NRAA announces winners of annual awards, creates new scholarship

BOSTON — At its annual meeting last week in Boston, the National Renal Administrators Association announced the winner of its annual Mark Zawiski Memorial Award, of the Maureen Michael Honorary Scholarship and the creation of a new scholarship in honor of a long-time administrator and former NRAA president.

Becky Berg, director of dialysis at Sanford Health, won the Maureen Michael Scholarship. The scholarship was established in 2010 when Maureen Michael, a founding member and past president of the NRAA retired from Central Florida Kidney Centers. It is awarded annually to an outstanding NRAA committee member and provides financial support for attending the annual conference.

Lee Spodnick, who is with the Renal Purchasing Group, was the recipient of the Mark Zawiski Award for Outstanding Leadership for her work with the NRAA board. The award has been presented annually since 2000 to an individual who has exemplified leadership to the kidney and dialysis industry. Spodnick has “been a leader in our industry and a voice for the independent provider,” Debbie Cote, MSN, RN, CNN, NE-BC, said as she presented the award.

The NRAA board also announced the creation of the “Anthony Messana Day on the Hill Scholarship” for Messana’s contributions to the organization. He is a former NRAA president who recently retired as administrator of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Renal Center in Orange, California. – by Mark E. Neumann

Reference:

Awards session. Presented at the National Renal Administrators Association Annual Meeting; Oct. 17-19, 2018; Boston.