Annie Stevens, who has been a nurse at Greenwood Center on Main Avenue for more than 20 years, was surprised May 10 when she was presented the Optum Care Plus (a division of United Health) Nurse Excellence Award. Stacy Prisco, admissions director at Greenwood, described Stevens as taking a lot of time to get to know patients and working with them. “She’s always very involved, very welcoming and always is part of the team,” she said. The award was created in 2014 as a way for the Optum Clinical Team to acknowledge outstanding nursing home staff members in their care for our mutual patients. Nominees and past award winners have demonstrated strong collaboration with the Optum nurse practitioner/physician assistant in their facility in caring for this fragile, medically complex population. Award winners have also been strong advocates for our shared patients, striving to support patient autonomy and honor patients and their family members’ wishes, demonstrated a high level of performance delivering care in a competent and compassionate way and have been receptive to innovation and change, especially with incorporating evidence-based geriatric treatment guidelines. Presenting the ward at left is Michelle DeBest of Optum. (Warwick Beacon photo)