The Foundation for Life Care Planning Research granted its Lifetime Achievement Award to Karen Preston at the 20th
Anniversary of the International Symposium on Life Care Planning held
in Minneapolis in recognition of her dedication and countless
contributions to the field of life care planning.
The
award singles out an individual who has significantly advanced the field
through word and deed by contributing to the body of literature in life
care planning, teaching life care planning, work with patients (applied
life care planning), and advances in the applications of life care
planning and significant improvements in the networking capabilities of
life care planners. The recipient is also acknowledged for maintaining the highest personal and professional ethical standards of the profession.
In
presenting the award to Karen, Sharon Reavis, a member of the editorial
board of the Journal of Life Care Planning, said, "Karen Preston truly
embodies the spirit of this award. She has worked tirelessly and
consistently over many years toward establishing excellence in the field
of life care planning. Her unique skills of leadership, team
building, innovation, persistence and strong character have enhanced all
arenas of our field. Moreover, she has taken on any responsibility, be
it large or small without any expectation of self - aggrandizement. She is always supportive and gives credit to others. We have all benefited from her time and talent."
Karen
received her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Mercy College
of Detroit and her master's degree in the same field from Arizona State
University. She quickly earned her Certified Registered
Rehabilitation Nurse credential shortly after graduating from Arizona
State and became a Fellow of the International Academy of Life Care
Planners in 2000.
She currently is an assistant professor
at Samuel Merritt College in Oakland and Sacramento, Calif. and is an
instructor in the master's degree program case management course and
supervises students in acute and community settings. Since July 1992 she
has been the senior nurse consultant with RNS HealthCare Consultants,
Inc. in Sacramento. The firm specializes in case
management in life care planning services, specializing in occupational
and non-occupational head injury, spinal cord injury, catastrophic
injury and disease, neurological, and orthopedic disorders.
The
lifetime achievement award winner is an invited speaker at seminars
sponsored by professional associations, healthcare agencies, healthcare
product manufacturers and private education provider's prayer. Her
presentations on clinical rehabilitation, rehabilitation concepts, case
management, and life care planning have been made internationally and
she has consulted in Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong.
One
of the first associations to recognize her achievements was the
Association of Rehabilitation Nurses for which she was president of the
national organization in 1993 - 94. She was chairperson of the
International Academy of Life Care Planners, now a section of the
International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals. She was chairperson of that group from 2007 to 2009 and served on its board of directors from 2005 to 2010. Most
recently she has been recognized for the excellence of her work as the
chair of the IARP Life Care Planning Standards of Practice Committee for
the past two years. She is also a member of the IARP Standards
Compliance Review Board and the co-chair of its Code of Ethics Review
Committee. Her work in shepherding the revisions to the 3rd
edition of the Standards of Practice has earned high acclaim from her
colleagues and her presentation about the revisions struck home with the
attendees at the Symposium in Minneapolis.
Carl Wangman,
IARP executive director, said , "Karen is the quintessential volunteer
and I know as an association executive we are blessed to have people
such as Karen willing to give of their time, energy, and commitment for
their profession".
The previous winners of the Foundation of Life Care Planning Research are listed below:.
2003 - PAUL M. DEUTSCH, Ph.D., CRC, CDMS, CCM, LMHC, CLCP
2004 - HORACE W. SAWYER, Ed.D., CRC, CLCP
2005 - ROGER O. WEED, PhD, CRC, LPC, CCM/R, CLCP/R, CDMS/R, FNRCA, FIALCP
2006 - SUSAN RIDDICK-GRISHAM, RN, BA, CCM, CLCP
2007 - PATRICIA L. McCOLLOM, RN, MS, CRRN, CCM, CDMS, CLCP, FIALCP
2008 - JULIE A. KITCHEN, CDMS, CCM, CLCP
2009 - TERRY WINKLER, M.D., CLCP
2011 - WILLIAM R. GOODRICH CRC, CCM, CLCP, ABVE-D, NCC, AAPMF
2013 - DEBRA BERENS, Ph.D., CRC, CCM, CLCP
2014 - KAREN PRESTON, PHN, MS, CRRN, FIALCP
For more information about the Foundation visit www.flcpr.org