By: Follow South Jersey Staff
CARNEY’S POINT, N.J. — Salem Community College (SCC) and the SCC Foundation honored two local frontline healthcare workers who have helped save lives and made sacrifices for the community during the pandemic.
Suzy Strang from the Salem Medical Center (SMC) and Sheetal Stewart from Inspira Health were met with a standing ovation by a crowd of 250 Homecoming guests in the DuPont Field House on the SCC campus.
A registered nurse, Strang has worked at SMC for 20 years, the last five in the Intensive Care Unit. During the COVID pandemic, she worked seven days straight for several weeks with only one day off just to return for another six- or seven-day stretch. At one point, she worked for 14 consecutive days.
In addition to caring for the ‘sickest of the sick’ during the pandemic, Strang supported her coworkers, nurses, and healthcare team throughout the pandemic. Highly respected for her deep commitment to patient care, Strang went above and beyond to assist a family from Canada whose loved one was hospitalized with COVID. According to SMC, she set up several FaceTime video calls with the patient and her family as well as phone calls to keep the family informed of every aspect of the patient’s care.
The family was very thankful for the care the patient received during her final days. Suzy received her associate degree from Salem Community College and her RN degree from Cecil Community College. Strang is now studying for her BSN at Wilmington University.
A registered nurse, Stewart has been with Inspira Health since September 2012. Recognized as the Inspira Medical Center Elmer’s Magnet Nurse of the Year for 2021, she is a member of the Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses.
Stewart is very involved in the Shared Governance program at Inspira Health, serving as the unit-based Practice Council chair and the Quality Council chair, and sitting on the Coordinating Council. Stewart is the lead investigator on an Institutional Review Board research study titled, “Associations of eHealth Literacy with Health Promoting Behaviors among Nurses in a Magnet Hospital.”
A recipient of the prestigious Daisy Award for extraordinary nurses, Stewart is known for always puts patient outcomes first and is an amazing patient advocate as well as a great preceptor for new nurses and a mentor for all nurses, according to Inspira.
Recently, Stewart took the lead to quiet her unit by obtaining funds for sound-absorbing ceiling tiles installed above the nurses’ station. This resulted in a 40% reduction in noise levels, according to Inspira.
Nationally certified in Medical Surgical Nursing, Stewart is pursuing a master’s degree at Wilmington University.
- What’s Good In South Jersey? The Water – With Isaiah Showell
- Atlantic County To Offer Free Flu Vaccines In October
- What’s Good In South Jersey? Summer Youth Employment Celebration – With Isaiah Showell
Follow South Jersey provides local journalism which highlights our diverse communities; fosters transparency through robust, localized, and vital reporting that holds leaders and institutions accountable; addresses critical information needs; supports people in navigating civic life; and equips people with the information necessary to partake in effective community engagement. If there is a story or event you think we should cover, please send your tips to news@followsouthjersey.com with “NEWS” in the subject line.
