Three Dartmouth Health nurses recognized among New Hampshire’s best at annual Excellence in Nursing Awards

From left, Diane M. Stearns, MSN, APRN, Ian B. Kirit, DNP, RN, CEN, and Jennifer B. Osborne, BSN, RNC OB, C-EFM.
From left, Diane M. Stearns, MSN, APRN, Ian B. Kirit, DNP, RN, CEN, and Jennifer B. Osborne, BSN, RNC OB, C-EFM.

As we recognize the amazing contributions of nurses across the country during National Nurses Month, I’m so proud that some of the best nurses in New Hampshire choose Dartmouth Health.

Susan A. Reeves, EdD, RN, CENP

Three nurses employed by Dartmouth Health were recognized among New Hampshire’s best on Wednesday, May 22, at the New Hampshire Nurses Association’s seventh-annual Excellence in Nursing Awards. Presented by New Hampshire Magazine, these awards honor the unsung heroes of the state’s healthcare community—those who go above and beyond to comfort, heal and educate—bringing to light how critical nursing is to achieving comprehensive healthcare.

The award ceremony was held at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. The Dartmouth Health nurses who were honored this year are:

  • Diane M. Stearns, MSN, APRN, an ambulatory nurse practitioner and lead advanced care provider at Dartmouth Cancer Center
  • Ian B. Kirit, DNP, RN, CEN, an informatics nurse specialist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
  • Jennifer B. Osborne, BSN, RNC OB, C-EFM, a clinical nurse educator and perinatal safety nurse in the Birthing Pavilion at Cheshire Medical Center

“Diane, Ian and Jennifer work in diverse areas of the nursing field, but they have one very important thing in common: their commitment to excellence which improves their teams, their workplaces, and the care our patients receive,” said Susan A. Reeves, EdD, RN, CENP, Dartmouth Health’s chief nursing executive. “As we recognize the amazing contributions of nurses across the country during National Nurses Month, I’m so proud that some of the best nurses in New Hampshire choose Dartmouth Health.”

To view the full list of winners and profiles of each honoree, visit https://www.nhmagazine.com/excellence-in-nursing-awards-2024/.

About Cheshire Medical Center

Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) is a Dartmouth Health member providing the communities in the Greater Monadnock Region a continuum of care spanning primary care and specialty medicine, to surgical services and acute inpatient care. For more than 130 years, Cheshire has been a key contributor to the health and vitality of the Monadnock Region. As a not-for-profit community medical center, Cheshire is deeply committed to delivering excellent care in a safe and welcoming environment. Cheshire is dedicated to being a great neighbor and serves as an integral community resource. Cheshire is the area's largest healthcare provider and leading employer. Along with the services delivered on their Keene campus and satellite locations, the Medical Center partners with local organizations to provide vital services and programs throughout the region. To learn more, call 603-354-5400 or visit the Cheshire Medical Center website.

About Dartmouth Cancer Center

Dartmouth Cancer Center combines advanced cancer research at Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, with award-winning, personalized, and compassionate patient-centered cancer care and clinical trials based at the Norris Cotton Cancer Care Pavilion at Dartmouth Health's Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. With 14 locations around New Hampshire and Vermont, Dartmouth Cancer Center is one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Each year the Dartmouth Cancer Center schedules 74,000 appointments seeing more than 4,500 newly diagnosed patients, and currently offers patients more than 240 active clinical trials. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022, Dartmouth Cancer Center remains committed to excellence, outreach and education. We strive to prevent and cure cancer, enhance survivorship and to promote cancer health equity through pioneering interdisciplinary research and collaborations. Learn more at the Dartmouth Cancer Center website.

About Dartmouth Health

Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.