FACES of CARE
Meet nurses who have built careers around helping others
PLUS:
Student nurses share their hopes for the future
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This makes MetroHealth the only hospital in Ohio to receive this recognition. And it’s reflected in how they care for patients every day. Our nurses are trusted to act independently. To make important care decisions in the moment. To focus on what matters most: you. Because at MetroHealth, the true reward is helping our patients feel their best.
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A Community of Care
Cleveland Magazine and the Northeast Region of the Ohio League for Nursing honor the legacy of nursing in our region. Stories by Chrissy Kadleck
For the past 15 years, Cleveland Magazine has made a commitment to telling the stories of Northeast Ohio’s nursing community. These are professionals whose compassion, skill and quiet leadership shape the health and well-being of our community every single day.
What began as a special editorial feature in this magazine has grown into something more. Since 2011, our Faces of Care program, which has been produced in partnership with the Northeast Region of the Ohio League for Nursing the past two years, has evolved into an annual celebration, honoring the nurses, students and educators who go above and beyond in service to others.
The following stories introduce you to this year’s remarkable honorees whose impact extends far beyond the bedside. They are advocates, innovators, mentors and trusted caregivers. We are proud to recognize them here in print and to celebrate them in person at our Faces of Care event on June 20, continuing a tradition rooted in gratitude, respect and a deep appreciation for the vital role nurses play across Northeast Ohio.
Copyright 2026 by Great Lakes Studios. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without permission of Great Lakes Studios. All rights reserved. The Ohio League for Nursing and the publisher are not responsible for errors or omissions. All information is subject to change.
Innovate How Care Works
Traci Ashworth, MSN, RN, CHSE, Program Manager, Simulation & AHA at VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System
For the past decade, Traci Ashworth has been a driving force and national leader behind one of Veterans Health Administration’s most innovative health care simulation programs. A second-career nurse who reinvented herself after years in insurance administration, Ashworth returned to school while raising her two young daughters to pursue work centered on care, service and measurable impact.
“I was drawn to nursing because I really wanted to help people and make a difference,” she says. “You know you won’t reach every single person, but for the ones you do — it’s an incredible feeling.”
Ashworth began her nursing education at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), later earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. And she isn’t done yet. “I just started work on my doctorate in nursing practice this past January at Ursuline College,” she shares. “Nursing is one of those careers where you never stop learning. I’ve never been one for the status quo.”
That commitment to growth and continuous learning is woven throughout her career. As Program Manager for Healthcare Simulation, Ashworth has spent the past decade championing and building — largely from the ground up — a nationally
recognized center that now trains thousands of learners each year.
“What we do in healthcare simulation is replicate real clinical skills and scenarios in a safe learning environment,” she explains. “We use mannequins that can talk, breathe and respond to interventions, along with standardized patients — trained actors — so learners can practice and build confidence before they ever touch a real patient.”
The VA’s simulation center now supports nurses, physicians, social workers, medical students and more. And it’s not just about clinical skills; it’s about communication, teamwork and critical thinking. “The psychological safety piece is huge,” Ashworth says. “We want them to make mistakes here so they don’t make them at the bedside.”
“Simulation lets us give learners that hands on experience with the why behind clinical decisions. When you give them the opportunity to learn in the way they learn best — that’s when the magic happens.”
“Nursing is one of those careers where you never stop learning. I’ve never been one for the status quo.”
TRACI ASHWORTH
One of the center’s proudest achievements is becoming an advanced certified simulation center, the highest designation within the VA, a distinction held since 2018. They also host groundbreaking immersive programs, such as the Dementia Experience, which places learners and even caregivers into the sensory world of someone living with dementia. The impact, she says, is profound.
Innovation continues to shape the center’s future. “We are the very first VA to have an immersive room,” Ashworth notes. “It projects interactive images, teaches heart rhythms, even uses gamification to create an engaging and meaningful learning experience.”
