ILWACO Dispelling the notion that bigger is always better, the smallest hospital represented at the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year awards earned one of the highest honors.

Ocean Beach Hospital and Medical Clinics Jami Greenfield was named the 2010 Western Washington Nurse of the Year in the Rising Star category at the annual awards that celebrate nursing excellence.

Denise Ross and Mary Thorsen, of Ocean Beach Hospital, also were nominated for awards. The March of Dimes recognizes outstanding contributions by nurses in 14 different categories, including education, leadership and patient care.

Greenfield, an oncology nurse at Ocean Beach Medical Clinic, was recognized for helping to start a cancer support group and for working with pharmaceutical companies to provide chemotherapy drugs for cancer patients who could not otherwise afford treatment. 

Its such an honor to be chosen for this award, said Greenfield. I love my job. I love being able to help the people in our community. An award like this makes you want to work even harder.

The Rising Star award is for nurses with 18 months or less nursing experience. Greenfield was hired in January 2010 to work with Dr. Ivan Law when Ocean Beach Hospital expanded its weekend oncology program to a fulltime clinic. 

The community need was beginning to outstrip demand so the hospital was faced with the choice of not meeting the need or expanding its service, according to Law. We chose to expand, he said. Place of Hope, the hospitals oncology clinic, serves patients on the Peninsula, as well as those in Astoria, Seaside and South Bend.

Ross, who has been with the hospital for more than 16 years, was nominated for outstanding contributions to community health and education. A certified diabetes educator, she helped establish the hospitals diabetes education program and has continually expanded classes and services the hospital offers the community.

Thorsen, the surgery department manager, was nominated for outstanding leadership. In addition to heading the surgery team, Thorsen was instrumental in implementing the SCOAP surgical safety checklist initiative at Ocean Beach Hospital in 2009. Ocean Beach was one of just 15 pilot hospitals in the program, which was later adopted by every hospital in the state. She has been with the hospital 17 years.

This is a tremendous honor, said Joe Devin, the hospitals chief executive. In a room filled with representatives from Swedish, Virginia Mason, UW and the other major medical centers in Western Washington, Ocean Beach had three nominees for Nurse of the Year.

We think all our nurses are special and this award is recognition on a regional level that its not just our opinion, added Devin. Its a testament to the caliber of skilled nurses we have at Ocean Beach Hospital. Were fortunate to have dedicated professionals like Jami, Denise and Mary serving our community.

Winners were announced at an awards breakfast in December at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.