A total of 24 nurses across Memorial Hermann earned recognition among the best in their profession in the region, including Barbara Kalmen, RN, at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, who was named one of Houston’s Top 15 Nurses of the Year by the Houston Chronicle. Additionally, 22 other Memorial Hermann nurses across the System were named to the Chronicle’s overall Top 150 “Salute to Nurses” 2018 list.
Each May during National Nurses Week – which aligns with the birthday week of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing – the Houston Chronicle honors the role nurses play in delivering care to the Houston community with its annual “Salute to Nurses” list. Hundreds of nurses are nominated by the Houston community. Nominees are then selected by a panel of judges. From the official nominees, 15 outstanding nursing professionals are chosen to be honored as Greater Houston's Top 15 Nurses of the Year.
“As we celebrate National Nurses Week, we thank and appreciate all of our nurses across the System who serve the Houston community and deliver compassionate, high-quality and safe care to our patients,,” said Chuck Stokes, RN, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Hermann. “Nurses are the backbone of our System and we are honored to have one of Houston’s Top 15 Nurses of the Year, Barbara Kalmen, as part of the Memorial Hermann family.”
Kalmen, a retired lieutenant colonel with the United States Air Force, joined Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital as a nurse in the Labor and Delivery unit in 2009.
As a compassionate caregiver, Kalmen is passionate about quality healthcare and has helped to implement successful programs, promote positive change and impact the lives of new families. She led her team in revamping the award-winning, lactation program at Memorial Hermann Southeast.
“It was my pleasure and privilege to be recognized as one of the top 15 Nurses in the Greater Houston area for 2018,” said Kalmen. “Being a nurse and working with patients and new families brings me great joy. I am honored to represent Memorial Hermann and its commitment to excellence in providing top-notch nursing care.”
Also included among this year’s Top 150 “Salute to Nurses” list were:
“As we join healthcare institutions across the country in celebrating the special job that nurses do, I would like to extend my congratulations to all of the Memorial Hermann nurses recognized on the Salute to Nurses list and offer my sincerest gratitude to each and every one of the nurses at Memorial Hermann for their hard work, deep compassion and unwavering dedication to serving our community,” Stokes said. “I’m truly grateful for their service, both inside Memorial Hermann and beyond the hospital walls.”