Contact:
Sonia Nayak
Public Affairs Associate
(718) 780-5367
nymethodist@gmail
Brooklyn, NY – May 25, 2011 – On Tuesday, May 10th, New 
York Methodist Hospital honored a select group of registered nurses at the Hospital’s 2011 Nurse Recognition Awards Ceremony. At this year's event, multiple awards were given out to reflect NYM’s talented and diverse group of nurses.
Among those honored were Uchenna Okoro, R.N., a resident of East Flatbush and an assistant nurse manager at NYM, and Wayne Christie, R.N., who resides in Park Slope, the director of nursing retention and professional development. Both received the Nurse Mentorship Award for guidance and support in the development of the professional nurse.
Michael Sasse, R.N., a critical care nurse from Williamsburg, received the Nursing Clinical Excellence Award for direct care giving. Joanna Zanko, R.N., director of nursing critical care services from Rahway, New Jersey, received the same award as a nursing executive who demonstrated leadership and excellence in patient care.
The Nursing Visionary Award went to Esther Mercado, R.N., director of nursing, who lives in Flatlands.
The Outstanding Nursing Associate award went to Sheila Blake, a unit secretary from Canarsie and Malika Benbader, a nurse technician from Bath Beach, in the Department of Neurosciences. An honorable mention was given to Marlene Chavez, a cleaner for Environmental Services from Red Hook.
Captions:
Uchenna Okoro, assistant nurse manager at New York Methodist, accepted an award for Nursing Mentorship.
From left, Wayne Christie, R.N., director of nursing retention and professional development, who won the Nursing Mentorship Award, Rebecca Flood, R.N., senior vice president of nursing, Joanna Zanko, R.N., director of nursing critical care services and Michael Sasse, R.N., Critical Care. Both Ms. Zanko and Mr. Sasse were winners of the Nursing Clinical Excellence Award.
The annual awards ceremony is part of a series of events held during New York Methodist's Nursing Appreciation Week. "The constant attention of a good nurse is just as important as a well trained surgeon...we are very appreciative of your expertise and we thank you for training our doctors," said Emil Baccash, M.D., president of the Medical Board, at the Nurse Recognition ceremony. Stanley Sherbell, M.D., executive vice president of medical affairs added, "This hospital wouldn't be the same without the talent and compassion that you bring to New York Methodist Hospital."
New York Methodist
New York Methodist Hospital, a voluntary, acute-care teaching facility located in Brooklyn’s Park Slope, houses 651 inpatient beds (including bassinets) and provides services to over 34,000 inpatients each year. An additional 350,000 outpatient visits and services are logged annually. The Hospital offers Institutes in the following areas: Advanced and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Asthma and Lung Disease; Cancer Care; Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery; Digestive and Liver Disorders; Diabetes and Other Endocrine Disorders; Vascular Medicine and Surgery; Family Care; Neurosciences; Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery and Women’s Health. The Hospital, founded in 1881, has undergone extensive renovation and modernization over the years. New York Methodist is affiliated with the Weill College of Medicine at Cornell University and it is a member of NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System.
