Awards & Recognition

APRN Exemplar Award

Our hospital-wide Nursing Reward, Recognition, and Retention Committee present an annual award for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Exemplar. The APRN Exemplar award is presented to a nurse practitioner who possesses advanced knowledge and expertise in the care of children. The APRN Exemplar demonstrates strong collaborative and decision-making ability. This person is someone identified by his or her colleagues as an expert clinician, patient and family advocate, and a leader.

APP of the Year

Every year during APP Week, staff, patients, and families vote for the APP of the year. The recipient of this honor has a plaque posted on our APP Wall of Fame for all to see. Julie Martin, APRN-NP, was named 2020 APP of the Year for her extraordinary abilities as an expert clinician, collaborative colleague and family advocate. A pediatric nurse practitioner in the Division of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Julie joined Lurie Children’s in 2015.

Lurie Children’s staff, patients and families vote on the award, and Julie received multiple accolades as a role model for excellence and professionalism, and a great partner on research projects. One of her nominators said, “Julie is an incredibly kind and knowledgeable coworker. She is a very hard worker and is always willing to lend a hand or provide a small teaching pearl. I have shared many patients/families with her, and they always rave about what a wonderful provider Julie is.”

2021 Magnet Nurse of the Year 

We are so proud to share that Advanced Practice Provider, Allison Reichold, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC, Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit (CCU), has been named Magnet Nurse of the Year by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in the category of Transformational Leadership!

Identifying opportunities, creating a vision and executing change, Allison became Lurie Children's Heart Center's Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Coordinator in 2018. Since then, the CCU has tripled the number of patients cared for on VADs so they can gain strength to undergo heart transplantation. Under her direction, five new types of VADs were introduced in the CCU to serve the unique needs of more children. She also launched VAD education for physicians, nurses and other care team members. Expansion of the VAD program has also elevated support for the patients in the Lurie Children’s Single Ventricle Center of Excellence.

APP Highlighted on our External Website

Quarterly an APRN or PA is chosen to be highlighted on our APP external webpage. Candidates for this honor include our APRN Exemplar, APP of the Year, and other high-achieving advanced practice providers. The feature highlights the professional accomplishments of the provider as well any outside activities such as mission trips or other forms of volunteerism.