WVU Hospitals names Nurses and Interprofessional Colleague of the Year

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – WVU Medicine WVU Hospitals (WVUH) held its 2026 Nurses and Interprofessional Colleague of the Year ceremony on Wednesday (May 6) as part of National Nurses Week.  

Nine nurses and one clinical associate, who supports nursing efforts, won top awards.

WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s, and WVU Medicine Fairmont Medical Center collectively comprise WVU Hospitals.  

“We had a record number of nominations this year – 180 total – from all areas of our organization,” Jennifer Strait, M.S.N., R.N., N.P.D.-B.C., O.D.C.P., director of WVUH Nursing Professional Development and Education, said. “The nominations this year are a true testament of the impact that our nurses and interprofessional colleagues make at our organization, the community, and to all those we serve.  

“All the nominees exemplify excellence, and their contributions are clearly defined within the nursing professional practice model, with the majority focusing on teamwork, milieu, and advancement.” 

Nominators, nominees, and nursing leaders were invited to join WVUH leadership for the formal ceremony, where winners were revealed for the first time. 

“This celebration is sponsored by our Nursing Recruitment and Retention Council as a way to give gratitude and recognition to our nurses and interprofessional colleagues who are part of our teams, making sure every patient gets the high-quality care they need and deserve,” Strait said. 

This year’s winners are: 

Inpatient Diamond Nurse of the Year – given to a direct care nurse with 20 or more years of experience: Heather Sexton, A.S.N., R.N., 6 East (neuro stepdown unit) and adult Epilepsy Monitoring Unit 

Inpatient Platinum Nurse of the Year – given to any direct care nurse with 11 to 19 years of experience: Sara Belch, B.S.N., R.N., N.E.-B.C., 9 East (surgical oncology unit)  

Inpatient Gold Nurse of the Year – given to any direct care nurse with six to 10 years of experience: David Whiteman, B.S.N., R.N., 9 West (oncology unit) 

Inpatient Silver Nurse of the Year – given to any direct care nurse with one to five years of experience: Madison Mayle, B.S.N., R.N., 5 East ICU  

Inpatient Bronze Nurse of the Year – given to any direct care nurse with less than one year of experience: Macie McKinley, A.S.N., R.N., 5 East ICU 

Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year – given to an advanced practice nurse who works in a Morgantown campus hospital/clinic: Shannon Thompkins, D.N.P., M.S.N., F.N.P.-B.C., Otolaryngology 

Ambulatory Nurse of the Year – given to a nurse who works in the ambulatory patient care areas of the organization: Christa Schrock, A.D.N., R.N., coordinator, Physician Office Center 

Nurse Leader of the Year – given to a nurse leader with the job title of night supervisor, house supervisor, nurse manager, nurse director, or assistant vice president: Erin Barrett, B.S.N., R.N., nurse manager, Inpatient Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital  

Nurse Educator of the Year – given to any nurse who has the job title of clinical preceptor, college coordinator, transition coordinator, or any nurse educator role: Cheyenne Barr, M.S.N., R.N., MEDSURG-B.C., clinical preceptor, 7 West  

Interprofessional Colleague of the Year – given to a non-nurse employee who exemplifies excellence in patient care by collaborating with the nursing staff to meet patient needs and provide patient-centered care: Angela Frisbie, clinical associate, 9 Southeast (cardiac stepdown/floor)  

To learn more about WVU Medicine, visit WVUMedicine.org.