Spring Semester Vicki M. Stogsdill Nursing Award Recipient

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    Published on May 18, 2026

    Spring Semester Vicki M. Stogsdill Nursing Award Recipient

    woman holds an award certificate
    Riyonna Coker is this year’s Spring Vicki M. Stogsdill Nursing Award recipient.
     
    Coker’s path to nursing began early. As a child, she often accompanied her mother to nursing school classes — an experience that left a lasting impression and planted the seed for her future career.
     
    In 2015, she earned her SRNA credential and began working on the neuroscience floor at Owensboro Health. From there, she gained experience caring for patients with special needs, strengthening her commitment to advocacy and compassionate care.
     
    Coker said working in health care is more than a job — it’s a calling.

    “It takes a special person to work in health care and have compassion for their job and be a voice for their patients,” she said. “I want to help break barriers for individuals who may not be able to advocate for themselves in vulnerable situations.”
     
    Before pursuing nursing, Coker earned a bachelor’s degree in social work. While meaningful, she said nursing ultimately felt like the direction she was truly called to follow.
     
    She currently works in the emergency department at Owensboro Health, where she has spent the past four years.
     
    “I absolutely love working in this department, not just because of the people I work with, but the patients that I get to serve,” she said.
     
    Coker said receiving the Vicki M. Stogsdill Nursing Award was both humbling and affirming.
     
    “I do not take receiving this award lightly,” she said. “It was such a surreal feeling hearing my name called. It’s one thing to see yourself as someone who fits the characteristics of this award, but it means so much more when others recognize your dedication and the hard fight you fight daily to make the world a better place.”
     
    The award, presented each May and December, honors a deserving nursing graduate and recognizes the lasting impact of Vicki M. Stogsdill, whose leadership and dedication helped shape the University of Louisville School of Nursing Owensboro Extension and the Owensboro community.
     
    Coker said the recognition reinforces how she strives to live and work each day.
     
    “The way you treat others and the energy you put into the world will come back around full circle,” she said. “When you have a close relationship with God, others will see Him before they see you. I always try to live by the golden rule — treat others the way you want to be treated.”

    Click here to learn more about the Vicki M. Stogsdill Nursing Award and its application process.

    About Owensboro Health

    Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; four outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.

    On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.