Menu
Log in
Log in

The American Association
of Nurse Attorneys

TAANA Awards

Cynthia Northrop Distinguished Service Award

The TAANA Foundation established the Cynthia Northrop Distinguished Service Award to recognize an individual member’s leadership role in, and significant contributions to, TAANA. The award is named for Cynthia Ellen Northrop, who died in November 1989 at the age of 39. Cynthia was the founder of TAANA and served as its first president. The award is intended to serve as an expression of sincere gratitude for the member’s committed leadership, participation in, and contributions to the purposes of TAANA and its growth as the professional association for nurse attorneys.

Award recipients: (*deceased)

  • 2023 - Edith Brous
  • 2021 - Melanie Balestra
  • 2019 - Carolyn Dolan
  • 2016 - Kathleen Kearney
  • 2015 - Teressa Sanzio
  • 2014 - JoAnn Pietro
  • 2013 - Kathleen Murphy Jones
  • 2011 - Randi Kopf
  • 2010 - Kathleen McCormac
  • 2009 - Trudy Kiaunis
  • 2008 - Janet Feldkamp
  • 2007 - Amy Jerdee
  • 2006 - Rosemary Conlon McCarthy
  • 2005 - Cynthia Mikos, Susan Ziel
  • 2004 - Randi Kopf
  • 2003 - Elizabeth Beall
  • 2002 - Sally Austin
  • 2001 - Paula DiMeo Grant
  • 1998 - Linda M. E. Auton
  • 1996 - Julie Bargnesi
  • 1995 - Tonia D. Aiken 
  • 1994 - Tamara Todd Cotton, Karen Shedd Guarino 
  • 1993 - D. M. Boulay 
  • 1991 - Felice Quigley 
  • 1990 - Sandra Berkowitz 
  • 1989 - Cynthia E. Northrop* 
  • 1988 - Katherine J. Pohlman 
  • 1987 - Diane Trace Warlick 
  • 1986 - Cynthia E. Northrop

Outstanding Advocate Award

TAANA established the Outstanding Advocate Award to recognize an individual member's outstanding legal advocacy. The Awards Committee recognizes that a nurse attorney can be an advocate in various ways, such as making an impact on legislation, authoring scholarly works such as law review articles, books, journal articles, as well as achieving significant rulings in appellate practice, trial practice, and administrative law practice (e.g., hearings before various state boards). The award is intended to give recognition to a member whose legal theories, strategies, and abilities demonstrate outstanding advocacy.

Award recipients: (*deceased)

  • 2023 - Diane Knoblauch
  • 2021 - Kathleen Russell
  • 2020 - Hahnah Williams; Eileen Talamante
  • 2019 - Keith Hovey
  • 2018 - Karen J. Halpern
  • 2017 - JoAnn Pietro
  • 2016 - Teressa Sanzio; Tracy Singh
  • 2015 - Randi Kopf
  • 2014 - Kathleen Gialanella
  • 2013 - Marc Meyer
  • 2012 - Karen J. Halpern
  • 2011 - Taralynn Mackay
  • 2008 - Edie Brous
  • 2007 - Janet Michael
  • 2006 - Suzanne Edgett Collins
  • 2005 - Phyllis Gallagher
  • 2004 - Diane K. Kjervik
  • 2003 - Karen Butler
  • 2002 - Penny Brooke
  • 2001 - Joanne Sheehan
  • 1998 - Diane K. Kjervik
  • 1997 - Peggy L. B. Nakamura
  • 1996 - Penny G. Westfall
  • 1995 - Diane M. Rodriguez
  • 1994 - Kathleen H. Switzer
  • 1993 - Virginia Trotter Betts
  • 1992 - Kathleen E. Hastings
  • 1989 - Cynthia E. Northrop*, Kathleen Flynn
    Peterson
  • 1988 - Marie E. Snyder
  • 1987 - Jill M. Follows
  • 1986 - Mary E. Kelly

Outstanding Section Member Award

TAANA established the Outstanding Section Member Award to recognize members of each TAANA Section (Education; Litigation; Legal Nurse Consulting; Health Law, Legislation, and Compliance; and Students). The recipient of the award has demonstrated excellence in providing resources, education, and leadership to the section members, the health care and legal communities, and TAANA as a whole.

Award recipients: (*deceased)

Education Section

  • 2019 & 2023 - Kimberly Cleveland
  • 2017 - Katherine Anselmi; Keith Hovey; JoAnn Klaassen
  • 2016 - Liz Stokes
  • 2015 - Carolyn Dolan
  • 2011 - Melinda Mitchell Jones
  • 2010 - Kathleen Mixson
  • 2007 - Teressa Sanzio, Sharon Bridges
  • 2006 - Janet Feldkamp
  • 2005 - Laurie Badzek

Litigation Section

  • 2017 - Edie Brous
  • 2016 - Kathy Gialanella; JoAnn Pietro
  • 2013 - Latonia Denise Wright
  • 2012 - Elizabeth Higginbotham
  • 2011 - Nancy Roper Wilson
  • 2010 - Phyllis Gallagher, Teressa Sanzio
  • 2009 - Kathleen Kearney
  • 2008 - Diane Warlick
  • 2007 - Daneil McAuliffe
  • 2006 - Trudy Kiaunis
  • 2005 - Karen Butler

Health Law, Legislation, & Compliance Section

  • 2019 - Kathleen Hessler
  • 2017 - Randi Kopf
  • 2016 - Melanie Balestra
  • 2014 - George Indest
  • 2011 - Patricia Blair
  • 2007 - Randi Kopf
  • 2006 - LaTonya Wright
  • 2005 - Amy Jerdee

Legal Nurse Consulting Section

  • 2006 - Meredith Chiarelli
  • 2005 - Conswella Byrd

Students Section

  • 2010 - Marc Meyer
  • 2006 - Jean Kasper
  • 2005 - Daniel Tounsel III

Solo Practice

  • 2021 - Randi Kopf
  • 2020 - Edie Brous

Outstanding Affiliate Advocate Award

TAANA established the Outstanding Affiliate Advocate Award to recognize an individual associate member's outstanding legal advocacy and contributions to the advancement of TAANA's mission and vision. The award is intended to give recognition to an affiliate member whose legal theories, strategies, and abilities demonstrate outstanding advocacy.

  • 2023 - George Indest

Outstanding Chapter Award

Members recommended a chapter by completing an application form and portfolio with visual and other descriptive materials that documented the following criteria: excellence in providing resources, education, and leadership to its members and the health care and legal communities. Two letters of support by TAANA members accompanied the application.

  • 2016 - Texas Chapter; Washington Chapter
  • 2014 - Chesapeake Nurse Attorneys
  • 2012 - Texas Chapter
  • 2010 - Chesapeake Chapter
  • 2009 - Connecticut Chapter and Texas Chapter
  • 2006 - New England Chapter
  • 2005 - New York Metropolitan Chapter
Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software