Oakland University announces winners of the 38th annual Nightingale Awards for Nursing Excellence

Oakland University’s School of Nursing and its Board of Visitors have announced the 2026 Nightingale Awards for Nursing Excellence winners and runners-up. This year’s top nurses in Michigan come from a variety of clinical roles and settings, and are recognized as exceptional in the healthcare field. This year’s Nightingale Awards Ceremony will honor 10 winners and 11 runners-up in nine different nursing categories. Awardees are nominated by their peers and supervisors and recognized as exceptional in their nursing roles in both clinical and nonclinical settings.

Oakland University School of Nursing will host this annual celebration of nursing, during National Nurses Week on May 6, 2026.

Thanks to the support from Presenting Sponsor Henry Ford Health, along with the other generous sponsors, individual donations and support from the School of Nursing Board of Visitors, the Nightingale Awards provides future nurses with scholarships, including the Nightingale Legacy Scholarship. This endowed scholarship will be awarded annually to nursing students who display the pioneering spirit of Florence Nightingale.

“We’re deeply committed to educating and empowering the next generation of Michigan nurses,” said OU School of Nursing Dean Dr. Christopher Lance Coleman. “Today’s nurses embody not only the resilience of Florence Nightingale, but also the strength, compassion and innovation required to meet the evolving demands of healthcare. They bring purpose to their practice and a powerful ‘why’ that drives meaningful change in the lives of patients and communities every day.”

The Nightingale Awards Ceremony will be on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in the Oakland Center Ballrooms, on Oakland University’s main campus in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Each Nightingale Award winner receives a check for $1,000, a solid bronze statue of Florence Nightingale and a Nightingale pin. Runners-up receive a commemorative plaque.

For more information on the event or to purchase tickets to attend the event, please contact Kristen Damiano in OU School of Nursing at (248) 364-8759 or by email at [email protected] or visit oakland.edu/nursing/nightingale.

2026 Nightingale Winners/Runners-up

Excellence in Advanced Practice Nursing

Winner: Jenni L. Hoffman, Eastern Michigan University School of Nursing, South Lyon, MI
Runner-Up: Jessica Schmidt, Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, Jackson, MI                    

Distinguished Alumni

Winner: Chantelle Feeny, Henry Ford Providence Novi, Northville, MI
Runner-Up: Dylan Perry, Corewell Health East, Ferndale, MI                   

Excellence in Nursing Leadership

Winner: Amelia LaChance, Henry Ford Health, Brighton, MI
Runner-Up: Douglas Kukiela, Henry Ford Providence Novi, Monroe, MI         

Excellence in Education

Winner: Stefanie Gibson, University of Michigan Health, White Lake, MI
Runner-Up: Taylor Soltis, Henry Ford Jackson Health, Brooklyn, MI

Excellence in Executive Administration

Winner: Bernadette White, Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Runner-Up: Kim Meeker, Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, Riverview, MI    

Nursing in the Community

Winner: Michelle Allread, Oakland County Health Department, Sylvan Lake, MI
Runner-Up: Dr. Randon Jenkins, Wayne State University & Oakman Medical, West Bloomfield, MI   

Post-Acute Care & Specialty Nursing

Winner: Abbey Chehab, Trinity Health Ann Arbor, Dearborn, MI
Runner-Up: Patricia Klassa, Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, Plymouth, MI           

Staff Nurse Practice

Winner: Lana Abutaha, Henry Ford Providence Southfield Hospital, Canton, MI
Winner: Jill Pendegraft, Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Rochester Hills, MI

Runner-Up: Samantha Bolton, Henry Ford Health, Windsor, ON
Runner-Up: Joseph Burns, Corewell Health - William Beaumont University Hospital, Troy, MIRunner-Up: Stacey Amiot, Detroit Receiving Hospital ED, Clearview, ON           

People's Choice

Winner: Carlie Austin, Detroit Medical Center, Livonia, MI
Runner-Up: Maggie Starr, Henry Ford Hospital, Oak Park, MI

Event Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor                 Henry Ford Health

Platinum Sponsor                   Corewell Health

Platinum Sponsor                   Michigan Medicine

Alumni Sponsor                      Strum Allesee Family Foundation

Silver Sponsor                        Detroit Medical Center

Bronze Sponsor                      McLaren Oakland and McLaren Macomb

Bronze Sponsor                      Oakland County Health and Human Services

People’s Choice Award          Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

Award Sponsor                       AmeriCare Medical

Award Sponsor                       Priority Health

Award Sponsor                       Trinity Health

Trophy Sponsor                      Angela Hospice

Pin Sponsor                             Michigan Health & Hospital Association