Members from Long Island's hospitals gathered recently at the Woodbury Country Club for Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council's Annual Nurse of Excel­lence Award Ceremony. One nurse from each of the Hospital Council's member hospitals was nominated for this prestigious award, which recognizes out­standing leadership and clinical practice in the nurs­ing profession.

Roseann DeLuca, RN, BSN, was Good Samari­tan Hospital Medical Center's nominee. DeLuca has been a Good Samaritan employee for more than 20 years. Bariatric nursing is her specialty and passion. She is an advocate and resource for all bariatric pa­tients

and coordinates the Medical Center's Bariatric Support Group. In addition to her role as bariatric coordinator, DeLuca also serves as weekend house supervisor and editor of Good Samaritan's nursing newsletter, Nurse Matters.

DeLuca currently resides in West Islip with her husband, Kriss and their children Kristen age 16, An­thony age 14 and Justine age 11. In 2006, Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center was named a recipient of the Magnet Award for ex­cellence

in nursing services by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The designation was the result of a rigorous evaluation that included ex­tensive interviews and reviews of nursing services, clinical outcomes and patient care. It's one of the highest levels of recognition a hospital can achieve.