Palm Health Foundation "Heart of Gold" Event Honors North Palm Beach County Nurses

West Palm Beach, FL – May 16, 2019 – Palm Health Foundation hosted its sixth annual Heart of Gold Nursing Reception on Thursday, May 9, 2019 at the Quail Ridge Country Club in Boynton Beach to honor the extraordinary work of local nurses and recognize Palm Beach County’s 2019 Nurses of the Year. The event concludes the foundation’s four-week Thank a Nurse campaign, generously sponsored by Tenet Health and VITAS Healthcare.

More than 300 guests attended the Heart of Gold Reception sponsored by The Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, Trustbridge, Christine E. Lynn and the E.M. Lynn Foundation, Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations, Lynda Harris Home Health RN and Palm Beach Atlantic University. Media sponsors were The Palm Beach Post, WPEC CBS12 and Hubbard Media.

Master of Ceremonies and media personality Roxanne Stein presided over the evening’s presentation of the 2019 Nurses of the Year. Thirteen nurses representing all regions of Palm Beach County and a wide variety of nursing disciplines, including oncology, Alzheimer’s care, hospice and pediatrics, as well as nursing educators, were recognized.

Four nurses from northern Palm Beach County were named as Palm Health Foundation 2019 Nurses of the Year:

Lauren Noderer, RN, of Palm Beach Gardens - Noderer is a charge nurse at Good Samaritan Medical Center. She was recognized for helping a homeless patient find employment. Noderer first become acquainted with the patient when he required regular, long-term antibiotic care. She witnessed his kind heart and reached out to connect him to housing and arrange for a job interview resulting in his employment by the hospital.

Megan Smith, RN Student, of Palm Beach Gardens - Smith is a new graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic University School of Nursing. She excelled academically and as a peer mentor at the school. Smith was recognized for her enthusiasm for patient care, which led to a job offer four months prior to graduation. She plans to pursue a career as a family nurse practitioner focusing on women’s health.

Heather Astacio, RN, of Jensen Beach - Astacio, assistant nurse manager at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, was recognized as a nurse so dedicated she will go to work on a day off to ensure her patients receive their chemotherapy. With her smile and encouraging words, she is able to bring joy and hope to the families in her care.

Lisa Kanakry, MSN, RN, Instructor/Employment, Tequesta - Kanakry, an instructor at the Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations, inspires lifelong learning through innovative and interactive activities in the lab, classroom and staff meetings. She is known for incorporating games, gadgets and occasional costume changes to engage her students. Kanakry inspires others by hosting toy drives and better health challenges.

Proceeds raised from the Heart of Gold event and Thank a Nurse campaign will benefit nursing scholarships in Palm Beach County. Palm Health Foundation has granted $3 million in nursing scholarships to more than 1,000 nursing students for advanced education to provide quality nursing care to Palm Beach County residents. Prior to the Heart of Gold reception, the foundation hosted the 39 2019 Palm Health Foundation nursing scholarship awardees. The foundation partners with the George Snow Scholarship Fund to administer scholarships to the next generation of county nurses.

Palm Health Foundation is recognized by nursing leaders and educators for its dedication to growing and strengthening the nursing workforce in Palm Beach County since its inception in 2001. In addition to nursing scholarships, the foundation has invested more than $10 million in initiatives to build a highly-skilled nursing workforce that provides care across all settings and supports optimal health in the community.

“Nurses are often the unsung heroes of our healthcare system,” said Patrick McNamara, president and CEO of Palm Health Foundation. “Our Thank a Nurse campaign and Heart of Gold reception gives us a chance to share their stories of care and compassion and honor their tireless contributions to our community.”

About Palm Health Foundation
Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County's community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $78 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333.