2022 AWARD WINNERS

WE’RE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE 2022 AVA IMPACT AWARD WINNERS!

Thank you for your exceptional leadership within your organization and your contributions to vascular access in your community.

TARA LYNN SHEVLIN FAIN, BS, RN, VA-BC™

KRISTIN K. JACOBS, MBA, MSN, RN, VA-BC™ DAVID M. MARKLE JR., RN, VA-BC™, EMT-B

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2022 JANET PETTIT SCHOLAR!

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MARY BETH HOVDA DAVIS, MSN, RN, VA-BC™

The Association for Vascular Access (AVA) created the Dr. Janet Pettit Scholar recognition to honor and commemorate outstanding contributions to the art and science of neonatal and pediatric vascular access. Dr. Pettit epitomized the mission and values of our organization. This year AVA and the Pediatric Neonatal Special Interest Group (PediNeoSIG) recognizes Mary Beth Hovda Davis, as the 2022 Dr. Janet Pettit Scholar.

Ms. Davis is a Nursing Practice Leader for the Pediatric Vascular Access service at The University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, where she has practiced for 15 years. From the national and global perspectives, Ms. Davis has led the cutting edge of pediatric vascular access education and practice with pacesetting publications. As the lead author on the position paper for minimum education and training for pediatric and neonatal intravenous insertion, she provided the foundation for AVA to develop a foundational eLearning course, a first in this specialty. She has collaborated globally to explore vascular access practice in children and changed practice to reduce patient harm through her distinct scholarly contributions. She has shared her research and practice innovations through numerous national and virtual presentations. Her nursing and professional achievements have been recognized through scholarships and awards including being named a Corridor Business Journal Forty under 40 Honoree.

As a former PediNeoSIG Chair, PediNeoSIG Liaison for the AVA D-Team, current PediNeoSIG Chair Advisor, and engaged PedNeoSIG member for 14 years, Ms. Davis has provided visionary leadership for pediatric and neonatal clinicians in the area of vascular access with an extraordinary heart for collaboration and mentorship.

In honor of the life work of Dr. Janet Pettit, please join AVA and the PediNeoSIG as we congratulate Ms. Mary Beth Davis as the 2022 Dr. Janet Pettit Scholar.

JOIN US IN CONGRATULATING STEPHANIE PITTS FOR BEING THIS YEAR’S HERBST AWARD WINNER

STEPHANIE PITTS, DNP, RN, CPN, VA-BC™ , NEA-BC

The Association for Vascular Access (AVA) congratulates Stephanie Pitts, DNP, RN, CPN, VA-BC, NEA-BC on being the 2022 recipient of the Suzanne LaVerre Herbst Award for Excellence in Vascular Access.

The highest honor bestowed by AVA, the Herbst Award is granted annually to a member exemplifying AVA’s mission, including being a recognized expert in vascular access, for making significant contributions to the art and science of vascular access, and for positively affecting patient outcomes in vascular access.

Throughout her career, Dr. Stephanie Pitts has been a leading innovator in Pediatric Vascular Access, designing products and programs aimed at improving knowledge and efficacy in the field of vascular access. Stephanie developed and implemented the Vascular Access program at St Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, contributing to improved quality of care. As an industry leader, Stephanie has enhanced clinical vascular access expertise in medical device sales through the development of evidence-based clinical education and support programs at two international medical device companies. Finally, Dr. Pitts has been a leader in collaboration, connecting industry and clinical leaders to develop evidence-based vascular access education aimed at improving outcomes.

Dr. Pitts has published within the Journal of the Association for Vascular Access (JAVA) on pediatric ethanol locking and pediatric vascular access program best practices, as well as two AVA position papers. Additionally, Stephanie contributed to the miniMAGIC study on appropriate pediatric device selection in collaboration with the AVATAR group. Most recently, she co-developed the minimum competency guidelines for pediatric PIVC insertion and care. Her DNP project was a continuation of this work, developing these guidelines into online modules. This will change the way we educate and provide pediatric vascular access care.

Stephanie has been an active member of AVA since 2008, and served on the board of directors from 2018-19. She is also a member of GulfVAN, serving as their president from 2009-2013. Most notably, she helped to develop AVA’s Pediatric Special Interest Group (SIG) and served as the SIG president from 20132016. Dr. Pitts has also presented at every AVA consecutively since 2010. 19