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Every May I am reminded, thanks to this magazine, that I have been surrounded by nurses all my life. Various women in my family have worked in emergency departments, operating rooms, assisted-care facilities, public schools, hospice organizations, substance abuse rehabilitation, insurance companies, support organizations for teen mothers and occupational health. I have seen them work hard every day, only to further their educations in the evenings, so they could move from clinical settings to social services to caring for employees of private companies. Yet I am still amazed at how often nurses touch us without our knowing it. When an insurance company, for example, is trying to decide whether or not to cover the expense of wigs for patients who undergo hair loss from cancer treatment, there may be a nurse or former nurse there to remind the bean counters that the decision has less to do with profit than compassion and basic human kindness.
Few people work so hard to make our lives better every day. So this month you’ll read our annual Top Nurses feature, a project we started with Sarah Carmody, executive director of the Delaware Nurses Association, six years ago to acknowledge National Nurses Day on May 6 and to express our gratitude. Those named on the big list may have been chosen by their peers as the best in their areas of specialization, but we here at Delaware Today thank every single nurse in the state for all they do. National Nursing Week will end May 12, but you can hug a nurse and say thanks any time and for any reason at all. They deserve it.
Also this month, you will read how an ethic of service inspired the formation of the Fund for Women 25 years ago, and about the career of recently retired George Krupanski, one of the most effective leaders of Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, who has left the local organization in very capable hands after greatly expanding its reach across the state.
Finally, we’ve made the claim that “Wilmington is Back!“ and we feel well justified. Hundreds of new rental units have been built in the past 10 years. There are more great places to eat and drink downtown than ever before. The city is home to a live music scene, nightlife and entertainment to surpass that of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The arts organizations are more visible than ever. The Riverfront is thriving in a way that many once could not have imagined. Employers old and new have committed to the city. And there are major improvements in the works for troubled neighborhoods. We believe that adds up to a Wilmington that is better than ever. We think you’ll agree with us.
—Mark Nardone • Executive Editor
