Another local nurse has received one of the state’s top honors when she was recently recognized at a special ceremony for Iowa’s 100 Great Nurses. Kathy Collins is the Quality and Utilization Management Director at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital (SMCH) in Lake City, and was nominated by her peers for this award. Collins’ nursing career spans over four decades, having started as a nursing assistant when she was only 14 years old. Over the course of her career, she acted as a night-floor nurse, worked in emergency rooms, intensive care units, obstetrics, infection control and as a house supervisor before landing in her current position. She is now responsible for the facility’s quality initiatives, monitoring of patient experiences and managing the patient experience improvement teams. After 42 years at SMCH, Collins will be retiring in June. She says she has many fond memories to look back on and feels fortunate to have had such a long career at a facility that has always been progressive, family-oriented and supportive. Collins is also looking forward to spending more time with family and gardening.