The New Jersey Collaborating Center (NJCCN) hosted the 1st annual George J. Hebert Legacy Award on September 23rd, 2015. This event included board and advisory council members from the NJCCN, board and staff from the New Jersey Board of Nursing (NJBON), staff from Palisades General Hospital and Medical Center, and George’s lifelong partner, Ruben Fernandez who is the Chief Nursing Officer at the Medical Center along with George’s family and friends.
George J. Hebert served the NJBON from 2000 until his death in May, 2015. George also served on the Board of the NJCCN as an ex-officio member since its inception in 2002. As part of the Centers strategic plan, one of its goals was to align the work of doctoral students to the work of the Center. Members of the Board felt that it was important that a grant in George’s name be provided to a student as this was important to George. Dr. Edna Cadmus, Executive Director for the NJCCN states: “ George was instrumental in aligning the NJCCN and the NJBON goals to work in partnership for NJ nurses and the citizens we serve, he will be sorely missed. ”
Therefore the first annual award was given to Yuri Jadotte a PhD candidate in the joint urban systems program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University, Newark. Yuri currently works as a faculty member at Rutgers School of Nursing and School of Public Health. His dissertation topic is: “Understanding the Association between Interprofessional Collaborative Practice and Patient Health Outcomes in Urban Settings: A Mixed Methods Study.” In his study, he will be reaching out to nurses, physicians, pharmacists, public healthcare workers, and dentists in the Newark and New Brunswick areas for his population. This topic aligns with the Centers call for this award to transform the health system through research an innovative model programs.
Other speakers on the program included Dr. Patricia Murphy, President of the New Jersey Board of Nursing. She shared: “ the reason I went onto the board was because of George and his commitment to nursing.” His partner in marriage, Ruben Fernandez described how George lived the standards of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Social Policy Statement and the Code for Nurses with Interpretive Statements every day.” He and his family were truly touched by the outpouring of love from all that participated that day.
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