HEART OF HEALTHCARE - NURSE OF THE YEAR WINNERS | 2024 EDITION

This year, River Valley Media Group recognized 10 nurses for excellence in their profession, and this year, we're proud to announce that our own Hayley Read was named the 2024 Nurse of the Year!

Hayley Reed grew up caring for things – family, friends and even animals. But it was time spent visiting the hospital at a young age that convinced her she wanted to someday work there – caring for babies, in particular. And that’s exactly what the nurse of 22 years has been doing at Gundersen. Now, she’s been recognized for her effort as the 2024 La Crosse Tribune Heart of Healthcare Nurse of the Year!

“I have always wanted to be a mom, and I’ve always wanted to be a nurse, so doing both just kind of comes naturally,” Haley told the Tribune. “I think the fact that I have a lot of children kind of helps me connect with families as well when they’re having their second or third babies. I have stories of sibling interactions, and it just makes life kind of more relatable.”

Karine Brueggen is proof that nursing can make an impact on people at any stage in life. For 12 years, she’s helped people struggling with addiction put their lives back together in Gundersen’s behavioral health department. The care and guidance she provides as a nurse makes all the difference for patients, and it’s one reason why she was nominated for the La Crosse Tribune’s Heart of Healthcare Nurse of the Year Award!

“I really like working with the patients and seeing them come into the program, getting them to recovery, and it’s just amazing how their lives change,” Brueggen told the Tribune. “They go back to school, they’re able to find housing and full-time jobs and kind of rejoin the community and get into recovery. The change that they experience is amazing, and I just love being a part of it.”

When Karly Gonnering’s brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was 12 years old, she watched how nurses where there to care for both him and her entire family. That experience left a lasting impression on her, and it helped her decide that she wanted to make a life as a rehab nurse at Gundersen. Her passion for the calling and her ability to make people feel cared for is what earned her a La Crosse Tribune Heart of Healthcare Nurse of the Year nomination!

“I think that’s why I have such a passion for rehab nursing because I’m able to connect with patients in a way because I’ve been there through the process as well,” Gonnering told the Tribune. “It just really hits home and makes me want to give back.”

Help us congratulate these three outstanding nurses plus recognize and thank every nurse making a difference for our patients!