Six nurses to be inducted into the Washington State Nurses Hall of Fame

SEATTLE – (Jan. 12, 2024) The WSNA Board of Directors has named six outstanding nurses to be inducted into the Washington State Nurses Hall of Fame at a ceremony on March 21.

Established in 1996, the Washington State Nurses Hall of Fame recognizes trailblazing nurses at the pinnacle of excellence — those who have transformed the practice, research, educational opportunities, and governing policies of nursing in our state.

This year, we’re proud to induct:

• Katherine Camacho Carr, PhD, ARNP, CNM, FACNM, FAAN
  Camacho Carr became one of the first Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) in Washington in 1977. As a professor at the Seattle University College of Nursing, she educated hundreds of nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery graduate students and has advocated for the advancement of nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner practice.
• Butch de Castro, PhD, MSN/MPH, RN, FAAN
  De Castro is currently Dean of the Seattle University College of Nursing. His research and teaching reflect his commitment to DEIA, utilizing community engagement approaches in his research and teaching from a health equity and social determinants framework. He serves as vice chair on the King County Board of Health.
• Jennifer Graves, MS, RN
  Graves has spent more than 35 years serving the Pacific Northwest community as a bedside nurse, nurse practitioner, and nursing leader. Most recently, she was on the leadership team at Kaiser Permanente as the Vice President for Quality and Safety in both the Northwest and Washington markets and served as the Regional Chief Nursing Executive in Washington.
• Judi Lyons, RN
  Lyons has worked at Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg for nearly 45 years and served as WSNA President 1993-1997. She has served as a member and leader for the Washington State Council of Perioperative Nurses for more than 25 years.
• Dawn Morrell, BSN, RN, CCRN
  Morrell has been a nurse at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital for over 38 years. She served in the Washington State House of Representatives from 2003-2010 and 2012-2014, advancing policies such as establishing nurse staffing committees in hospitals, ensuring meal/rest breaks, and preventing mandatory overtime. She also serves on the Washington State Board of Nursing.
• Lynnette Vehrs, MN, RN
  Vehrs served two terms as President of WSNA, from 2017-2023, and was on WSNA’s Legislative and Health Policy Council for a decade. Her passion for advocacy at the state and national levels has helped improve nursing practice and the healthcare system. Vehrs worked for decades as a visiting nurse and taught at the Washington State University College of Nursing.

These exceptional nurses will be inducted into the Washington State Nurses Hall of Fame at a dinner and ceremony on March 21, 2024, at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center. Register for the Hall of Fame gala here.