North Country Hospital nurses celebrate and receive awards

NEWPORT –– National Nurses Week is an annual celebration, recognizing nurses and celebrating all that they do. It takes place between May 6, National Nurses Day, and May 12, the birthdate of celebrated nurse, Florence Nightingale. 

At North Country Hospital, four areas of nursing excellence awards complement the hospital’s mission and values that nurses can be nominated for.

“All of the nominees were excellent, and it was very difficult to select just one in each category,” stated Chief Nursing Officer, Denise Carter.

This year’s awardees are Katrina Bennett, RN for Commitment to Quality,  Jennnifer Lavelle, RN for Commitment to Professional Growth, Lucy Carpenter, LPN for Commitment to Customer Service,  and Bruce Muir, RN for Commitment to Community.

An additional nursing leadership award will be presented in the coming weeks.

The Commitment to Quality Award is an individual who follows best practice when caring for patients. They stay up-to-date on the most recent policy changes, techniques, and the latest practices. Katrina Bennett demonstrated her commitment by  improving the processes in the Outpatient Treatment Center. She has worked with CIS, Lab, and Patient Financial Services on numerous occasions to work out kinks in delivery of care. She worked with Primary Care on order sets and other paperwork through the system, ensuring patients receive their medications without delay and without added stress. Katrina performs chart reviews on a weekly basis and is very meticulous when reviewing the data and interpreting the results. 

The award for Commitment to Professional Growth goes to Jennifer Lavelle. Her acceptance and award into the APIC study program and internship has allowed her to grow her knowledge and assist various departments with a wide scope throughout the organization. Reporting to several committees here in the organization, she has worked to improve hospital acquired infections, surgical site infections, and even the water quality. Her work with the sepsis team and educating staff of precautions use for inpatients is ongoing. Jen’s growth in this role is driven by the desire to provide optimal care for our patients and employees, utilizing best practices. 

The Commitment to Customer Service Award is an individual who demonstrates excellent customer service with both patients and staff. This awardee, Lucy Carpenter, lives our mission and goes above and beyond in providing care to our patients and their families. She is respectful and positive in all interactions with peers, physicians, patients, families, and visitors. Her nominations stated this over and over again. She has such compassion, and an unmatched work ethic that shines through on every encounter with others, whether a patient or a staff member. Lucy embodies patient centered medical care in all she does.

The Commitment to Community Award is an individual who is committed to their community through volunteering and being a part of local organizations working to improve their community, and who better to fill this award, but Bruce Muir. Bruce raised over $20,000 last year for a local community day event and is spearheading the effort again in 2025. He has brought much joy to the community by bringing back Derby Line Community Day. Bruce was honored last April at Jay Peak for their Inaugural “One Town” event and was awarded a community service award. He is passionate about the palliative care committee at NCH and is always willing to help anyone in need.

Denise Carter added her words of gratitude at the 2025 Nursing Excellence Awards dinner.

“We had 12 nominations for our awards this year! What an honor it is to be nominated and recognized by your peers. Congratulations to Katrina Bennett, Jennifer Lavelle, Lucy Carpenter, and Bruce Muir.”