Last year alone, more than 5,000 learners came through the center, completing 14,500 hours of simulation-based education and over 600 sessions. The nurse residency program holds a special place in her heart. “They arrive with a solid foundation
Continued on page 8
The Journey Matters
Nanci Berman, DNP, RN, Associate Professor, Lorain County Community College
Nanci Berman’s journey into nursing began long before she stepped into a classroom or donned a clinical badge. It began in childhood during her mother’s battle with cancer.
“My mom was diagnosed when I was young,” Berman recalls. “I watched how nurses cared for her; how they interacted with our family. That experience is part of my path. It’s what made me the nurse I am.” Her mother died when Nanci was just 11, but the compassion of those nurses left a lasting imprint. “They were present, they asked about us, they cared for the whole family. That holistic approach stayed with me.”
The moment that cemented her future came in high school. “I saw an episode about St. Jude’s when I was a junior,” she says. “I knew right then that pediatric hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant was where my passion was.” She entered nursing school with a single purpose.
Berman grew up in the Cleveland area and earned her associate degree in nursing at Lorain County Community College (LCCC), a place that would later become her academic home. While in school, she worked as a hospice home health aide, an experience that deepened her understanding of compassionate care. “Hospice gives
“My job is to make things better. I didn’t put my patients in these situations, but I’m there to help them through it.”
NANCI BERMAN
you one chance to make it right,” she says. “You meet people where they are in their journey. It’s an honor to be part of that because it only happens once.”
Her early career took her to University Hospitals, first in adult med-surg and renal peritoneal dialysis, and eventually to Rainbow Babies & Children’s, where she found her way back to pediatric hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplant. There, she discovered the emotional complexity and privilege of caring for patients across the lifespan.
“In peds hem-onc, you become whatever that child or family needs,” she says. “For little ones, it might be someone to play dress-up with to make life feel normal. For teenagers, you might be the safe person they can yell at, or confide in or trust in ways that are different from their parents. You hold space for them.”
Colleagues affectionately call her “Susie Sunshine,” and she embraces it. “You can walk through life negative or positive — you’re still going to live each day. My job is to make things better. I didn’t put my patients in these situations, but I’m there to help them through it.”
Berman’s path led her into hospice leadership, then into nursing education and eventually into academia. She became an adjunct faculty member and loved it, later becoming a full-time associate professor of nursing at LCCC. At the same time, she stayed grounded in practice, leaving the bedside in 2023 but still serves as a PRN advice nurse for UH’s Rainbow Advice Center, assisting families across 12 states.
But her journey wasn’t always straightforward. “I failed a nursing course,” she says candidly. “I had to sit out for a year.” But a hospice colleague told her something she never forgot: “This does not define you. This does not determine your future. It’s just a moment in time.” Those words now guide her as an educator. “I
Continued on page 8
Art and Science Connect to Learning
Mary de Haan, MSN, RN, ACNS BC, CNE, Assistant Director, Curriculum, BSN Program, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
When Mary de Haan was growing up, nursing was not part of her plan.
“My mom was a nurse, and I swore I never would become one,” she admits with a laugh. “I thought, ‘You deal with all that gross stuff and needles.’” But while she dismissed nursing as a child, her natural interests were already nudging her in that direction: She loved science, she loved math and she loved teaching others.
“As I got older, I realized nursing was the perfect fit,” she says. “You get the science and problem solving, but you also get to interact with people and teach. That combination just made sense.”
After high school, de Haan enrolled in the nursing program at Ursuline College, discovering almost immediately that it felt right. “Once I got into college and started my BSN, I never looked back,” she says. “I learned quickly what I enjoyed, what I didn’t, and where my strengths were. Everything kept pointing me toward adult medical surgical nursing.”
Upon graduation, de Haan wanted to stay local and work in a community based setting. The timing aligned with a national nursing shortage, and she joined Marymount Hospital in Garfield Heights, caring for a wide range of medical surgical patients.
