Saha Awardees Honored at 18th Annual Gill Heart Institute Cardiovascular Research Day
The Saha Cardiovascular Research Center, and Gill Heart Institute, saw a huge turnout for their 18th Annual, Cardiovascular Research Day. During dinner, we had the esteemed pleasure to present four Saha Awards. The awardees demonstrated creativity, dedication, and knowledge in areas of cardiovascular research, prevention, and patient-education. The 2015 recipients are as follows:
Kristen Andres – University of Kentucky Medical Student Award Kristen is a native of Lexington and is currently a first year medical student at the University of Kentucky. Kristen is passionate about pediatric cardiology. She looks forward to continuing her development as a physician alongside the expansion of the field of pediatric cardiology, particularly the growth of minimally invasive surgical procedures. Beyond her training as a medical student, Kristen is actively involved the research lab of Moriel Vandsburger.
Sooksai Kaewbua – Paula Fritz, RN Patient Education Award Sooksai is a nurse at Eastern State Hospital here in Lexington. She was part of the nursing staff that created a group-based health promotion program called “Health Heart, Healthy Brain”. This program is designed to promote healthy-eating and exercise behaviors that can be maintained after discharge. The initial results suggest that the program is beneficial in improving the health of these patients.
Jennifer Akers – Eastern Kentucky Nursing Award Jennifer is from Salt Lick, KY and is training to be a Family Nurse Practitioner at Frontier Nursing University. Her primary training facility is St. Claire Medical Center in Morehead. Jennifer has a strong interest in providing high quality patient education with the long-term goal of preventing unnecessary re-admissions. Jennifer will graduate in March 2016 and plans to remain in Eastern Kentucky after graduation.
Jennifer Miller – University of Kentucky Nursing Student Award Jennifer is a graduate student in the University of Kentucky College of Nursing working toward her PhD. After 20 years of nursing, she returned to focus on the impact of health literacy on cardiovascular health disparities, specifically on quality of life issues. Her long-term plan is to gain a faculty appointment in a research intensive university.
The Saha Awards are given yearly to encourage and support staff and students with an interest in and dedication to cardiovascular medicine. We will begin accepting applications for the 2016 Saha Awards in February 2016. To learn more about the Saha Awards, click here.