June 1, 2010 (CHARLESTON, SC)— Kathryn Burgio, PhD, presented The National Association For Continence’s (NAFC) premier Shining Star Award to Jeannine McCormick, RN, MSN, CRNP at a dinner event, “Building Bridges: A Program Supporting the Role of Nurses, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in Urology” on Saturday, May 29, 2010. The event, supported by NAFC and funded by Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals was held during the 2010 American Urological Association’s (AUA) annual meeting in San Francisco. Dr. Burgio is Co-Director of the clinic where McCormick works and a former member of NAFC’s Board of Directors.

Shortly after completing her Master of Science in nursing as a family nurse practitioner, McCormick worked for Nursing Solutions as the sole provider of continence care for residents of rural nursing homes in Alabama, working with family members and staff to formulate individual plans of care. Currently, she practices at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Continence Clinic, where she serves as a patient’s “point of entry” healthcare provider and consistently scores in the top of the Press Ganey Satisfaction Surveys undertaken by UAB. “She not only excels at patient and family education but receives stellar teaching evaluations from fellows, resident physicians, and nursing students. For all of her patients, collaborators, and students, Jeannine McCormick certainly is a shining star,” stated Patricia Goode, MD, Medical Director of UAB Continence Clinic.

Nominations for the Shining Star Award were solicited nationwide from among NAFC’s Continence Care Champions – leaders throughout a wide variety of professional societies for their contributions in research, education, and the advancement of clinical practice – now nearly 60 in number and including five organizations. A selection team from the current NAFC Board of Directors selected one individual from the outstanding nominees to receive this award.

This inaugural award was established to recognize an exceptional healthcare professional as a leader in patient care. The Shining Star Award is presented to individuals who are considered a vital component in continence care while working with a team to provide greater medical attentive service to patients.

About The UAB Continence Clinc
Founded in 1992, the UAB Continence Clinic provides multidisciplinary evaluation and treatment for men and women with urinary and fecal incontinence as well as conducting research to improve care for patients with incontinence. Collaborative programs at UAB now include nursing, behavioral medicine, geriatrics, urogynecology, urology, colon and rectal surgery, radiology, and gastroenterology and together offer treatments from behavioral therapy to the latest robotic surgical procedures. Trainees in multiple disciplines receive education at the Clinic on an ongoing basis. UAB Continence Clinic patients find revolutionary new options available, many of which were researched and developed at UAB.