“Our unit saw a variety of patients,” she says. “We specialized in diabetes and urology, which meant a lot of patient education, and that was something I truly loved.”
de Haan spent 11 years at Marymount, growing from staff nurse to charge nurse. She thrived on teaching patients, mentoring new nurses and collaborating with nursing students who frequently rotated through her unit — all of which reinforced that teaching was in her DNA.
“I think that’s where the teaching spark really took hold,” she reflects. “I loved helping people understand their illness or their medications, and I loved supporting new nurses.”
“You can know everything about a disease, but the real skill is translating that knowledge, either to a patient who’s terrified and overwhelmed, or to a student who’s hearing it for the first time. That’s the art.”
MARY DE HAAN
After more than a decade at the bedside, de Haan began to feel restless. “I kept thinking, ‘I want to go back to school. I want to teach. But I need real experience first.’ I had set myself a goal of 10 years before going into education. By year 11, I knew it was time.”
She took a year to complete prerequisites, then entered the Master of Science in Nursing program at Case Western Reserve University, specializing as an Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) — a role that blends clinical expertise with systems and populations, and education.
While completing her degree, faculty members noticed her natural affinity for teaching and invited her to serve as a teaching assistant and clinical instructor. She accepted, and everything changed.
“When I graduated, they asked if I would stay on,” she says. “And I did. I never left.”
Now in her 26th year at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, de Haan has become one of the school’s foundational educators, known for her compassion, Continued on page 9
The Patient, Nurse and System Work Together
Anne
Kolenic, DNP, APRN, AOCNS, Lead Advanced Practice Provider & Ambulatory Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center
As a little girl, Anne Kolenic dreamed of becoming a brain surgeon. She didn’t know then that life — and loss — would quietly guide her toward a different calling, one defined by compassion, conviction and the profound impact of nursing.
“I always knew I would go into healthcare,” she says. “But when I was 16, I shadowed a friend’s mom who was an emergency room nurse at St. Vincent Charity. I fell in love with nursing right then; everything they did, and everything they were for people.”
That sense of purpose was shaped early in Kolenic’s life. Her father became seriously ill when she was very young and
passed away when she was just nine years old. What stayed with her most was not the hospital itself, but the nurses who cared for her family.
“I’ll never forget — one nurse snuck me up a back stairwell so I could see my dad,” she says. “It didn’t change the outcome, but it changed me. That nurse made the difference, and that moment has stayed with me my whole career.”
That early experience became the compass for a life in oncology nursing, a specialty Kolenic discovered during a sophomore-year clinical rotation at the University of Toledo.
“I didn’t even know what ‘oncology’ meant,” she says. “But I loved the patients. I loved what nurses could do for them, especially back when the prognosis was so tough. Even as a student, their gratitude overwhelmed me. They weren’t treated like a disease; they were treated like people.”
She worked as a nursing assistant on the oncology floor through college, gaining experience that solidified her passion. After graduating in 1992, she returned to Cleveland during a time when nursing jobs were scarce. A scholarship commitment led her to University Hospitals, where she began her long and evolving journey in cancer care that has spanned an impressive 34 years.
Kolenic spent four years in inpatient oncology before moving to the outpatient infusion center, where she stayed for a decade. But even then, she felt a pull toward something deeper: “I loved the advancing science, the new therapies, the constant innovation. Oncology never stops evolving which means nurses can never stop learning.”
Driven by that desire, she pursued her master’s degree at Case Western Reserve University, becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). It opened new doors and a new mission.
“As a CNS, my role is built on three spheres: the patient, the nurse and the system. I realized I could influence not just one patient at a time, but entire teams and structures.”
She began overseeing formal staff education, planning large oncology conferences and developing curriculum. Eventually, she created the first ambulatory CNS role at the Seidman Cancer Center, expanding education across UH’s 12 regional oncology sites.
Today, as Lead Advanced Practice Provider, she manages a team of 16 clinical specialists and educators, guiding nursing practice and professional development across University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
“We don’t do it for recognition — we do it to help someone through the most vulnerable moment of their life.”
