Three Pediatric Nurses Receive Great 100 Award

Dedicated. Talented. Knowledgeable. These are just a few of the words that were used to describe the three pediatric nurses receiving this year’s Great 100 award, a statewide recognition program honoring 100 registered nurses who exemplify nursing excellence.

Mary Ann Fuchs, Chief Nursing Officer and Patient Care Services Officer at DUHS, said the Great 100 winners are a testament to the impact nurses are making at work and in their communities.

“Day in and day out, nurses, like those being honored with this award, go above and beyond the call of duty to deliver innovative, extraordinary care to patients,” said Fuchs. “We are proud of their continued dedication to the nursing profession and their dedication to patient care.”

The Great 100 is a grassroots organization that was started in 1988 to promote nursing and raise funds for nursing scholarships. During the past 12 years, more than $140,000 has been awarded for nursing scholarships.

The three pediatric nurses and seven other DUHS nurses who will be honored at a black-tie gala on October 3 at the Greensboro Coliseum are:

Bobbie Caraher, Clinical Nurse IV in Pediatric Bone and Marrow Transplant.
Jayne Cash, Nurse Clinician in Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant.
Melody Watral, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology.

Jane Fellows, Ostomy Clinical Nurse Specialist in Advanced Clinical Practice.
Jennifer Gentry, Nurse Practitioner in Palliative Care Service.
Melanie Mabrey, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in Diabetes/Endocrine Services.
Kathryn McBroom, Nurse Manager in Cardiology Step-Down.
Amy Yancy-Mangum, Assistant Director in Advanced Clinical Practice.
JoAnna Gontarz, Nursing Instructor at the Watts School of Nursing.
Cathy Oakley, Clinical Nurse III in Vascular Access Support Team.

Meet a Great Nurse: Melody Watral

Melody Watral is one of 10 DUHS nurses who received the Great 100 Award this year, a statewide recognition program honoring 100 registered nurses who exemplify nursing excellence.

Here are some comments about Melody from her Great 100 nominator: "Patients, family members, and colleagues know that [she] is absolutely someone you can depend on. Anytime something needs to be done, and done well, [she] is our go-to person! Her commitment could easily stop at the bedside, but it extends out into the community where she is active in brain tumor fund-raisers and education. For the past ten years (or longer), she has been one of the active volunteers for the 'Angels Among Us' walk and the 'Ride for Kids' motorcycle ride, helping raise money for pediatric brain tumor research in an effort to find more successful treatments and hopefully one day a cure for childhood brain tumors."

Each of DUHS' Great 100 is dedicated, talented, knowledgeable. You'll be meeting them individually in videos in the near future.