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March 28, 2024

Just Announced: The Liota and Marren Award Winners

May 9, 2018

This year’s winners of the Liota Award to Promote Cultural Diversity in Nursing Leadership and the Marren Leadership Award to Promote Evidence-Based Practice & Quality Improvement were announced earlier this week, in celebration of National Nurses Week. These honorees were nominated by their colleagues and selected by a committee of nursing leaders.

The winner of the Liota Award is… Alicia Schwartz, a nurse care coordinator with VNSNY CHOICE MLTC.  And the winner of the Marren Leadership Award is…  Constantine Checa-Gerena, a nurse supervisor with Community Mental Health Services’ Health Home at Risk program.

Alicia Schwartz, RN, MSN, Winner of the 2018 Liota Award to Promote Cultural Diversity in Nursing Leadership.

The Liota Award, named after long-time VNSNY nurse and Acute Care/Queens vice president Marilyn Liota, is awarded each year to help an exemplary VNSNY nurse realize her or his leadership potential. The award provides a $1,500 scholarship for expenses related to nursing studies, continuing professional development, or communication/English language skills development.

For Alicia Schwartz, the award is an affirmation of her leadership on multiple fronts. As a CHOICE MLTC care coordinator, she is “a natural giver and doesn’t have to think twice before extending herself to others,” says one of her CHOICE MLTC colleagues. Her other job-related activities include attaining the credentials of Master of Science in Nursing, Certified Case Manager (CCM), and Population Care Coordinator (through a collaboration between VNSNY and Duke University), as well as authoring numerous VNSNY health-advice articles for local publications. In addition, Alicia represents VNSNY’s nurses as the Manhattan representative of the Federation of Nurses and is a delegate for its parent organization, the United Federation of Teachers.

“I’m humbled to get this award,” says Alicia, “when there are so many people doing such good work at VNSNY.” In fact, supporting those around her is something that Alicia is known for. “She is always encouraging nurses to attend professional development and other similar programs, which has empowered many nurses into taking their careers to the next level,” notes her CHOICE colleague. “To the VNSNY community and members, she has counseled, healed, lifted, and loved.”

Last fall, these qualities led Alicia to spend a week volunteering in Puerto Rico, aiding the recovery effort following the devastation of Hurricane Maria. She was nominated for Healthcare Professional of the Year by the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) for her work. Alicia lived in Puerto Rico as a teenager and college student, and is fluent in Spanish. In a Frontline article, she spoke about her experience visiting small villages where residents were cut off from food, water and essential medications. “We’ve gone through a lot and seen a lot,” she said. “The amount of staff we have is very small, but these people need our help, they need to know someone is here.” Today, a half-year later, she adds, “people still need to know that.”

Constantine Checa-Gerena, RN, BSN, Winner of the 2018 Marren Leadership Award to Promote Evidence-Based Practice & Quality Improvement

The Marren Leadership Award, named for Joan Marren, former Chief Operating Officer of VNSNY and President, VNSNY Home Care, provides a $1,000 scholarship per year of study for a master’s in nursing or other nursing-related advanced degree. The award can be put toward the cost of educational supplies, transportation, lab and consultation fees, and other school-related expenses not covered under VNSNY’s Tuition Reimbursement Program.

In the seven years that Constantine Checa-Gerena has been at VNSNY, she has been a Behavioral Health public health nurse and a team manager in the Behavioral Health Program. In her present position, Constantine helped develop CMHS’s Health Home at Risk program in Brooklyn and now supervises the program’s team of health coaches working with at-risk community members. “She provides her skills to enhance each employee’s talents, and has demonstrated a unique quality of managing interpersonal conflicts,” notes one of Constantine’s CMHS colleagues.

Later this month, Constantine will complete her master’s degree in nursing—the latest step in an educational path that has seen her earn a bachelor’s in nursing as well as certifications in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and Gerontological Nursing, and also complete Duke’s Population Care Coordination program—all while working full-time at VNSNY and raising a child. “I’m excited and honored to join the Marren Award winners from past years,” says Constantine. “VNSNY has an amazing group of leaders, and I’ve benefited greatly from them.” She will use her scholarship to take a course this fall in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy—an approach used to process traumatic memories. “I look forward to using these skills to improve my practice as a nurse, a supervisor, a colleague, and most importantly, as a person,” she adds.

Congratulations, Alicia and Constantine!