ANNE KOLENIC
Continued on page 9
but often uncertainty.. Over the course of a year, we build on that foundation. Seeing that transformation — that growth — is amazing and incredibly rewarding. It all translates into safer patient care.”
Ashworth’s own nursing journey has been just as dynamic. She began in Med Surg/Oncology at Lakewood Hospital, later moving to critical care at Fairview. She also thrived in the fast-paced environment of a freestanding emergency department. Teaching found her unexpectedly when a colleague suggested she’d be great at it.
“I started working as adjunct faculty at Tri-C, and one of the things that I did was help facilitate simulations,” she says. The VA had equipment — but no structured simulation program. “I thought, this is my opportunity to build something.” Today, she leads a team of four and oversees a nationally recognized program.
In 2025, she received the Ohio League for Nursing Innovation Award. “It validated that what I’m doing matters, and that people are noticing the impact.”
For new nurses and future educators, her advice is clear: “Just because we’ve done it that way doesn’t mean it’s the right way. Don’t be afraid of technology or innovation.”
Looking back, she wouldn’t change a thing. “All the career changes I made were the right ones. Each one made me a better nurse and a better person.”
Her measure of success is knowing she’s made an impact. “What we do here truly transforms learning. That brings me great joy.”
tell students the same thing. Everyone has their own journey. Sometimes content needs to be seen twice to build a stronger foundation.”
Seeing her graduates thrive brings her deep satisfaction. “My biggest joy is seeing former students in the clinical setting or online, watching them achieve advanced degrees, specialty certifications, or their dream roles. They put in the work but to know I was part of their journey is incredibly meaningful.”
Now entering her 28th year with University Hospitals, Berman has also steadily advanced her education, earning her BSN, MSN, and finally her Doctor of Nursing Practice — all while raising her two children, Rebecca and Grant, with the incredible support of her husband, Tom.
Berman continues to impact the future of nursing in Northeast Ohio and throughout the state not only through teaching, but through her active leadership. She serves on the Ohio League for Nursing Board, contributes research and publications and hopes to lead LCCC’s developing RN to BSN program.
She emphasizes that nursing is one of the most versatile careers imaginable. “You can work in a hospital, a clinic, an insurance company, in wellness, in research — the opportunities are endless once you have that degree.”
And above all: “Provide grace — to yourself and others. Everyone has their own path.”
TRACI ASHWORTH
NANCI BERMAN
clarity and ability to make complex concepts understandable.
A leader among her peers, de Haan has taught nearly every adult focused BSN course and has served as Assistant Director of Curriculum, faculty mentor and leader among her peers. Her teaching evaluations consistently rank among the highest in the program.
For de Haan, good teaching is where the “art and science” of nursing meet.
“You can know everything about a disease,” she explains, “but the real skill is translating that knowledge, either to a patient who’s terrified and overwhelmed, or to a student who’s hearing it for the first time. That’s the art.”
de Haan is known as approachable, patient, fair and deeply respected — the qualities she considers her greatest professional achievement. As both a seasoned educator and a proud mom of a pediatric nurse at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s, she has a unique perspective on the challenges today’s students face. “The acuity is higher, the technology is more complex, and misinformation is everywhere,” she says. “Students need support more than ever.”
One message she repeats every semester: “You cannot pour from an empty cup.”
“Nursing requires compassion and resilience, but you can’t sustain that without caring for yourself,” she says. “Self care isn’t optional; it’s essential.”
Her philosophy is grounded in gratitude and humility. “Nursing places you with people on their worst day, their best day, and everything in between. It’s a privilege. And teaching the next generation of nurses — that’s a privilege too.”
Her influence, however, extends far beyond UH. Kolenic has held leadership roles in the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation. She has helped shape national educational content as a four-time planner for ONS Congress, including serving as the lead planner in 2016 and speaking before more than 4,000 oncology nurses.
“That was one of my proudest moments,” she says. “Standing on that stage, knowing the work we did would impact nurses across the country and, ultimately, their patients.”
