The award honors Mary M. Kontos, a pediatric nurse practitioner and program coordinator at the CF Center at the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, who was deeply committed to the mission of the CF Foundation and played key roles in the Foundation's efforts to advance quality improvement locally and nationally. She passed away in 2012 at the age of 60.
The Kontos Award recognizes the contributions of non-physician members of a care team who demonstrate a passion for excellence and commitment to care of individuals with CF.
The 2014 Kontos Award recipients are:
- Connie Richless, R.N., M.S., adult CF nurse coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh Medical CF care center, and a quality improvement coach with the CF Foundation. Connie has served as a journal reviewer for Critical Care Nurse and as adjunct faculty to the Graduate School of Nursing at the University of Pittsburgh for over 20 years.
- Lynn Feenan, R.N., M.S., pediatric CF nurse coordinator at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center CF care center. Feenan is a certified asthma educator and teaches medical students, residents, nurses, and respiratory therapists. She is a faculty member of the Geisel Medical School at Dartmouth and is a recent recipient of the Robert B. Kerr Award from Breathe New Hampshire.
“Mary devoted her life to caring for and advocating for people with CF in a holistic way,” said Cynthia George, R.N., F.N.P., M.S.N., senior director of patient engagement at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “Today, we are proud to honor Connie and Lynn, two outstanding members of CF care teams who follow in Mary's footsteps and who show devotion and dedication to people with cystic fibrosis and the entire CF community.”