmaine Manahan, urology assistant 

Transformational Leadership Award – recognizes nurse managers and clinical coordinators who exemplify the Yale New Haven Health System values of patient centered care, respect, compassion,integrity and accountability.

The year’s recipients are:

• L+M: Stephanie Ellis, RN, nurse manager, Intensive Care Unit; Monica Pepin, RN, nurse manager, Ambulatory Surgery Unit, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, Joint Center for Excellence; and Erica Plummer, Infection Prevention manager 
• WH: Terasa Antoch, BSN, nurse manager, Medical/Surgery Unit

Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit, 308-bed general and acute care hospital providing patient care to medical, surgical, pediatric, psychiatric and obstetrical patients in southeastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island since 1912. Lawrence + Memorial offers cardiac acute, step-down and rehabilitation programs and is the only eastern Connecticut hospital that performs emergency and elective angioplasty. www.lmhospital.org

Westerly Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a 125-bed hospital that has been providing residents of southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut with a full range of inpatient and outpatient services in a community hospital setting for more than 90 years. Westerly Hospital patients receive the finest quality treatment in the following areas of care: emergency, medical, surgical, radiology, laboratory and rehabilitative services. The hospital also offers heart and vascular care, interventional pain management, wound care, pulmonary rehabilitation services, inpatient geriatric psychiatric care and comprehensive cancer care provided through the Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center. All inpatient rooms are private. westerlyhospital.org