Fox Chase - East Norriton Nurse Receives 2023 Nursing Legend Award From Main Line Today

Valerie Huron
Valerie Heron, RN, BSN, OCN, a nurse at Fox Chase Cancer Center – East Norriton was recently named a Nursing Legend by Main Line Today in its May 2023 issue.

PHILADELPHIA (April 25, 2023)—Valerie Heron, RN, BSN, OCN, a nurse at Fox Chase Cancer Center – East Norriton, was recently named a Nursing Legend by Main Line Today in its May 2023 issue.

“This distinction is a great honor not only for Valerie and the East Norriton campus, but all of Fox Chase Cancer Center. The fact that Valerie was one of six nurses in the area singled out for this award underscores the fact that Fox Chase nursing offers excellence across the board and is a testament to the work that our nurses do,” said Anna Liza Rodriguez, MSN, MHA, RN, OCN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Nursing and Patient Services at Fox Chase.

Main Line Today recognized nurses from across the region with the Excellence in Nursing Awards in the issue. Some 200 nurses from Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties were nominated by their peers in a variety of specialties. The final list was reviewed and edited by the Main Line Today editorial staff. The Excellence in Nursing program also honored six Nursing Legends, including Heron, for their extraordinary contributions to healthcare.

In addition to the Nursing Legend award, Heron has received an Excellence in Nursing Award, as did five other Fox Chase – East Norriton nurses. Those nurses are:

  • Kimberly Berman, RN, BSN, OCN
  • Nicolas Hoover, RN, BSN, OCN
  • Carol Shellock, RN, BSN, OCN
  • Christa Shine, BSN, RN
  • Maureen Sims, RN, BSN, OCN

Main Line Today is proud to acknowledge and honor these unheralded caregivers who serve our community,” said Marian Conicella, the magazine’s publisher. “And as one of our Nursing Legends expressed, we hope all nurses continue to be embraced as the professionals that they are.” Main Line Today is a regional magazine focusing on Philadelphia’s suburban Main Line and western suburbs.

The honorees serve in various capacities, ranging from education and independent care to staff positions at multiple facilities throughout the Main Line and western suburbs region. The six nursing legends are honored for their lifetime achievements in areas including research, oncology, hospice, subacute rehabilitation, emergency care, and higher education.

Fox Chase’s East Norriton facility opened in May of 2018 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and offers access to Fox Chase’s specialized team of surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, hematologists/oncologists, and genetic counselors in a community setting, allowing individuals to be treated closer to home.

On Wednesday, May 17, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., Main Line Today will celebrate these outstanding nurses and six Nursing Legends at the Desmond Hotel Malvern with an elegant in-person event. The evening will include cocktails, dinner, and live music. Contact [email protected] for more information on the awards reception.

Fox Chase Cancer Center (Fox Chase), which includes the Institute for Cancer Research and the American Oncologic Hospital and is a part of Temple Health, is one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase is also one of just 10 members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence six consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. It is the policy of Fox Chase Cancer Center that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

For more information, call 888-369-2427