Nurses receive Nightingale honors, faculty earn national distinctions

The Mississippi Nurses Association and the Mississippi Nurses Foundation honor numerous School of Nursing faculty; a national emergency medicine organization recognizes a UMMC faculty member for his exceptional leadership; and a neurobiology chair earns Fellow status from a national anatomists association.

MNA, MNF honor UMMC nurses with Nightingale awards

A stellar group from the Medical Center's nursing ranks was recognized March 6 at the 2017 Nightingale Awards Gala in Jackson.

Sponsored by the Mississippi Nurses Association and the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, the awards honor those displaying excellence in the nursing and health care industries.

Dr. Kim Hoover, third from right, congratulates UMMC Nightingale winners, from left, Hannah Allen, Nurse Rookie of the Year; Linda Hill of the Batson 2CHH Nurse Team of the Year; Dr. Terri Gillespie, Chief Nursing Officer of the Year; Wesley Smith of the Batson 2CHH Nurse Team of the Year; Dr. Josie Bidwell, Outstanding Community Achievement Award; and Dr. Ashley Seawright, Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year. The SON also was named the School of Nursing of the Year.

Additional UMMC nurses nominated for Nightingale Awards include Neeli Cox Kirkendall, Faculty Member of the Year; Cheryl Lloyd, Inpatient Clinical Practice Nurse of the Year; Blake Ward, Nurse of Distinction Award; Yolanda Moore, Nurse Educator of the Year; Mary Craft, Nurse in a Non-Traditional Setting of the Year; Cissy Lee, Nurse Manager of the Year; and Jason Zimmerman, Nurse Mentor of the Year.

AAEM/RSA selects EM physician top program director

Jones

Dr. Jonathan Jones, associate professor of emergency medicine, has been named Director of the Year by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine/Resident and Student Association Program.

Jones will receive the award during the AAEM Scientific Assembly in Orlando, Florida, next month.

Dr. Phillip A. Dixon, UMMC resident and secretary-treasurer of the AAEM/RSA board, nominated Jones for the honor but recused himself from the actual vote.

“The rest of the RSA board elected him on the basis of his contributions and activity,” Dixon said.

Jones is an AAEM board member and one of the editors of Common Sense, the academy's magazine, according to Janet Wilson, AAEM/RSA executive director.

“We're very excited he has been selected,” Wilson said.

Anatomists association names neurobiology chair Fellow

Lehman

Dr. Michael Lehman, professor and chair of neurobiology and anatomical sciences, has been named a Fellow of the American Association of Anatomists.

Lehman and the AAA's other new Fellows will be recognized April 25 at the AAA Annual Meeting, coinciding with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago.

The rank of Fellow honors distinguished members who have demonstrated excellence in science and in their overall contributions to the anatomical sciences. Fellows are considered to be in the top 10 percent of all eligible members of the AAA.

Lehman's research interests include reproductive endocrinology, developmental programming of reproduction and the neurobiology of circadian rhythms. He also is chair of the operating board for UMMC's Neuro Institute.

Founded in 1888, the AAA is a nonprofit scientific organization that advances anatomical science through research, education and professional development.