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Legacy nurses make a difference
May 02, 2025
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Nurses Week is a national recognition honoring nurses and the incredible impact they have on patients. This week we join other healthcare organizations across the country by celebrating our nurses at Legacy.
Buildings across the United States will be lit up in honor of nurses, including the Oregon Convention Center. Follow along as nurses across the country are recognized at #ThePowerOfNurses and #NursesLightUpTheSky
Here are a few examples of how our nurses make a difference.
Buildings across the United States will be lit up in honor of nurses, including the Oregon Convention Center. Follow along as nurses across the country are recognized at #ThePowerOfNurses and #NursesLightUpTheSky
Here are a few examples of how our nurses make a difference.

Jeanine Young, RN, oncology
Jeanine Young excels in onboarding and supporting our team. She has onboarded over 40 staff and 12 nurse residents in the past year. Each new member has diverse backgrounds and experiences, and Jeanine ensures their individual needs are met. She organizes skills days, oversees chemotherapy and transplant competencies, and handles accreditation needs. She provides essential support for new nurses in chemotherapy, safeguarding our patients and staff. We depend on her tireless support, skills, and knowledge.

Stephanie Hart-Coleman, RN, transplant
Stephanie Hart-Coleman has worked many roles in a nurse capacity including nursing supervisor, assistant nurse manager of the emergency department and in her current role as transplant coordinator. Stephanie consistently demonstrates compassion to patients while working to find efficiencies in our work. She is known for her clear communication and sense of humor. Stephanie demonstrated leadership skills this year while we were working short-staffed. She picked up additional tasks, trained new staff members, and directed team members who were helping out to keep patients safe and moving forward in their transplant care.

Sandra Valdez, RN, stroke program
When the stroke program reached out for help delivering stroke education in Spanish, Sandra answered the call without hesitation. Each quarter, Sandra provides stroke education to Spanish-speaking participants in a drug and alcohol recovery program through a local community organization. The participants have diverse backgrounds and education levels, which could be a challenge for some presenters. Watching the participants and hearing their questions, Sandra is helping fill a massive knowledge gap in the community, one class at a time. We could not be more grateful to have Sandra supporting this critical work!

Brenda Wimsatt, RN, surgery
Brenda Wimsatt is a nightshift charge nurse in surgical services. She mentors new and experienced nurses, offering guidance and troubleshooting. Brenda provides feedback to improve care delivery and upholds the Legacy motto of doing what is right, expecting high-quality patient care. She builds supportive relationships with other departments, collaborates on patient admissions, and has been a reliable bedside leader at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center for over 28 years.

Mariah Keane, RN, neuro trauma intensive care unit
Mariah Keane is a nurse that serves on the floor as a staff nurse, ECMO nurse and charge nurse in the neuro trauma intensive care unit. Mariah also spends countless hours educating and providing clinical oversight to new nurses in her role at the University of Portland. Mariah is also the clinical lead for the patient monitoring project, which is replacing all of our monitors. Mariah is an example of how far and wide Legacy nurses are positively impacting the system and the community.