Her specialty areas, including communication skills, palliative care and chemotherapy practice, have made her a sought-after speaker and educator. She teaches leadership to senior nursing students at Case Western, believing that the next generation deserves mentorship and realistic guidance.
“I always tell them: Nursing is hard, but it’s so rewarding. And you have to remember your why. That’s your North Star.”
The field has transformed dramatically since Kolenic first stepped into oncology. “When I started, cancer was still a dreaded word. Today, many cancers are chronic diseases. I’ve watched patients live 20 years with diagnoses that used to mean six months. Precision medicine changed everything.”
Through it all, her purpose has remained steady. “We impact people in ways we may never know. We don’t do it for recognition — we do it to help someone through the most vulnerable moment of their life.”
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Visit our locations in Mayfield Heights and Beachwood, and look for our new location at Boys & Girls Club, Broadway, coming soon.
Learn more at akronchildrens.org/Cleveland
MARY DE HAAN
ANNE KOLENIC
Caring for Tomorrow
ZEINA HAMMOUD
Cleveland State University
When Cleveland State University nursing student Zeina Hammoud took a job as a patient access representative at the Avon Cleveland Clinic Emergency Department during her second year of nursing school, she insisted she would never become an ER nurse. Ironically, that experience is exactly where she discovered her passion for emergency care.
“My desire to care for others is not limited to a certain demographic, condition or individual,” she says. “I want to care for babies that are one week old, the elderly, people with chronic health conditions and those who come in with trauma arrests. I have a desire
to care for everyone.”
After graduation, Hammoud will remain in that very same emergency department, transitioning from her current role to a full-time registered nurse.
“People come into the ER at their worst,” she says, “and I want to help send them away feeling their best.”
MARSHAL CALLAHAN
Kent State University
A desire to serve others began early in life for Kent State University nursing student Marshal Callahan. “From quite a young age, I knew that I liked helping others,” he says.
But it wasn’t until the end of high school that he was exposed to various aspects of nursing through mentors working in areas such as labor and delivery, hospice and elder care, revealing the wide-ranging impact he could have on patients’ lives. And once he began his studies, Callahan quickly discovered his calling in pediatrics.
Throughout his time at Kent, Callahan also served as cofounder and president of MEDLIFE participated in a
medical outreach experience in Lima, Peru, and worked on the medical staff at a childrens’ camp in New Hampshire. “It just brings me a lot of joy to bring joy to other people,” he says.
After graduation, he will begin his career in pediatrics at Akron Children’s Hospital.
CEDRIC MCGHEE
Lorain County Community College
For Cedric McGhee, graduating from Lorain County Community College represents far more than just earning a nursing degree. It honors a dream his mother, who worked for many years as a housekeeper at the college, had for him prior to her tragic passing.
“When I get to walk across the stage in May, I know my mother won’t physically be there,” McGhee says, “but I know that she’ll be proud.”
Throughout the demanding nursing program, McGhee has balanced raising four children, working in the emergency department at the Cleveland Clinic and running a CPR training business, Cape-Less Heroes, with his wife. Through it all, he
has consistently encouraged and supported others, volunteering in the nursing lab and helping classmates prepare for exams, often with his 18-month-old son on his hip.
After graduation, McGhee will begin his nursing career in the MICU at MetroHealth, continuing his commitment to helping others in their most critical moments.
NATHALY MENDEZ
Ursuline College
As a sophomore in high school, family circumstances required Nathaly Mendez to step into a bigger role at home, becoming the primary caregiver for a period of time for her younger brothers while balancing schoolwork and a job. “That experience of taking care of my family made me realize I wanted to take care of others too,” she says.
And as a first-generation American and college student, Mendez has embraced every opportunity to grow, lead and serve during her journey at Ursuline College. Through the Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars program, Nathaly has worked at the Cleveland Clinic while completing her degree, gaining valuable clinical experience.
