NightinGala Marks a Decade of Honoring Mid-South Nurses

UT Health Sciences College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes presented nurse Leatriece Franklin, a nonprofit founder and retired U.S. Army Reserves captain, with the Dr. John W. Runyan, Jr. Community Nursing Award at the NightinGala May 8.

"Never underestimate the power of showing up and serving others," said Leatriece Franklin, MHA, MSN, RN, as she received the 2026 Dr. John W. Runyan, Jr., Community Nursing Award at the recent 10th annual NightinGala.

The award recognizes a registered nurse practicing in Tennessee, Mississippi, or Arkansas, who has made significant contributions to the development and promotion of community health nursing.

She was among five local nurses honored at the NightinGala and Nurse Hero Awards for their achievements in nursing, the most trusted profession in the United States for 25 years in a row, according to the Gallup Poll.

More than 300 people gathered to celebrate nursing at the event hosted by the University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Nursing on May 8 at the FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms Park. National Nurses Week is celebrated annually May 6-12. The event also featured internationally touring comedian Nurse Blake, a former surgical ICU nurse who's a content creator, healthcare advocate, and children's book author. Action News 5 Anchor Joe Birch emceed the event.

Celebrating Community Heroes

Franklin, a retired Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, is the founder of LF Mobile LifeSaving Courses, an American Heart Association training site where thousands have been trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and other lifesaving techniques. She also established the LF Cares Foundation, a nonprofit that offers free CPR training, nurse mentorship, and community outreach. In addition, she's an entrepreneur and author, establishing the Skrub Kafe Network to sell affordable, high-quality scrubs and writing a series of children's books to introduce lifesaving education.

"What makes this recognition so meaningful is to know that the work is not finished," she said. "There are more lives to be impacted."

The NightinGala also recognizes Nurse Heroes in the Mid-South through three awards: the Bedside Nurse Hero Award, the Advanced Practice Nurse Hero Award, and the Executive Leader Nurse Hero Award.

More than 300 people came together during National Nurses Week as UT Health Sciences hosted the 2026 NightinGala at the FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis.

Two nurses were recognized with the Bedside Nurse Hero Award because there was a tie in that category: Amanda Singleton, RN, who works at Baptist Memorial Health Care - Memphis and has been a nurse for 22 years, and Theresa Drewry, BSN, RN, who has worked for more than 20 years in the Emergency Department of Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. The dedication of both nurses to their patients and their fellow nurses was noted. In addition, Drewry was recognized for her emphasis on nursing certifications and her encouragement of that effort in her department.

Singleton thanked her mentors and her current nursing team. She also said, "I thank God for giving me the ability and heart to serve" and referred to Colossians 3:23 as one of her favorite Bible verses: "Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others."

Drewry called the award a full-circle moment because she graduated from the College of Nursing in 1982, when the university was called the UT Center for Health Sciences. Nursing has been her lifelong passion, she said. "I love getting young nurses excited about the profession and mentoring them."

A nurse from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received the Advanced Practice Nurse Hero Award. Acute care pediatric nurse practitioner Kristi Sheridan, MSN, APRN, CPNP-AC, PED-BC, was recognized for her clinical excellence, empathy for patients, and leadership as a primary preceptor for the pediatric hospitalist team at St. Jude.

Leading with Empowerment

Regional One Health's Director of Nursing Development, Education Services, and Oncology Latarsha Triplett, DNP, RN, received the Executive Leader Nurse Hero Award. This award recognizes a registered nurse in leadership who empowers registered nurses in healthcare settings as well as implements organizational strategies. Dr. Triplett's contributions include developing a new licensed practical nurse (LPN) course, redesigning the preceptor course, and making improvements to LPN/RN orientation at Regional One Health.

In its 10th year, the NightinGala garnered sponsorships from 11 organizations including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Baptist Memorial Health Care, Regional One Health, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, St. Francis Healthcare, West Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement, Tennessee Hospital Association, Shelby County Health Department, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and UT Health Sciences College of Nursing Alumni Board.

"The work of nurses can sometimes be overlooked," said College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, who has led the College of Nursing for more than a decade. "Much of it takes place when few people are watching, during those long shifts at the hospital or clinic. That is why it is such a privilege to present NightinGala every year."

View the slideshow below for more sights from NightinGala 2026.

(All photos by Jay Adkins Photography.)