(Philadelphia, PA) - Two nursing leaders from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) -- Jane Barnsteiner, RN, PhD, FAAN and Sarah Hope Kagan, RN, PhD, FAAN -- are the honored recipients of Founders Awards from Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Honor Society of Nursing.

Barnsteiner, who is Director of Nursing Translational Research, was awarded the Dorothy Garrigus Adams Award for Excellence in Fostering Professional Standards and Kagan, who is a Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist, was awarded the Marie Hippensteel Lingeman Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice. The Founders Awards are presented in the areas of technology, media, chapter excellence, research, and leadership.

“For almost 40 years, I have been engaged in developing, implementing and evaluating standards,” says Barnsteiner, who is also a Professor of Pediatric Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. “I am pleased to receive this award and thrilled to have had the good fortune of working with colleagues who recognize the importance of standards in achieving excellence for patients and families. I have truly had a charmed career in nursing.” Barnsteiner, known for her work in pediatric critical care nursing, has been published in professional journals on such topics as nurse practitioners in pediatric critical care, the state of the science on safe medication administration, and medication reconciliation.

Kagan, who is also an Associate Professor of Gerontological Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, stated, “This award is most meaningful to me because it recognizes clinical practice, and my practice at HUP specifically. I believe that receiving the Founders Award will help remind me and my colleagues about what is really important in nursing - providing quality patient care and helping others do the same in the best way possible.” At HUP, Kagan offers advanced nursing consultation to patients, their families, nurses, and physicians on the complex needs of older adults related to their hospitalization for acute or chronic illness. Kagan is also secondary faculty in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery), where she consults on clinical research and the management of patients. Kagan is nationally credentialed as a Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist and as an Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse. Two years ago, Kagan was named a MacArthur Fellow, one of only two nurses to receive this esteemed prize for creative and innovative work in any field.

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PENN Medicine is a $2.7 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn’s School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #4 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System comprises: its flagship hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, consistently rated one of the nation’s “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home health care and hospice.