<em>Photo above: Nancy Fu and Shawna Doran</em>

Two Beaufort Memorial Hospital (BMH) nurses have received the Palmetto Gold Award, a designation bestowed by the South Carolina Nurses Foundation to honor the state’s 100 top registered nurses.&nbsp;

The presentation was made at the 16th Annual Palmetto Gold Gala held April 22 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.&nbsp;

Nancy Fu, nursing director of the hospital’s fifth floor medical/surgical unit, is being honored for her dedication and commitment to promoting a culture of patient safety. Her nursing unit has earned a number of citations, including the South Carolina Hospital Association’s Zero Harm Award for achieving 100 days with no acquired pressure wounds.&nbsp;

The unit also received BMH’s Shining Star Award for best infection prevention and a certificate of achievement for being in the 80th percentile for patients’ overall rating of the hospital.&nbsp;

Outside of her job at BMH, Fu works with her congregation’s women’s ministry on a number of outreach programs, including the Franciscan Center for migrant workers, Red Cross shelters and Family Promise for displaced families. Most recently, she hosted two Ugandan children in her home.

Shawna Doran, BMH corporate director of quality, also earned a Palmetto Gold Award for making huge strides in enhancing patient care. Her evidence-based quality improvement initiatives helped the hospital achieve an “A” rating from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades and the only four-star score among area hospitals in Hospital Compare, a federal program offering information about the quality of care at more than 4,000 Medicare-certified hospitals across the country.&nbsp;

Last year, Doran represented the South Carolina American Heart Association on Capitol Hill, successfully advocating for $3 billion in funding for heart and stroke research at the National Institutes of Health. In addition, she lobbied senators and state representatives for nutritious lunches for South Carolina students.

Like Fu, she also is actively involved in the community. She has worked in the Washington Park soup kitchen, volunteers with the Annual Beaufort Water Festival and the Beaufort County Healthcare Community Outreach program.