On Saturday, October 13, 2012, the University of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences will host the third annual Friends of Health Sciences Awards reception, giving the Faculty the opportunity to show its appreciation to the many individuals and organizations who have supported its programs in practice settings.

Each year, the Faculty of Health Sciences recognizes an individual or an agency that has made a significant contribution to health education and research in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Lethbridge.

This year, the Faculty is pleased to honour Jennifer Penner, RN, BScN, as the 2012 Friends of Health Sciences Award recipient.

Penner is a veteran health-care professional with more than 25 years experience as a registered nurse and nurse clinician in a wide variety of settings across Alberta.

Originally from Bow Island, Alta., Penner entered the health-care profession as a multi-award-winning graduate of the Medicine Hat College School of Nursing and began her career in Bow Island, Alta.

Apart from returning to school to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and Critical Care Nursing Certification from the University of Alberta, Penner has spent her career in southern Alberta in a variety of clinical and managerial roles. Most recently, she has led a variety of initiatives that support health-care professionals working with people experiencing chronic heart failure.

In addition to developing a comprehensive educational resource book to help patients and families, Penner has worked on several evidence guided heart failure optimization projects in conjunction with physicians, interdisciplinary care professionals and nursing professionals who worked to transfer evidence into practice and endorse an integrated approach to heart failure care.

As a guest lecturer at the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College, Penner has freely shared her knowledge of the nursing profession and, in her capacity as a mentor to numerous nursing students, has provided valuable advice, employment supervision and preceptorship to the next generation of health-care professionals.

"Through her commitment to advancing health-care practices and knowledge, Jennifer Penner exemplifies the values and vision of the Faculty of Health Sciences," says Dr. Chris Hosgood, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. "We are very proud to recognize her contributions by honouring her with the 2012 Friends of Health Sciences Award."