Former President Barack Obama beams from the walls of Rebecca Patton’s office. There are photos of the two sharing a laugh in unguarded moments, and pictures from formal White House occasions.
Most meaningful is a photo of Obama and Patton — then president of the American Nurses Association based in the nation’s capital — attending a bill signing celebration for the Affordable Care Act. The professional organization and the Obama administration worked together to pass the landmark legislation.
“But here’s the cool part. The White House staff had a seat saved for me in the front row,” Patton, 66, recalled. “President Obama used to talk about how nurses are on the front row seat in healthcare — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, holidays included.”
Patton’s nursing career has taken her across the country and all over the globe. Currently an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, she is this year’s Top Nurses Lifetime Achievement Award Winner.
The Plain Dealer, cleveland.com and Advance Ohio are celebrating nurses during its Top Nurses awards ceremony on Sept. 12. Now in its third year, this prestigious event celebrates the vital role nurses play in our communities and public health, whether they work in a hospital or a nontraditional setting.
A panel of judges from The Plain Dealer, cleveland.com and Advance Ohio reviewed 141 nominations and selected 10 Top Nurses Award winners, one Lifetime Achievement Award winner, and one Top Nurses Team Award winner.
Patton is seen as “a true champion of nurses,” said Carol Musil, dean and professor at CWRU’s school of nursing.
“Becky is selective, but very forthright, about her causes,” Musil said. “She aims to inspire. She asks challenging questions. She is not always right but usually willing to negotiate and compromise.”
Read the full article, "A true champion of nurses," on Cleveland.com.