Contact: Ellen Bank
843.792.2626
March 8, 2002
College of Nursing alumna and continuum of care manager Florence
Maria Simmons, R.N., was named the winner of the 2002 Earl B. Higgins
Achievement
in Diversity Award at MUSC.
The award is presented annually by the Office of Diversity to an
MUSC employee who has made admirable strides in promoting diversity
within MUSC and the Charleston community. She is the first nurse to be
honored with this award.
A Charleston native, Simmons is the seventh recipient of the
award since its inception in 1996 honoring the dedicated work of Dr.
Earl B. Higgins, former director of affirmative action and minority
affairs, who died Aug. 30, 1992. Simmons follows previous Higgins
awardees including: Joanne Conroy, M.D., Anne Kilpatrick, DPA, Sabra
Slaughter, Ph.D., Layton McCurdy, M.D., Jerry Blackwell and Tom
Waldrep, Ph.D.
"Florence provides caring in an exemplary manner to the
patients and families she serves," said Marilyn J. Schaffner, R.N.,
administrator for clinical services, during the recent awards ceremony.
"She exemplifies professionalism as a nurse in weaving into her
practice 'caring as an essential element of nursing services.'"
As a continuum of care outcomes manager for burn, trauma and
other high-risk patients, Simmons is responsible for coordinating care
throughout a patient's entire episode of illness. She believes that
all patients, regardless of race, sex, socio-economic status or
educational level deserve the respect and best possible care from their
health care practitioner.
Simmons began her career working for eight years in the MUSC
Burn Unit before leaving as head nurse in 1988 to complete her
master's degree in nursing. She has experience in clinical nursing,
management and education.
In addition to her clinical skills, Simmons was commended for
her scholarly work, which includes publication in the Orthopaedic
Nursing Journal. She is an active member of Chi Eta Phi Sorority Inc.,
an international organization established for professional minority
nurses, serving in both local and national leadership levels. In
response to the national nursing shortage, she collaborated with the
Omicron Chi chapter in Charleston to create a high school mentoring
program for Burke High School students considering nursing as a career.
The monthly program matches students and nursing mentors as a way to
relate and share information
"I feel my volunteer work is so important because of the
national nursing shortage," Simmons said. "I don't think nurses
are always respected for the work they provide. I think the public
identifies more with the role of a bedside nurse versus a nurse working
in an extended role. Although people value nurses and are aware of the
good job nurses perform, they don't see it all -- nurses give 150
percent to make the entire process work."
She is a model within her community and church volunteer work.
She teams successfully with church members to create a popular
lunch-and-learn series with seniors at St. Patrick?s Catholic Church in
downtown Charleston. Known as "Emerging Leaders," the program
promotes senior health issues featuring beauty and exercise, weight
loss, hypertension, etc. As a Eucharistic minister, she distributes
communion at Mass and to the sick and shut-in members of her church. She
is also active with the church's "Our Lady of Guadaloupe" group
which provides community services such as feeding the homeless at a
local shelter.
"Ms. Simmons, you have combined your inner strength with your
assets to gain a vital tool for helping and for healing," said LaValle
C. Higgins, widow of Dr. Earl B. Higgins, during the award presentation.
"You are not afraid to freely use your power, not to dominate, but to
empower your patients. You make choices as well as changes. You
influence decisions and
implement them. You have taught that yesterday's hope gives way to
today's reality which in turn, reshapes tomorrow's dream."
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