Emergency Nurses Association Honors Two Baptist Health Nurses

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –  The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) chose two Baptist Health nursing leaders to receive major national accolades as part of its annual awards.

Nycole Oliver, DNP, a nurse practitioner at Baptist Health in Fort Smith, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Judith C. Kelleher Award—the ENA’s highest individual honor. The award, named for one of the ENA's co-founders, is presented annually to an ENA member who has consistently demonstrated excellence and made significant, lasting contributions to the field of emergency nursing. For Oliver, the award marks a pinnacle achievement in her 25-year career.

"I’m one of those people that when I set my mind to something, it’s absolutely going to happen," Dr. Oliver said. "We don’t do this to get accolades or any recognition. We get into this to help people. This is a reflection of persistence, and I think everyone possesses that inside themselves."

Neko Gilbert, BSN, RN, assistant nurse manager of the Emergency Department at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock, has been honored with the national ENA Nurse Leader Award for her exceptional leadership, innovation, and a distinct commitment to advancing the practice. Gilbert brings nearly two decades of diverse experience to her role spanning emergency care, critical care, transport nursing, and education. True to her leadership philosophy, Gilbert emphasizes collaboration over individual recognition.

"My greatest accomplishment is not the awards I have received, but the people I have been fortunate enough to meet, support, and grow alongside throughout my nursing career," Gilbert said.

Oliver, Gilbert and this year's other honorees will be officially recognized in front of their peers during the Emergency Nursing 2026 conference, taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1.

About Baptist Health

For more than a century, Baptist Health has delivered all our best in health care through Christian compassion and innovative services. Baptist Health, Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization, is here For You. For Life. – with more than 300 points of access that include 12 hospitals; urgent care centers; a senior living community; over 75 primary and specialty care clinics; a college with studies in nursing and allied health; and a graduate residency program. It is also the largest private not-for-profit health care organization based in Arkansas, providing care through the support of approximately 12,000 employees, groundbreaking treatments, renowned physicians and community outreach programs. Baptist Health is certified as a Great Place to Work and is honored by Newsweek as one of America’s Most Admired Workplaces 2026. For more information about Baptist Health, visit Baptist-Health.org, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or download the myBaptistHealth app. Find us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.