Published on May 18, 2021
Spring Semester Vicki M. Stogsdill Nursing Award Recipient
Yasmani Barragan-Ochoa is this year’s Spring Vicki M. Stogsdill Nursing Award recipient.
Yasmani said his interest in medicine began when he was 21 and in his third year of earning his bachelor’s degree. “My 1-year-old brother was life-flighted from Owensboro Health Regional Hospital to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville,” he said. “After seeing the care the nursing team provided to my brother and our family, I knew that my goal was to become a nurse to give back to my community.”
He graduated with his Bachelor of Biology from Brescia University in 2017 and recently graduated from the University of Louisville School of Nursing as part of the class of 2021.
“I want to work in healthcare because I have seen firsthand the quality of care and the passion that drives nurses to foster and nurture relationships while helping save lives,” he said. “After all, I owe my life to a nurse who delivered me underneath a zapote tree in Mexico.”
Yasmani has worked in the Materials Management Department at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital for three years and now enjoys having the opportunity to work closely with the other staff in the operating room. “I am excited to transition into a role that will put me on ‘the other side’ of things,” he said. “As of May 17, I will be working with my provisional license as an OR nurse.”
The nursing student was honored to win this semester’s award.
“I cannot put into words how humbled I am to receive the Vicki M. Stogsdill award,” Yasmani said. “I was shocked to hear my name announced as the recipient but will be eternally grateful for the recognition. I can only hope to be half the nurse and servant leader that Vicki M. Stogsdill was.”
To Yasmani, this award means he can pursue his dreams of becoming a part of something bigger than himself. “It means that I can help make a difference in the lives of those around me in a community that has offered me innumerable opportunities.”
The award was presented to Yasmani at a virtual Senior Celebration on May 3, 2021.
Learn more about the Vicki M. Stogsdill Nursing Award and the application process.
Find more information about the BSN program.
About Owensboro Health
Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.
On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.