72 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com MELINDA MALONE, BSN, RN – UNION MEDICAL CENTER Melinda Malone works as a clinical coordinator in Union Medical Center’s Emergency Department. Her duties include data collection, education, audits, mentoring, team building, staff development and optimizing processes to provide safe patient care, among other duties. Malone is also a past hospice nurse and former University of South Carolina Upstate Health Center nurse. She has been a nurse for 29 years, after starting her career as a paramedic. She received her bachelor of science in nursing from Chamberlain University. “I began taking classes while working. With the support of my husband, family and co-workers, I was able to accomplish my dream of helping others. As a nurse, we not only help the patients but provide support to the families, co-workers and our community,” Malone said. She added that part of being a nurse is being a role model and mentor to others. “A special person once told me, ‘When the light shines the brightest, take a step back and let it shine on those around you.’ I would hope that who I am as a person and a nurse is reflected by those around me.” T H E P U L S E O N UPSTATE NURSES HealthLinks Upstate has partnered with KUDZU MEDICAL STAFFING to highlight some of the Upstate’s top nurses. KELLI R. HONEYCUTT COLLIER, BSN, RN – PELHAM MEDICAL CENTER Kelli Honeycutt Collier works as a nurse manager for Pelham Medical Center, as well as in the facility's intensive care unit and in central monitoring. She manages unit operations, reviews policies, manages expenses, coordinates staffing and advocates for patients, families and associates, among other duties. Previously, Collier provided critical care in the ICU and primary bedside telemetry care, worked in the emergency room and handled pre-operative assessments for the postanesthesia care unit. She also has worked as a public health nurse for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, providing compassionate health care to underserved populations. Collier has been a nurse for 12 years, after graduating from the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2010. After seeing her mother’s nursing career – and the impact she made – Collier pursued nursing herself. “My parents always instilled in me to be good to others, to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves,” Collier said. “As I got older, I realized the importance of all the lessons I had been taught. What better way to care and advocate for others than to be in the profession of nursing?” KATHERINE HENDERSON, MSN, RN – UNION MEDICAL CENTER Katherine Henderson works as a nurse at Union Medical Center, where she leads the nursing team. Through her leadership role, she is responsible for implementing processes to provide excellent patient care and facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration. Henderson also mentors and develops associates, optimizes systems and collaborates with associates to improve and promote a culture of service. She previously worked as an Emergency Department director and in quality management and as a women’s and children’s nurse. Henderson has been a nurse for 12 years. She received her bachelor of science in nursing degree from Lander University and her master of science in nursing degree from Western Governors University. She said she first became a nurse to “serve people in their most vulnerable moments” and to “make a difference in others' lives.” ERIN MASTERS, BSN, RN, CMSRN, ONC – PELHAM MEDICAL CENTER Erin Masters works as the spine and orthopedic clinical coordinator at Pelham Medical Center, where she teaches two pre-operative classes that help students learn how to help prepare patients for surgery. Prior to taking that role in 2021, she was a unit educator for Pelham Medical Center. In addition to performing audits and analyzing data, Masters performs postoperative follow-up calls to patients to monitor their progress and prevent re-admissions. Masters graduated from the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2014 with a bachelor of science in nursing degree and has been a nurse for eight years. Experiencing her grandmother’s hospitalization for heart surgery in 2005 and seeing how nurses make a difference fueled her desire to become a nurse. “Being a nurse gives me the opportunity to help people in their most vulnerable and unexpected moments,” she said. Source: Daniel Gross, media and content manager, marketing and public relations. Eight Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System nurses – Katherine Henderson, Kelli R. Honeycutt Collier, Melinda Malone, Erin Masters, Megan Burdette, Tammy Denson, Marie Dyer and Krystel Hannon, have been named recipients of South Carolina’s 2022 Palmetto Gold Award. This honor is given to clinicians who have shown a steadfast commitment to excellence in the nursing field. HealthLinks shines a spotlight on four recipients in this issue. HealthLinks highlighted Burdette, Denson, Dyer and Hannon in the November/December issue.
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