During Nurses Week, Community West Foundation joined caregivers at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital to celebrate the extraordinary dedication of the nursing team and to recognize outstanding achievements across the hospital. A total of 22 nurses were honored during this year’s award ceremony, which highlighted both clinical excellence and compassionate care.
Marty Uhle, President & CEO of Community West Foundation, offered opening remarks and shared appreciation for the opportunity to take part in the celebration alongside hospital leadership and caregivers. He was joined by Dan Roth, Vice President & CFO, and Caroline Woznicki, Event Manager.
Marty began by expressing gratitude to Fairview Hospital’s nursing staff and recognizing the significance of Nurses Week as a time to reflect on the impact nurses make every day. He emphasized the Foundation’s continued partnership with Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, highlighting a shared commitment to supporting both meaningful recognition events like Nurses Week and broader initiatives that benefit patients and the community.
A key part of the ceremony focused on the presentation and history of two longstanding award funds held by Community West Foundation:
- The Warren Family Care Fund, originally established in 1989 as the Lorraine M. Warren Award, honors a student nurse who demonstrates exceptional clinical skill paired with compassion and humanistic care. Mrs. Warren, who dedicated many years to teaching at the Fairview General Hospital Nursing School, inspired a legacy that has grown significantly over time. What began as a single $250 annual award has expanded to four $1,500 awards each year, with more than $43,000 awarded over the past two decades.
- The Vollmer Nursing Education Award, established in 1969 by Flossie Vollmer in memory of her husband Phillip Vollmer, also continues to recognize excellence in nursing education and practice. Rev. Vollmer served as administrator of what was then Fairview Park Hospital from 1923 to 1954. The award has grown from $1,000 annually to $5,000 today, with more than $45,000 awarded over the past 20 years. During Nurses Week in 2023, the hospital community also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the beginning of his tenure, alongside his family.
Marty closed his remarks by thanking Fairview Hospital nurses for their unwavering commitment, compassion, and clinical expertise, noting that their impact extends far beyond the bedside. He also extended appreciation to the Nurses Week Planning Committee and all those who helped coordinate the celebration, including Dr. Neil Smith, Julie Gorecki, Kevin Sauer, Lorri Martin, Katie Galvan, and the many colleagues who took time to nominate fellow caregivers.
Adding to the celebration, therapy dog teams from Caring Canines visited hospital units throughout the week as part of Nurses Week appreciation efforts. Volunteers and their four-legged partners stopped by ICU, ED, specialty units, and celebration events to express gratitude in a uniquely comforting way.
From brief hallway visits to bedside moments, the dogs brought a welcome pause during busy shifts, offering smiles, calm, and comfort to caregivers and patients alike. In the words of the program’s spirit, they delivered something no medication can prescribe: a moment to breathe and a reminder that the community stands with its nurses.
