Eight excellent awardees

This year’s eight Salute to Excellence in Health Care awardees include a clinical support nurse, a interim director of surgical services, professor of nursing, as director of therapy services, community service and volunteer manager, program manager for a health equity initiative, public high school nurse, clinical manager of inpatient psychiatry.

These individuals were recommended to the foundation based on their professional excellence by community and civic leaders in the St. Louis health care community. They will be recognized by the St. Louis American Foundation at its 2012 Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon on Saturday, May 5 at the Frontenac Hilton.

Ketly Angoma, RN BSN

Ketly Angoma, RN BSN is a clinical support nurse at SSM St. Mary’s Health Center in St. Louis. As the charge nurse in the orthopedic and short stay surgery division, colleagues note her dedication to patient care and clinical knowledge and consider her a superior nursing resource. Angoma is part of the hospital’s Emerging Leader’s Program, a year-long training and recognition program to build practical leadership experience.

Angoma earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Oklahoma Wesleyan University and a nursing diploma from Lutheran School of Nursing in St. Louis.

Cheryl Boone, RN, BSN, MA

Cheryl Boone, RN, BSN, MA is the interim director of Surgical Services at SSM St. Mary’s Health Center. As such, she oversees surgical services and anesthesia, same-day surgery, post anesthesia care unit, sterile processing and endoscopy. Since assuming the role, her colleagues report a marked increase in patient satisfaction and employee engagement. In her previous position at director of acute care, Boone led two nursing units and became the first at the facility to earn 99^th percentile in patient satisfaction scores. Boone is known as a motivator, team developer and mentor. She is a longtime member of the St. Mary’s Cultural Diversity Team.

Boone earned a master of science in nonprofit administration from Lindenwood University; a bachelor of science in nursing at the University of Missouri – St. Louis  and a nursing diploma from Missouri Baptist School of Nursing.

Sheila Grigsby, RN, MSN-R, MPH

Sheila Grigsby, RN, MSN-R, MPH is an assistant professor of Community Health Nursing at University of Missouri – St. Louis and an adjunct professor in community nursing at Saint Louis University and founder and executive director of Faith Communities United. She also serves as the parish nurse at Union Avenue Christian Church.

She holds a master’s in public health and a bachelor of science in nursing and health information management from Saint Louis University. She is pursuing doctorate studies at the University of Missouri –Kansas City focused on STDs, HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy.  

Dinah Hayes, PT, DPT, MHA

Dinah Hayes, PT, DPT, MHA serves as director of Therapy Services at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, Missouri. With nearly 20 years of physical therapy experience behind her, Hayes leads the hospital’s inpatient and outpatient physical, occupational, speech therapy; cardiac rehabilitation programs; athletic training and wellness services.

Hayes earned a doctorate in physical therapyand a master’s in health administration from Saint Louis University and a bachelor of science from physical therapy from Rockhurst University. As a member of the Spirit of Women Health Network, Hayes led the development of a physical therapy program for women with pelvic pain and incontinence.

Rosetta Keeton, MHA

Rosetta Keeton, MHA is the ombudsman, community service and volunteer manager at St. Louis ConnectCare, an urgent and specialty care facility in St. Louis. For more than 20 years, Keeton has been a patient advocate to speak up on behalf individual, group or systemic issues affecting poor and minority patients. Whether it’s through serving on special interest committees and advisory boards designed to lower health risk factors and promote wellness or implementing health programs for the uninsured and underinsured, Keeton’s work is to make sure the often overlooked are an included voice in the health care service and delivery.

Keeton has a master’s degree in health administration from Webster University and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary sciences from Saint Louis University. She is also founder and facilitator of Sistah Connection, a local breast cancer support group.

Brandii Mayes, MPH

Brandii Mayes, MPH is a program manager for the Health Equity Initiative for St. Louis Health Department, which is aimed at eliminating health disparities to reduce infant mortality, diabetes, cardiovascular disease as well as teen STD prevention. She came to St. Louis several years ago as at public health prevention service fellow from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mayes is also the co-founder and co-director of the mentoring organization, MLLES Alumnae, which provides academic scholarships for young women of color.

Mayes earned a Master’s in public health from the University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Clark Atlanta University.

Constance Williams, RN, BSN

Constance Williams, RN, BSN is the school nurse at Soldan International Studies High School in St. Louis. The magnet school has approximately 1,000 students. Pupils and staff represent 54 different nations. Williams started her Saint Louis Public School career as a fulltime substitute nurse, covering as many as six schools at a time. She has worked in public health at St. Luke’s Hospital and at the former St. Louis City Hospital #1 in newborn, women’s health and specialty areas. Williams also worked summers for several years in the National Youth Sports Program for children at Forest Park Community College. She volunteers for National Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse TREND program for high school students.

Williams has a bachelor’s of science in nursing from Saint Louis University and an associate’s degree in nursing and biology from Forest Park Community College.

Bonnie Woods, BSN, MA, LNC

Bonnie Woods, BSN, MA, LNC is the clinical manager of Inpatient Psychiatry at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. She has a career in mental health at BJC that has spanned more than three decades, including past positions in chemical dependency; as an adjunct professor at Goldfarb School of Nursing and Chamberlain School of Nursing.

Woods has a master’s in nursing and health care administration as well as and a bachelor of science in nursing from Webster University. Additional training includes certificates in health care informatics from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville, as a legal nurse consultant from St. Louis Community College and a certificate in health care reform from Washington University in St. Louis.

The St. Louis American Foundation will host the 2012 Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon on Saturday, May 5 at the Frontenac Hilton. Tickets for the 12^th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon are $75 each/$750 table for VIP/Corporate seating and $50 each/$500 table for Individual seating. To order tickets, call 314-533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com.