LincolnHealth Director of Emergency and Urgent Care Services Nancy Jackson, RN, MSN, and Great Salt Bay Community School and LincolnHealth Nurse Kerri Lilly, RN, BSN received statewide awards from the Maine chapter of the American Nurses Association.

Nancy Jackson was honored with the Agnes E. Flaherty Leadership Award for her compelling vision for success, leadership in creating a culture of excellence, and for continuously striving for outcomes that benefit the patient as well as the community.

“As a leader, Nancy develops her staff by listening, supporting and empowering them,” commented LincolnHealth Director of Inpatient Nursing Beth Kessler, MSN, RN. “She strives to improve patient care—directly or indirectly, and keeps patients at the center of all decisions.”

One of Jackson’s major accomplishments was her collaborative efforts in reducing patient transfer time from the Emergency Department to the appropriate care unit, ultimately resulting in a better patient experience.

To increase patient safety, Jackson developed and led the implementation of a standard response to “code blue,” an emergency situation announced in a hospital in which a patient is in cardiopulmonary arrest. Currently, Jackson is looking to improve workplace safety for emergency department nurses among other initiatives.

Kerri Lilly, who works as the school nurse at Great Salt Bay Community School and in the Intensive Care and Medical Surgical units at LincolnHealth, was awarded the Sister Consuela White Spirit of Nursing Award for her caring nature, keen sense of foresight and intuition, integrity, and commitment to listening to patients.

“Kerri is the epitome of a caring nurse,” Kessler commented. “She listens to her patients and believes that connections are forged through relationships. At the school, she cares for the children and looks to inspire and empower them.”

“New nurses develop critical thinking, confidence and find their voice under Kerri’s guidance,” Kessler added. “She is a natural teacher and helps guide her peers rather than direct them.”

“Nancy and Kerri touch the lives of patients and their family members, and are role models for the entire LincolnHealth organization,” commented LincolnHealth Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer Christine Anderson, RN, BSN, NE-BC. “Nancy’s leadership and collaborative efforts continue to improve the patient experience and quality of care we provide. Our community is fortunate to have such dedicated and compassionate caregivers.”

For more information about LincolnHealth, please visit www.lincolnhealthme.org.