OU NIGHTINGALE AWARDS FOR NURSING EXCELLENCE

July 14, 2020

• Thank you, Judy.
  
  
• And thank you to all of you who represent the many areas of Michigan health care, including administrators from Ascension, Detroit Medical Center, McClaren Health Care, Henry Ford Health System, Beaumont Health, St. Joseph Mercy Health System/Trinity Heath, and all of our sponsors joining us this evening.
  
  
• Tonight, we share in celebrating the people at the heart of our collective effort to improve the health of all throughout our region – nurses.
  
  
• I am honored to be with you virtually, and to recognize exceptional nurses in our region as part of the 2020 Nightingale Awards for Nursing Excellence.
  
  
• After the urgent response to help people suffering from Covid-19 over the past several months, it is clear that our nurses are our heroes.
  
  
• Period.
  
  
• This is a year when the entire nursing profession should take a collective bow.
  
  
• All of us should stand and applaud the heroic selflessness of nurses in the face of a dire public health threat.
  
  
• But as we know, nurses aren’t the type of people who seek attention. Rather, they are the type of compassionate people who give their attention.
  
  
• Every day since mid-March, we have heard stories about the heroic work of health care workers, who put duty and obligation before their own personal safety.
• And every day since mid-March, nurses throughout our region have worked tirelessly, putting themselves in close proximity to a devastating virus, and knowing that their work – their calling – is to make sure they are there for everyone else – starting with their patients.
  
  
• Not only did you show up to care for patients, you showed us what courage and dedication to a purpose looks like.
  
  
• And you excelled beyond all measure!
  
  
• Oakland University is deeply committed to playing a vital role in supporting a strong health care community. And our commitment has been on display during the current pandemic.
  
  
•  While nurses, including OU nursing graduates stand on the COVID-19 frontline, they have been joined by OU nursing student seniors at their sides assisting in the healthcare of COVID-19 patients. In addition, many of the OU School of Nursing faculty put in long hours providing hands-on care in the hospitals.
  
  
• We also helped in other ways….
  
  
• • As a university, we made our dorms available to health care We provided our PPE supplies to local hospitals.
    
    

• • And, we distributed food and more to needy people in our community. Our students alos tutored the children of our health care providers so they could care for sick patients.
    
    
• If the past several months has taught us anything, it’s that it can be extremely difficult to know what lies ahead.
  
  
• The experience has probably changed us forever. For nurses, it’s likely that the changes will include greater use of technology, telehealth and probably an even greater emphasis on primary care.
  
  
• But I know we can all agree there are qualities in nursing that should never change.
  
  
• As a one-time practicing physician, I learned early on that nurses often know more about a patient than physicians. Okay, maybe it’s more than often that nurses know more.
  
  
• I had many wonderful experiences working alongside nurses, and those memories continue to inspire me. I appreciate the depth of this passion to care for those who are sick and ailing.
  
  
• While physicians offer an assessment and prescription, nurses are the ones at a patient’s bedside, reviewing their progress, managing their care, looking deeply into their eyes and seeing the fragility and vulnerability that reflect our imperfections – and common humanity.
  
  
• Tonight’s honorees embody the core values that make nurses the face, heart and soul of our health care system…. The qualities reflected in their day-to-day work are nothing less than the qualities needed to create a more human world – the values of caring, kindness and high ethical standards.
  
  Congratulations to tonight’s honorees for upholding the finest traditions of nursing, and for your continued inspiration.
  
  GOVERNOR’S INTRODUCTION
  
  
• I have the great pleasure and honor to introduce our governor, a person who has shown tremendous ability, calm, compassion and leadership during the greatest health crises facing our state, the nation and the world.
  
  
• Quite frankly, Governor Whitmer’s steady and methodical approach to managing the pandemic has saved lives. For that and many other reasons, we owe her our gratitude and appreciation.
  
  
• As one of the many signs of Governor Whitmer’s compassion and deep understanding of the health and social conditions of our residents, Michigan was among the first states to start reporting data about the race of people testing positive for COVID-19.
  
  
• And equally worth noting is Governor Whitmer’s passionate commitment to an equitable and affordable health care system for all of our residents.
  
  
• On a national level, Governor Whitmer has been an outspoken advocate pushing for more resources and federal assistance to combat COVID-19 along with pushing for a more civil discussion about what we have in common, rather than what separates us.
  
  
• We all appreciate her data-driven approach, and her deep understanding of the socio-economic conditions fundamentally impacting every aspect of our lives throughout the state, from the UP to the Ohio border.
  
  
• Her management of the timely opening of various economic sectors is a judicious balance of public health concerns and economic necessity.
  
  
• We look forward to her continued leadership in the days ahead as we move on to containing the pandemic, and toward full economic recovery and prosperity and a health of our population.
  
  
• Please join me in welcoming the governor of the Great state of Michigan, our governor, Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
  
  

5:00 – 6:30 pm                        Event Begins

• Registration Opens
  
  
• Hors d’oeuvres and cash bar
  
  
• Raffle Opens
  
  
  • 5:00 pm –
    
    
  • 5:30 pm – Board of Visitor Photo - center stage
    
    
  • 6:15 pm – Call to Dinner and guests to be seated
    
    

6:30 – 7:00 pm              Opening Remarks, Welcome and NG Legacy Scholarship Presentation

• Nightingale/Nursing Video plays
  
  
• Judy Didion, Dean
  
  
• Dr. Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, President
  
  
• Announcement of Nightingale Legacy Scholarship: Shawn Levitt, SON Board of Visitors Chair along with Dean Diddion
  
  

7:00 – 7:30 pm              Dinner

• 7:25 pm – Announcement of raffle closure – S. Levitt?
  
  
• 7:30 pm – Raffle closes/Winners announced/Candy Bar
  
  
• (Show Ascension Video)

7:30 – 8:30 pm              Program and Nightingale Awards Presentation

• Nightingale Co-Chairs: Kyle Sasena & Charlene Shaya
  
  
• Presenting Sponsor: TBD, Ascension Michigan
  
  
• Introduction of Emcee: Roop Raj of Fox2
  
  
• Presentation of Runners-Up - Co-Chairs to distribute plaques
  
  
• Award Presentation: 11 awards – Roop Raj
  
  
• Presentation of Winners - Including comments of recognition and pre-recorded acknowledgement speeches
  
  
• Closing Remarks, Judy Didion, Dean

8:45 pm                          Close of Event