Franciscan Nursing Award Winner Worked Way up through the Ranks

Nursing-award-winner-worked-way-up-through-the-ranksAmber Galvan, second from left, a registered nurse from LaPorte who serves in the Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Michigan City Medical-Surgical unit, after working her way up from being in the hospital’s first class of health unit coordinators in 2001, receives the hospital’s 2015 St. Camillus Award during a general medical staff meeting in May. The award, which has been offered since 2010 and is named for Camillus, patron saint of nurses, is presented following medical staff nominations. Medical staff president Bikash Agarwal, MD, standing to Galvan’s right, praised Galvan’s initiative.

“We have seen Amber work her way up from being a unit clerk to being an RN. The medical staff and patients all love you,” he told her. The hospital works in conjunction with the Northern Indiana Education Foundation to offer the Lakeshore Training Program, a health care job training academy, which provides the health unit coordinator program. Hospital president James Callaghan, MD, far left, also lauded Galvan’s efforts. “After beginning service with us as a health unit coordinator, Amber worked as a nurse extern with us in 2006, and in 2007, she earned the RN designation. Her achievement not only represents a story of hard work and perseverance, it illustrates the investment we, as Franciscan Alliance, make in employee education and training, that enabled this motivated young woman to progress from having a high school diploma to achieving an RN professional designation.” Galvan said she was surprised and honored to receive the recognition. Also shown are Anil Chawla, MD; and Trish Weber, hospital vice president of operations and chief nursing officer.