This year’s winner of Pine River’s annual staff recognition, the Nancy Hamm Award, is nurse Cole Winegarden!
The Nancy Hamm Award is based on nominations from staff and celebrates the dedication and resilience of our incredible team members.
“Cole is an integrated member of the PRI community that wraps around our youth outside of his nursing role,” a colleague shared in the award video. “Cole has a presence and will recognize when additional support is needed. He is an excellent role model to our kids.”
Cole was surprised and emotional when his name was announced during the staff retreat. Check out his reaction in this video clip!
“So many people do such great work here and really deserve it, and I just really appreciate all the nominations for myself,” said Cole. “It was a lot of emotion, a lot of happiness, disbelief, and yeah, it was great!”
Cole joined Pine River in the summer of 2021 and has worked as a nurse for nearly a decade. His career includes time as a trauma and acute care nurse at Hamilton General and four years as an orthopedic and medical/surgical nurse in Thunder Bay.
While Cole values his experience in hospitals, he finds working with Pine River’s students especially rewarding.
“Working with the students has been amazing—it’s a different kind of work than I was used to in the hospital, where your patients change every day,” said Cole. “Here, you spend a lot more time with them. You see their growth over a longer period and watch them transition and grow into adults.”
At Pine River, the nursing team plays a key role in supporting students’ health and well-being. Nurses collaborate with the clinical team to provide integrated care, share health information, administer medications, and offer education on health issues, medication management, and healthy lifestyles. They’re also on hand to provide first aid and respond to medical needs on campus.
But for Cole, the most fulfilling part of his job is connecting with students in meaningful ways.
“That’s where the cup-filling stuff comes in,” he said. “Here, I can eat meals with them, play volleyball, talk about their hobbies or interests, and just watch the kids be kids. It’s one of the few jobs I’ve had where I’m excited to go to work and leave feeling proud of the day I’ve had.”
The Nancy Hamm Award is named after Nancy Hamm, who has provided outstanding volunteer leadership to Pine River Institute and Pine River Foundation for many years.
Congratulations, Cole, and thank you for your incredible contributions to our community!