BCHS Distinguished Alumni Award
The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes and honors alumni for their distinguished personal and career achievements and for their exemplary contributions to society that bring credit to Baptist College of Health Sciences. The award is presented annually at Commencement.
Whether you studied nursing, diagnostic medical sonography (ultrasound), medical radiography, nuclear medicine technology, radiation therapy, respiratory care or healthcare management—at any of the Baptist Memorial Schools or the Baptist College of Health Sciences—if you are a Baptist alum, we encourage you to nominate an individual that you believe is truly worthy of this distinction. You will need to explain why you feel the person should be nominated and include information on his/her professional career, family, and community involvement. A detailed resume or biography must be included.
2009 Distinguished Alumni Award: Beverly Dorsey Jordan
Jordan graduated from the Baptist School of Nursing in 1977. She is currently the vice president of nursing and chief nursing executive for Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation. She has over thirty-two years of nursing leadership with demonstrated accomplishments in quality and safety patient outcomes, fiscal accountability and customer satisfaction. She developed and implemented the Baptist Nursing Leadership Academy in an effort to provide ongoing development for nursing leaders and to ensure planning for future nursing leadership needs. Beverly exemplifies the role of the professional nurse in her current position as a nurse executive at Baptist, as well as throughout the many roles in which she has served during her remarkable nursing career. She takes to heart the responsibilities of a nursing leader including the management of nursing practice, nursing education and professional development, nursing research, and nursing administration. Beverly assimilates the pathways of professionalism... education, practice, research and leadership... into the very essence of her role. She is a lifelong learner as evidenced by obtaining bachelor and master's degrees in nursing; and being active in professional associations including the Tennessee Organization for Nurse Executives and the American Organization of Nurse Executives.
Beverly is committed to professional development as evidenced by her participation in Leadership Memphis, the Baptist Leadership Institute, and Disney University. She developed and implemented the Baptist Nursing Leadership Academy in an effort to provide ongoing development for nursing leaders and to insure succession planning for future nursing leadership needs. Beverly often states, "leaders are readers," as evidenced by an endless book list of "must reads." She is visible throughout the Baptist organization and is a spokes person for nursing, both in the hospital and community setting. She is on the Board of Directors, for Leadership Memphis and Ryan's Hope; recently Beverly was instrumental in leading the way for Baptist to build its first Habitat for Humanity home for a loving family.
Previous recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award include:
2008 Distinguished Alumni: Pamela Heffernan Redden, class of 1971
2007 Distinguished Alumni: Carolyn Cook, class of 1949
2006 Distinguished Alumni: Nancy Crawford Tucker, class of 1975
2005 Distinguished Alumni: Jackie Bridges, class of 1969, Nuclear Medicine; class of 1976 Radiologic Technology
2004 Distinguished Alumni: Dr. Betty Sue McGarvey, class of 1978, Nursing
2003 Distinguished Alumni: Anita Stephenson Vaughn, class of 1973, Nursing
2002 Distinguished Alumni: Mickey Badgett, class of 1953, Nursing
2001 Distinguished Alumni: Cindy Owen, class of 1979, Radiologic Technology
2000 Distinguished Alumni: Carla Sanderson, class of 1979, Nursing
1999 Distinguished Alumni: Denese Shumaker, class of 1960, Nursing