2026 Finalists for Nightingale Nursing Awards
Congratulations 2026 Award Finalists!
Award finalists listed below will be honored at our 37th Annual Awards Gala on Saturday, October 17th
The following nurses were selected for recognition in one of eleven categories. The Patient Choice Award winners are chosen from nominations submitted by patients and/or patients' family members. The Jayne Felgen Legacy Award candidates are nominated by nurses as people who had a strong influence on the trajectory of their careers.
Download the finalist announcement to share or print.
Advanced Practice RN
Kyra Beck | WellSpan Health
Colleen Ianni | Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
Micah Kidd | Reading Hospital Tower Health
Clinical Practice LPN
Logan Bortner | Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center
Nancy Keefer | WellSpan Philhaven
Clinical Practice RN
Starlett Bixby | Geisinger Medical Center Muncy
Courtney Byrne | Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health
Megan Paulhamus | Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center
Ginny Stone | Jefferson Abington Hospital
Constance Yeager | Reading Hospital Tower Health
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Brady Bielewicz | University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Diane Greenberg | Lavender Psychiatry
Samantha Obeck | WellSpan Health
Nursing Research
Christian Burchill | Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
Pamela Cacchione | Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Ying-Ling Jao | Penn State University, Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing
Patricia Kelley | University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Patient Choice Award Individual
Ashley Bender | St. Luke’s Hospital, Miners Campus, Infusion Center
Patient Choice Award Team
Oncology Nursing Team | Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Center
Nursing Administration - Leader/Manager/Director
Ashley Amon | Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center
Amy Callahan | Main Line Health
Katrina Fetter | WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital
Janelle Harris | Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Lauren ("Elle") Trainor | Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
Nursing Administration - Nursing Informatics
Harrison Jackson | WellSpan Health
Jana Kass | Geisinger Health
Rebecca Stamm | Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
Nursing Administration - Senior Level/Executive
Elizabeth Connelly | Main Line Health
Leeanna McKibben | University of Pittsburgh
Carol Smith | WellSpan Surgery and Rehabilitation Hospital
Nursing Education - Academia
Michael Evans | Penn State University, Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing
Sharon Mingo | Chestnut Hill College
Amy Reed | WellSpan Health
Nursing Education - Staff Development
Emily Cavanagh | Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center
Laurie Hlodash | WellSpan York Hospital
Rebbecca Leister | Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center
Katherine Singer | WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital
Jayne Felgen Legacy Award
Vicki Shifflet | Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center
The following nurses were selected for recognition in one of eleven categories. The Patient Choice Award winners are chosen from nominations submitted by patients and/or patients' family members. The Jayne Felgen Legacy Award candidates are nominated by nurses as people who had a strong influence on the trajectory of their careers.
Download the finalist announcement to share or print.
Advanced Practice RN
Kyra Beck | WellSpan Health
Colleen Ianni | Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
Micah Kidd | Reading Hospital Tower Health
Clinical Practice LPN
Logan Bortner | Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center
Nancy Keefer | WellSpan Philhaven
Clinical Practice RN
Starlett Bixby | Geisinger Medical Center Muncy
Courtney Byrne | Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health
Megan Paulhamus | Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center
Ginny Stone | Jefferson Abington Hospital
Constance Yeager | Reading Hospital Tower Health
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Brady Bielewicz | University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Diane Greenberg | Lavender Psychiatry
Samantha Obeck | WellSpan Health
Nursing Research
Christian Burchill | Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
Pamela Cacchione | Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Ying-Ling Jao | Penn State University, Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing
Patricia Kelley | University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Patient Choice Award Individual
Ashley Bender | St. Luke’s Hospital, Miners Campus, Infusion Center
Patient Choice Award Team
Oncology Nursing Team | Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Center
Nursing Administration - Leader/Manager/Director
Ashley Amon | Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center
Amy Callahan | Main Line Health
Katrina Fetter | WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital
Janelle Harris | Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Lauren ("Elle") Trainor | Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
Nursing Administration - Nursing Informatics
Harrison Jackson | WellSpan Health
Jana Kass | Geisinger Health
Rebecca Stamm | Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
Nursing Administration - Senior Level/Executive
Elizabeth Connelly | Main Line Health
Leeanna McKibben | University of Pittsburgh
Carol Smith | WellSpan Surgery and Rehabilitation Hospital
Nursing Education - Academia
Michael Evans | Penn State University, Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing
Sharon Mingo | Chestnut Hill College
Amy Reed | WellSpan Health
Nursing Education - Staff Development
Emily Cavanagh | Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center
Laurie Hlodash | WellSpan York Hospital
Rebbecca Leister | Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center
Katherine Singer | WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital
Jayne Felgen Legacy Award
Vicki Shifflet | Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center
The Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania is a philanthropic organization whose purpose is to create, cultivate and support environments where professional nursing achievements are valued. Nightingale’s volunteer board and committees utilize gifts, donations, and annual gala proceeds to recognize excellence in a wide variety of nursing career paths and financially contributes to the continuing nursing education at all levels in the Commonwealth.