Graduates of the North Carolina Baptist Hospital (NCBH) School of Nursing, which was open from 1923 to 1974, have made a difference in the lives of countless patients. Through their generous gifts, they have supported the development nursing excellence here at Wake Forest Baptist Health.

We believe that investing in our nurses is a direct investment in our quality of care for the community we serve. It’s also the best way we can honor the rich heritage of nursing education at Wake Forest Baptist Health. Gifts from our RN alumni help us do just that.

Edna Heinzerling Endowed Award Fund for Nursing Excellence

In 1997, the Edna Heinzerling Endowed Award Fund in Nursing Excellence was established by charitable gifts from our RN alumni to remember the first director of NCBH’s School of Nursing and to recognize the professional achievements of RNs at Wake Forest Baptist Health. Since 1999, the fund has offered an annual award for an RN who exemplifies excellence in nursing practice. Recipients use this award toward continuing education or professional development opportunities.

Thanks to the generosity of our RN alumni like you, the Heinzerling Award provides an annual opportunity for registered bedside nurses to be recognized for their leadership, volunteerism, compassion, integrity, innovation and dedication to the nursing profession.

“I am enternally grateful to the nursing alumni who established the Henizerling Award. The funds were used to augment the cost of completing my master's degree as an adult nurse practitioner (NP), which allowed me to attain my goal as a primary care provider” 

Sarah O’Toole, NP 
2004 recipient