SVSU honors standout nurses at 14th Carleen K. Moore Nursing Excellence Award Celebration

June 12, 2025

SVSU honors standout nurses at 14th Carleen K. Moore Nursing Excellence Award Celebration

Saginaw Valley State University recognized seven area nurses for their dedication and leadership during the 14th annual Carleen K. Moore Nursing Excellence Award Luncheon. The event took place on Thursday, June 12, at SVSU.

The nursing awards were established through a gift from Terry and Carleen K. Moore, and it honors nurses across a range of specialties including acute care, education and community nursing. Carleen Moore worked as a nurse for more than two decades. Her husband, Terry, created the award to recognize the commitment and compassion of nurses.

The 2025 honorees represent four health care organizations: MyMichigan Health, Covenant HealthCare, McLaren Bay Region and Residential Home Health.

This year's recipients were honored in three categories:

Acute care nursing

Paige Kwapiszewski of MyMichigan Midland was recognized for her outstanding leadership and dedication to both patients and colleagues. Her focus on staff development, emotional support and high-quality care has made an impact on employee morale and patient outcomes. Kwapiszewski is also actively engaged in her community, participating in local projects, mentoring future nurses and organizing scholarship events.

Jennifer Pressler, a registered nurse at McLaren Bay Region, was celebrated for her commitment to learning and patient-centered care. Pressler, a stroke-certified nurse, is known for her guidance on evidence-based policy, her holistic approach to care and her ability to support both patients and their families.

Rachael Reed, an obstetric nurse with Covenant HealthCare, was honored for her compassion and attentiveness to patients. She is described as kind, patient, respectful and always willing to go the extra mile. Reed recently helped a patient and her husband celebrate their wedding in the hospital chapel before the birth of their twin daughters.

Education

Katelyn Scribner, a nurse educator in Covenant HealthCare's medical/surgical department, has demonstrated a commitment to learning and mentorship. Starting as a nursing care assistant, Scribner rose to become a department educator. She is known for providing high-quality learning opportunities and volunteering her time with youth facing extreme challenges, including co-directing and serving as camp nurse at a summer camp for at-risk youth.

Ashley Selle-Colby, a nurse educator at MyMichigan Health, was recognized for her passion for nursing education and innovation. She has created simulation experiences for nurses in multiple specialties, including a virtual tabletop simulation for new hires and high-fidelity emergency scenarios for the obstetrics department. Selle-Colby coordinates and facilitates more than 100 interdisciplinary OB simulations across the health system each year.

Community nursing

Danielle Premo, a home care nurse with Residential Home Health, was honored for her compassionate home care of seniors with acute or long-term illnesses. Her colleagues describe Premo as an incredible caregiver and a respected teammate, always ready to meet new challenges and support her patients with kindness.

Jill Toporski of Covenant HealthCare received the community impact award for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and her ongoing work as director of Covenant's Emergency Care Center, MedExpress, Trauma Center and stroke. Toporski leads efforts to deliver care and information to thousands of patients, coordinated urgent care across the system and sparked programs that save lives. She also volunteers with various community organizations.

Speakers and presenters included Jaime Huffman, chair of SVSU's nursing department; Beth Charlton, president and CEO of Covenant HealthCare; Shane Hunt, vice president of nursing at MyMichigan Saginaw, and Andrea Frederick, SVSU professor of nursing.

For more information about the Carleen K. Moore Nursing Excellence Awards, visit https://www.svsu.edu/nursing/nursingexcellenceaward/.