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By Terri Hendry 
(Las Vegas, NV) – The Perry Foundation Endeavor Awards recently recognized the state’s top-performing health care facilities and health care professionals working in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Communities with an event at Bear’s Best Golf Resort on June 14.  
 
Two caregivers at the Nevada State Veterans Home (NSVH) in Boulder City received awards.  
 
The Perry Foundation is a non-profit organization that improves the quality of care residents receive in Nevada’s Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Communities by providing education to the health care professionals working in these communities.  
The Nevada Department of Veterans Services partners with the Foundation and others to help facilitate on-going training of health care professionals.  
 
The Endeavor Awards are an annual program, honoring facilities as well as individuals, who excel in providing outstanding care. 
 
This year the 2017 Endeavor Award recipients from NSVH were Corine Watson and Sally Gray.  
 
Corine Watson received the award for “Outstanding Nurse Leader.” According to NSVH Administrator Linda Gelinger, Watson has been a nurse for about 25 years starting her career at the age of 15 as an oncology volunteer nursing assistant. Watson climbed the ranks as an LPN to RN, BSN and now MSN.  
 
Gelinger said Watson has many years of experience in Long Term Care and has held the position of Director of Nursing, Certified Director of Staff Development, MDS Coordinator, Infection Control Manger, Wound Care Nurse, Employee Health Nurse, Unit Manager, and Charge Nurse.  
 
Gelinger said over the past 2 years Watson has been working at the Nevada State Veterans Home, she has had a positive impact on residents and staff. Gelinger said, “I have always been impressed with her diligence and have admired her work ethic.”  
 
Sally Gray received an Endeavor Award for “Distinguished Nurse Educator.” She was nominated by Poppy Helgren, SNVH Director of Nursing. Helgren said Gray is a Registered Nurse who has worked at the Nevada State Veterans Home for more than eight years. Gray started in the MDS department and then advanced to Director of Education where she ensures the education department is always in compliance with the CMS, State, and VA surveys.  
 
Helgren said Gray personally selects all of the educational programs that are required for training in State, Veterans, and Federal regulations that have been identified. Helgren added, “She is always there to educate and train the staff to become a better employee. She also maintains all of the education records for 225 employees making sure that everything is in compliance with all of the requirements. Since Sally has been in her position, she has had no deficiencies with the State, Federal, or Veterans regulations.”  
 
Additionally, Helgren called Gray, “A shining example of a team leader. She is the definition of a cheerful and good-natured person,” adding, “Her personality sets the tone for many of our in-services and trainings. I have great respect for her personally and professionally, she possesses the highest of personal integrity.” 
 
Foundation President Robert Kidd said, “The Perry Foundation promotes quality care by recognizing the top-performing communities and health care professionals,” adding, “We spend a great deal of time, analyzing the needs of the caregivers of which we build educational programs around, all with the goal of improving the quality of care the residents in the buildings are receiving.” 
 
According to Kidd, the Foundation last year awarded more than 2,000 continuing education units to licensed administrators, executive directors, licensed nurses, and social workers throughout Nevada.  
 
The Foundation has also provided hundreds of hours of in-house education and training for health care facilities and communities. In 2016, the Foundation has embarked on a collaborative effort with the Sanford Center for Aging at UNR to bring the Culture Change movement to Nevada.  
 
In addition, the Foundation has been approved for a grant from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare to launch the Nevada Music & Memory Initiative, bringing the nationally acclaimed Music & Memory program to Nevada. This will improve the quality of life for over a thousand individuals residing in Nevada Nursing Homes with Alzheimer’s or other dementia related diseases. 
 
About the Perry Foundation 
The Perry Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-provider-based charitable foundation that, through community awareness and donor support, is committed to providing education to Nevada’s post-acute provider and regulatory community. Through this education, the foundation 
improves the quality of care provided to the residents of Nevada’s post-acute community, which includes skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. For more information, visit: www.PerryFoundationNV.org