After Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina in September 
2024, Cone Health team members responded, helping ensure 
patients in devastated communities received medical care, 
shelter and supplies. 
•  More than 80 Cone Health nurses traveled to western North 
    Carolina to provide direct patient care support.
•  The Women’s & Children’s Center team at Alamance Regional 
    Medical Center collected diapers, wipes, formula, clothing 
    and blankets. One individual even donated two new 
    chainsaws for clearing debris. 
•  Two Cone Health Emergency Management team members 
    served in key roles. One was a logistics section chief to 
    support statewide resource coordination. The other was a 
    planning section chief for a shelter that housed more than 
    450 people. 
At Alamance Regional, donations for families with babies 
exceeded expectations. Courtney Greene, RN, Maternal Fetal 
Care, and her husband delivered the collected supplies to the 
Newland Fire Department in Avery County. 
“The deployment of Cone Health team members highlighted 
the critical role nurses and health care emergency management 
professionals play during large-scale disasters,” says Thomas 
Gioello, Emergency Management. “The response demonstrated 
the value of coordinated leadership, clinical adaptability 
and strong partnerships between hospitals, emergency 
management, EMS and public health agencies. Cone Health’s 
nursing response represented a significant contribution to 
community resilience and recovery.”
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Standing Together for Western North Carolina
Left: Laurie Braddy, Director of Nursing, Women’s & Children’s 
Center, Alamance Regional, and Courtney Greene, Maternal 
Fetal Care, Alamance Regional. 
RIght: Jennifer Daley, Labor and Delivery, Alamance Regional, 
and Erin McDonald, Labor and Delivery, Moses Cone Hospital, 
were two of the more than 80 Cone Health nurses who 
provided care to patients in western North Carolina. 
How do you support and encourage a nurse? Each year, more 
than 30 nurses from throughout Cone Health bring together 
their insights and creativity to design initiatives that help 
nurses feel appreciated and connected. These nurses are part 
of the Nurse Retention and Enrichment Team (NRET). 
In 2025, the team paired 157 early career nurses with an NRET 
member who offered encouragement and support through 
regular messages and outreach. 
“Often, early career nurses are working the night shift, making 
it harder to connect with others. We wanted to let these 
nurses know they are seen and appreciated,” says Heather 
Koran, MSN, RN, Department Director Labor & Delivery/OBOR. 
“What was remarkable about this activity was that the group 
pledged to keep it up, even if they never heard anything from 
their early career colleagues. This group genuinely loves and 
cares for their fellow nurses and nursing personnel.”
The Nurse Retention and Enrichment Team, which has been 
in place for more than 13 years, also coordinates the annual 
Cone Health Nursing Excellence Showcase. See the Nursing 
Showcase article on page 25. The showcase event features the 
work and initiatives of bedside nurses. 
NRET team members have been tapped multiple times to be 
interviewed by senior leaders for their perspectives and to 
offer overarching recommendations about what might help 
keep nurses in their roles. 
Building Belonging for Early Career Nurses
Nurse Retention & Enrichment Team 
Members of the Nurse Retention and Enrichment Team on the 
day of the 2025 Nursing Excellence Showcase. 
OUR STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE
OUR STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE
5
NURSING IMPACT REPORT 2025

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