Five Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System nurses are among the top 100 nurses in South Carolina. 

Nurses Jennifer Vigodsky, Rebekah Preston, Danika Moore, Shana Green and Sheryl Lassiter are among this year’s Palmetto Gold award recipients, recognized for their commitment to excellence in nursing, demonstrated leadership and quality patient care. 

Jennifer Vigodsky, MSN, RN 

Jennifer Vigodsky has worked as the nurse manager of the five Heart Failure Clinics and Mobile Integrated Healthcare-Community Paramedicine Program for the past two and a half years. In that role, she helps reduce hospital admissions and emergency center visits and focuses on social determinants of health and providing extensive heart failure education to patients. 

Vigodsky became a nurse in 2011 after working in finance for 14 years. After working in the inpatient setting, she began working in heart failure in 2019 when she transferred and became the first heart failure nurse navigator. In this role, she became responsible for following up with patient seven days post discharge, in line with the American Heart Association's "Get with the Guidelines Quality Metrics. 

“Nursing fulfills my passion for helping those in their time of need and helping patients navigate the complex healthcare system. With my finance background, I understand the importance of data and reporting, which has assisted me in the growth in the heart failure clinics and providing heart failure services in rural areas such as Union and Cherokee County,” Vigodsky said. 

Rebekah Preston, BSN, RN 

Rebekah Preston currently works as a charge nurse for the third and fourth floors at Pelham Medical Center, acting as a resource to nurses providing direct patient care. As a charge nurse, she is responsible for ensuring nurses follow policies and procedures by maintaining patient safety. She also currently chairs the evidence-based practice committee. 

She was first inspired to become a nurse through her mother sharing her own experience as a nurse over the years. 

“I've always felt that I'm a compassionate person, and I enjoy having the ability to build relationships with patients by helping them through difficult times in their lives,” she said. “I enjoy watching patients progress through the milestones that get them to discharge. I also enjoy knowing that I get to be the one to provide comfort to patients and their families in their times of need.” 

Danika Moore, BSN, RN 

Danika Moore currently works as a nurse manager overseeing Pelham Medical Center’s medical surgical ortho unit, resource pool and overflow unit and has held this role fortwo and a half years. 

As a nurse manager, she collaborates with leadership in developing and implementing Spartanburg Regional’s culture, mission, vision and values. Specifically, she communicates with staff, patients, families, physicians and others to ensure quality care is being provided to patients throughout their stay in the hospital.  

Moore began her career as a new grad RN in 2012 at Spartanburg Medical Center then transferred to Pelham Medical Center in 2015. 

“Nursing is a rewarding career in many ways. Being present and advocating for others during their time of need can make all the difference. I’m proud to be a nurse and appreciate all the experiences I’ve had  in my career. One of my favorite things is to meet with students and new grads to talk about the career in nursing,” Moore said. “Having the ability to help change and impact someone's life for the better is a reward all in itself.” 

Shana Green, BSN, RN 

Shana Green works as the stroke program manager in the quality and clinical outcomes department. Her responsibilities include coordinating, evaluating and promoting the system’s stroke program through collaboration with nurses and staff to ensure patients are receiving evidence-based care. 

Green expanded the peer coaching program at Spartanburg Medical Center to Pelham Medical Center to help patients struggling with addiction. 

“I truly enjoy the challenge and dynamic nature of being a nurse, especially during my time in the ER,” Green said. “It's rewarding to use critical thinking skills to assess complex situations and provide high-quality, compassionate care under pressure.” 

Sheryl Lassiter, MSN, RN, NEA-BC 

Sheryl Lassiter has worked as a nurse manager for the past 15 years, overseeing the resource pool to provide consistent and safe staffing. She has also developed and improved nursing workforce pipelines with student nurses and high school career centers to grow nursing resources for the system. 

Through her workforce development initiatives, Lassiter has used the nurse internship program to add new RN roles to the system and transformed high school career center students into nursing support roles at the conclusion of the work-based learners’ programs. 

“Nursing has been a lifelong dream for me. For as long as I can remember, even as a child, I had a passion for caring for others,” Lassiter said. “I feel so fortunate to have the privilege of being a nurse and providing care for others.”