Experience Excellence in Nursing at Every Level
She has also been very involved on campus, serving as a founding member of the Latino Student Alliance, participating in various student leadership groups, and mentoring future nursing students. After graduation, Nathaly will begin her career as a registered nurse in medical-surgical telemetry at Fairview Hospital.
SKYE MILLIMAN
Cuyahoga Community College
Leadership and service have been a big part of Skye Milliman’s time at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). For the past three semesters, she served as president of the Student Nursing Association, mentoring fellow students while organizing community outreach, volunteer opportunities and fundraising initiatives to help other nursing students participate in international service-learning experiences.
“People look to you for guidance when you’re in a leadership role,” says Milliman. “I love being able to share what I’ve learned and help other students succeed.”
At the same time, she has balanced leadership responsibilities with clinical work as an LPN on the neurological
step-down unit at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, where she is eager to begin her career as an RN.
Looking ahead, Milliman hopes to continue leading and serving others. “The most rewarding part is knowing that even a simple smile or conversation can mean the world to someone. As nurses, how we care for people truly matters.”
ANNABELLE MOORE
Hiram College
Academic excellence and service best describe Annabelle Moore — a graduating senior in the Baccalaureate Nursing program at Hiram College with a 3.95 GPA, earning a BSN and a minor in Biomedical Humanities.
And her impact extends well beyond the classroom.
As senior nursing class representative on the college’s nursing council, she has faithfully attended faculty meetings, advocated for her classmates and served on multiple search committees helping recruit new faculty and prospective students. She also recently received the department’s undergraduate research award for her study on how dietary education can reduce colorectal cancer
recurrence rates. Outside of school, she works as a nursing assistant and plans to begin her career at Hillcrest Hospital in the ICU.
“I never planned to go into healthcare,” Moore says. “But once I started caring for people, I knew this was what I was meant to do. Even making one person’s day a little better
NURSING AWARDS
Traci Ashworth
VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System
Rebecca Baker Cleveland Clinic
Sarah Ballentine
Akron Children’s Hospital
Jane BryanCleveland Clinic
Andrea Gudel The MetroHealth System
Camden HayesCleveland Clinic
Kathryn M. James Cleveland Clinic
Raymond Jontony The MetroHealth System
Anne M. Kolenic University Hospitals
Alexander Nydza The MetroHealth System
Bailey PasturaCleveland Clinic
Victoria Reed The MetroHealth System
EDUCATOR AWARDS
Nanci Berman Lorain County Community College
Mary de Haan Case Western Reserve University
Jessica Krowka Cuyahoga Community College
Carrie Scotto Ursuline College
STUDENT AWARDS
Marshal Callahan Kent State University
Nora Collins Case Western Reserve University
Tofarati Adebise Case Western Reserve University
Zeina Hammoud Cleveland State University
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR 2026 AWARD RECIPIENTS
Cedric McGhee Lorain County Community College
Nathaly Mendez Ursuline College
Skye Milliman Cuyahoga Community College
Annabelle Moore Hiram College
Motivational Moments
Student nurses share some of what drives them.
MY DESIRE TO CARE FOR OTHERS IS NOT LIMITED TO A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC, CONDITION OR INDIVIDUAL.
ZEINA HAMMOUD
“When I get to walk across the stage in May, I know my mother won’t physically be there, but I know that she’ll be proud.”
CEDRIC MCGHEE
Pathways to Becoming a Registered Nurse
• Traditional Nursing Program
• Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse
• Paramedic to Registered Nurse 440-366-4032 lorainccc.edu/nursing
I LOVE BEING ABLE TO SHARE WHAT I’VE LEARNED AND HELP OTHER STUDENTS SUCCEED.
SKYE MILLIMAN
“It just brings me a lot of joy to bring joy to other people.”
MARSHAL CALLAHAN
“That experience of taking care of my family made me realize I wanted to take care of others too.”
NATHALY MENDEZ
EVEN MAKING ONE PERSON’S DAY A LITTLE BETTER MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT. ANNABELLE MOORE
csuohio.us/nursing
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