Columbus Regional Health recently held its annual The Way We Care Excellence in Nursing Awards, recognizing the Nurse of the Year, Patient Care Technician of the Year, and Friend of Nursing. Along with the honor of being named one of this year's award recipients, each winner receives a commemorative pin to wear with pride and celebrate their hard work and dedication.
Congratulations to all of the nominees and to this year's award recipients:
Julia Montiel, Lead Nurse, Nursing Resources - Nurse of the Year 2025
Janie Connell, PCT, Emergency Department - Patient Care Tech of the Year 2025
Connie Hook, Food Service Aide, Food and Nutritional Services - Friend of Nursing 2025
Read excerpts from the three award recipients' nominations below:
Julia Montiel, Lead Nurse, Nursing Resources
"Julia always goes above and beyond to help her peers. No matter what the need is she is willing to help with a positive attitude. No matter the task she is just a phone call away. She treats everyone equally, no matter their role. She always shows up with a good attitude and has such a great sense of humor. A time that Julia most stood out to me was when we had a patient admitted to our floor, and we called her to assist. She wasn’t even the nurse for this patient let alone a nurse on our floor, but she stayed in the room the entire time to help me roll and completely bathe the patient. It took well over an hour to get the patient settled after arriving on the floor, but Julia stayed in the room the whole time when most in her position would have left."
Janie Connell, PCT, Emergency Department
"This employee is my “right hand” when I am in charge of the department. Not only can I trust her to follow through with tasks, but she always goes above and beyond to serve both the team and the patients. She excels as a patient care tech and is a resource to both the new techs and the new nurses. She is always someone who any of the staff can go to and ask questions about critical, time-sensitive processes, since she is an expert at these. Even the providers will ask her when they aren’t sure! She is accountable and is a fierce advocate for patient care and safety. She speaks up when things don’t seem to be in the best interest of the patient or a staff member in a manner that is professional, but unapologetically firm in what is the right thing to do."
Connie Hook, Food Service Aide, Food and Nutritional Services
"This employee is a prime example of The Way We Care. She has gone above and beyond in the way she cares about patients and the food they are eating and the way they are nourishing their bodies. She especially exemplified her commitment to caring this past week with a hospice patient. When bringing in the patient’s food, she could tell that something was wrong with the patient. She was teary eyed and just not herself. She has been amazing at learning our patients' names, finding ways to get them to eat, and collaborating with nursing staff to help ensure the patient has what they need to get healthy. This particular patient told her she was going home on hospice. I watched as Connie set up her meal carefully, talking to the patient about her experience and what was going on. As she finished, she asked the patient if there was anything she could do to help -- the patient said just to pray for her. Connie then asked if it was okay for her to pray with the patient. I watched as she prayed with her and held her hand. She doesn’t just work in the department, she works in patient care, in nursing, and holds the hand of my patients, understanding the way that nutrition and kindness is needed for these patients to get better. She is a prime example of someone who doesn’t just do her job. She serves joy, friendship, and help. She is a friend, a coworker, and an amazing person who works in the shadows, leading by example."
