Southeast Georgia Health System recently celebrated Certified Nurses Day with a MaeLil Scholars pinning ceremony to recognize four registered nurses who have earned specialty certifications. The Health System nurses honored during the ceremony were June Joyce Abejuela, BSN, RN, CMSRN; Ashtyn Bobbey, BSN, RN, CMSRN; Alisa Martin, RN, CEN; and Ericka Angela Pagote-Chan, BSN, RN, CMSRN.
Chief Nursing Officer Cynthia Gamache, DBA, RN, with MaeLil Scholars honorees Ashtyn Bobbey, BSN, RN, CMSRN, Alisa Martin, RN, CEN, and June Joyce Abejuela, BSN, RN, CMSRN, MaeLil Scholars Program founder Diana Mather Murphy, and Valerie Hepburn, Ph.D. of the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation.
The MaeLil Scholars Program grant is made possible through the generosity of the MaeLil Charitable Fund, a Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation component fund established by Reg Murphy (son of Mae) and Diana Mather Murphy (daughter of Lil). Designed to enhance clinical skills and quality care while minimizing barriers to specialty certification and advancement, the MaeLil Scholars Program offers support to nurses participating in certification exam preparatory courses.
Addressing the nurses, Diana Mather Murphy stated, “Our mothers were great caregivers and very passionate about education. In honor of their persistence, grace, and achievements, and in recognition of the exceptional work you do every day as nurses and how important you are to the health of our community, Reg and I are very pleased to recognize you for your dedication to professional development.”
Certified Nurses Day™ is an annual day of recognition for and by healthcare leaders dedicated to nursing professionalism, excellence, recognition, and service. On this day each year, employers, certification boards, education facilities, and health care providers celebrate and publicly acknowledge nurses who earn and maintain the highest credentials in their specialty. It’s an occasion to honor nurses worldwide who contribute to better patient outcomes through national board certification in their specialty.
June Joyce Abejuela, BSN, RN, CMSRN, is an international registered nurse from the Philippines and has worked at the Health System’s Brunswick Campus since 2021. Abejuela received the Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse certification in December 2023.
Originally from Leesburg, Georgia, Ashtyn Bobbey, BSN, RN, CMSRN, joined the Health System in 2013 as a nurse on the Orthopaedic & Spine Center medical-surgical unit. She currently serves as the team leader for Clinical Education in the Team Member Education department. Bobbey obtained her Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse certification in 2022.
Alisa Martin, RN, CEN, brought her passion for emergency nursing to the Health System in 2013. After training and precepting dozens of new nurses in the Emergency Care Center, Martin obtained certification as a Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) instructor. In 2023, Martin joined the Team Member Education department as a Critical Care instructor and furthered her skills by earning her Certification in Emergency Nursing.
MaeLil Scholars Honoree Ericka Angela Pagote-Chan, BSN, RN, CMSRN.
A registered nurse born and raised in the Philippines, Ericka Angela Pagote-Chan, BSN, RN, CMSRN, joined the Health System during the COVID-19 crisis in 2021. A clinical leader on 5 St. Simons Tower, Pagote-Chan earned her Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse certification in 2023.
“We are very grateful to Diana and Reg Murphy for their generosity and passion for advancing the nursing profession through education,” said Cynthia Gamache, DBA, RN, chief nursing officer, Southeast Georgia Health System. “The MaeLil Scholars program, which was created in honor of each of their mothers, offers nurses a great opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills. We commend June, Ashtyn, Ericka and Alisa for going the extra mile to better serve our patients, community and team members.”
Southeast Georgia Health System is a not-for-profit health system comprised of two acute care hospitals, two long term care facilities, two Cancer Care Centers and multiple specialty care centers, including orthopaedic and spine care, joint replacement, breast care, maternity, outpatient rehabilitation, sleep management and wound care. The Brunswick Campus Cancer Care Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and is one of the few centers in Georgia to offer CyberKnife® M6 with MLC. Additionally, the Brunswick Campus is accredited by The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center and the Camden Campus is accredited as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital. The Southeast Georgia Physician Associates medical group includes more than 160 providers working in 20 different medical specialties at more than 50 locations. The Health System is part of Coastal Community Health, a regional affiliation between Baptist Health and Southeast Georgia Health System, a highly integrated hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. For more information, visit sghs.org.
