The Southern Ute Health Center is making big strides in more ways than one. There are lots of new additions to the program. With the recruitment of new staff the Southern Ute Health Center is constantly growing.

Susan Turner, a registered nurse working at the Southern Ute Health Center for 21 years, received a very prestigious award from the Colorado Nurses Foundation.

Turner received an award for advocacy, from the 2014 Nightingale Luminary Awards Program for the Southwest Colorado regional area.

The Colorado Nurses Foundation is an organization dedicated to improving health care and nursing in Colorado. The foundation began in 1987 at the Nursing Institute of Colorado, and has a mission to advance nursing through education, advocacy and recognition.

The purpose of the foundation is to expose nursing for its leadership role in creating a supportable health care system for Colorado.

The event honors nurses who best exemplify the philosophy and practice of Florence Nightingale.

Registered Nurses from throughout the state are nominated every year by solicitation from the Colorado Area Health Education Centers system, the Colorado Springs Nightingale and Nightingale Western Colorado.

“I feel very honored and humble to receive this award and to be able to work with the Southern Ute community as long as I have,” Turner said.

Public health nursing has always been a passion of Turner’s but according to Turner she greatly enjoys getting to know the people of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the community.

She often does home visits for chronic disease management – like diabetes and heart and kidney disease.

You may have also seen Turner visiting with elders and the disabled about chronic disease management, follow-ups, health maintenance and prevention.

She also participates in the community with classes and immunization clinics.

The 2014 Nightingale Award program provides state-level recognition of more than 40 nurses and six traditional Nightingale Award designees.

As part of the program, regional award recipients are designated as Luminaries, and up to 48 Luminaries selected from their regions will be honored at the state-recognition event on Saturday, May 10, in Denver.

The Colorado Nurses Foundation became the sponsor of the event in 1999 and has raised more that $329,000 for nursing scholarships.