The Georgia Nursing Hall of Fame has its first cohort of inductees.
The Hall of Fame recognizes exemplary nurses who have become legends for their dedication to nursing in the state.
“As GNF President, I am so happy to see the Georgia Nursing Hall of Fame come to fruition,” Georgia Nurses Foundation President Wanda Jones, BSN, RN, MSN, FNP-BC, said earlier this year. “We have been planning this program for over two years to honor and showcase the many nursing legends in Georgia.”
The Georgia Nurses Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of the Georgia Nurses Association and its work to foster the welfare and well-being of nurses.
The 10 inductees are:
Candice Saunders, FACHE, RN: Saunders is president and CEO of Wellstar Health Systems. She is the former chair of the Georgia Hospital Association and was named Healthcare Champion by the National Association for Female Executives.
Lucy Marion, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAANP: Marion is a professor and dean emerita at Augusta University. Although now retired, she was dean of the College of Nursing for nearly 16 years.
Connie Buchanan, MS, NP-C, FNP: Buchanan is a nurse practitioner in Atlanta. She currently practices at Community Advanced Practice Nurses Inc.
Lucy Rogers, CNHA, CSA, FACHCA, CHC, CCE, RN: Rogers, who works for the nonprofit CHSGa, was recently honored by the Georgia Health Care Association for her “lifetime of dedication and passion for enhancing care” provided for Georgia’s senior citizens. “She is a one-of-a-kind leader who has laid the foundation for many of our quality initiatives that are in place today.”
Joyce Barlow, MBA, MHA, RN: Barlow is an administrator at Englewood Health Care in Albany. She was successful in explaining and delivering a message to legislators that resulted in community care providers receiving a rate payment increase.
Mary E. Walker, BSN, RN-BC: Walker’s LinkedIn page states that before she was an RN at Northside, she was an RN manager at AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
Joyce McMurrain, MSN, RN: McMurrain is a nurse manager and coordinator of the Student Nurse Extern Program at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.
Mary N. Long, RN: A nurse, activist, lobbyist, administrator and pioneer, Long graduated from Grady Memorial Hospital’s School of Nursing in 1963. In addition to her distinguished careers in health care and advocacy and to her political activity, Long has an extensive record of service to local, regional and national groups, including being the first Black president of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta and membership on the boards of numerous community organizations. Her peers in Georgia nursing honored Long’s accomplishments by naming a professional award after her. Georgia Nurses Association bestows the Georgia Nurses Foundation Mary N. Long Award for Innovations in Nursing Practice to “nursing pioneers who through their creative thoughts and actions, have made a difference for nurses and nursing in Georgia.”
Tim Porter-O’Grady, DM, EdD, APRN, FAAN, FACCWS: Porter-O’Grady has been involved in health care for 48 years and has held roles from staff nurse to senior executive in a variety of health care settings. He has published extensively in health care with more than 200 professional journal articles and 26 books, and is a nine-time winner of the AJN Healthcare Book of the Year Award.
Lisa Eichelberger, PhD, RN: Eichelberger is dean of the college of health and professor of nursing at Clayton State University. She oversees nursing, dental hygiene, health care management and health and fitness management educational programs at Clayton State, and teaches in the masters program within the School of Nursing.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Marcus Tower at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital (1968 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta 30309) Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.
All attendees must be vaccinated. For those with a medical or religious exemption, a negative COVID test result within 72 hours of the event must be provided. Masks will be required at the event unless attendees are eating or drinking. Please bring proper documentation of a vaccine card or the negative test result.
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