For immediate release: March 24, 2006

GALVESTON, Texas — Gail Kwarciany, a clinical educator at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is the 2006 recipient of the Oncology Nursing Society Pearl Moore “Making a Difference” Award. The award recognizes the contributions of registered nurses to the oncology nursing profession at local and regional levels.

In 2004, Kwarciany played a leading role in establishing an inpatient unit specializing in the care of incarcerated hematology/oncology patients in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice hospital at UTMB. Kwarciany converted what had been an inpatient medical surgical unit into a medical oncology unit to meet patient needs. She trained all 22 nurses on the TDCJ oncology unit.

“To say I was shocked to receive this award would be an understatement,” Kwarciany said. “Recognition by the Oncology Nursing Society is truly the pinnacle, and I am humbled that they would have selected me to receive the award this year, even more so since this is the last year of Pearl Moore’s service to ONS.”

“Often it seems that few people care about prisoners who are suffering with the burden of cancer or the nurses who dedicate their career to providing treatment and support to this population,” Kwarciany said. “It really has been a privilege and an opportunity to work with these patients and their nurses.”

Kwarciany, an employee of UTMB since 1992, is an active member of ONS, past president of the ONS Galveston Bay Area Chapter, and coordinator for the ONS Management and Program Development special interest group. She also is a member of the Canadian Association of Oncology Nurses, Infusion Nurses Society, American Nurses Association, Texas Nurses Association and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Kwarciany received her diploma in nursing from Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, and her bachelor of science in nursing degree from the School of Nursing at UTMB.

ONS is a professional organization of more than 33,000 registered nurses and other healthcare providers dedicated to excellence in patient care, education, research and administration in oncology nursing. It is the largest professional oncology association in the world.

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
UTMB Media Hotline (409) 772-NEWS
John Koloen: (409) 772-8790 jskoloen@utmb.edu