Nursing
Our Stories

May 4, 2017 – Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced its 2017 Nurse of the Year as part of the organization’s National Nurses Week celebration. This year’s recipient is Mary Jane Nicolas Morimoto, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CNS, CCRN-CSC, a Coronary Care Unit/Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit nurse.

Mary Jane was selected as Nurse of the Year for her role as a patient advocate to improve care and outcomes. Going above and beyond the call of duty, Mary Jane holds herself and her peers to the highest standards of evidence-based practice while delivering excellent patient care.

“The RNs at Hoag are an incredible team and we are honored to recognize Mary Jane Nicolas Morimoto as our 2017 Nurse of the Year,” said Rick Martin, Ed.D, MSN, RN, senior vice president, clinical operations and chief nursing officer of Hoag. “She’s a wonderful role model for her fellow nurses and dedicated to the patient-centered care that Hoag provides on a daily basis.”

Caring for patients at Hoag for more than 19 years, Mary Jane is a Clinical Ladder IV nurse and active on several multidisciplinary committees within the organization focused on optimizing patient outcomes and performance improvement. Known for her tireless commitment to her patients and fellow nurses, Mary Jane is a nursing instructor at California State University, Long Beach and a former recipient of the DAISY Award, a national recognition for the work nurses do for patients every day. She was also the recipient of a scholarship from Hoag to pursue her BSN in 2009.

Julia Argyros -- nationally acclaimed philanthropist and devoted Hoag donor who along with her husband, George, have donated $10 million in cumulative giving to establish the Julia Argyros Center for Nursing Excellence at Hoag – attended the annual Nurses Day celebration at Hoag to help honor Hoag’s dedicated nurses and celebrate the impact they have on patient care. The Julia Argyros Center for Nursing Excellence provides funding for continuing education scholarships for Hoag nurses. 

“Last year, Hoag awarded a record 460 scholarships to Hoag nurses and to date this year we have awarded 360 scholarships,” said Martin. “Thanks to the Argyros Family Foundation along with many other donors, we are able to continue investing in nursing education and help Hoag fulfill its commitment to develop, attract and retain the best and brightest nurses seeking the highest level of education.”