Tag: Red Cross nursing

“This Is Just What We Do” – Red Cross Nurse Receives National Recognition for Exceptional Disaster Response Leadership

When disaster strikes, the Red Cross steps in to help — and so do the people behind the mission. Karen Younger, a retired military nurse, college professor and dedicated volunteer with the American Red Cross Eastern South Dakota chapter, is one of those people whose compassionate heart have brought hope to countless individuals in their darkest moments.

Karen’s journey with the Red Cross began in 2013. Since then, she has become a vital leader in Disaster Health Services, bringing her experience in adult and critical care nursing, military service, and higher education to the frontlines of disaster response. Her approach combines clinical expertise with an unwavering commitment to dignity, respect, and service.

Karen Younger pictured with fellow Red Cross volunteers Katie Gilmore and Patti Vaska when they received their Red Cross nursing pins. The three trained together for Disaster Health Services and have remained close friends ever since. Now retired, they continue to stay actively involved with the American Red Cross in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area. Also pictured is Tim Klein (far left), an EMT who received his EMT pin during the ceremony. Photo submitted.

A Story of Compassion During Hurricane Helene

When asked to share one of her most memorable moments as a Red Cross nurse, Karen reflects on her deployment during Hurricane Helene.

“It was a chaotic, emotional time for many,” she recalls. “Especially those who turned to Red Cross shelters as a last resort.”

One story, in particular, has stayed with her. A woman arrived at the shelter with young children and a family pet. She was sick, scared, and had no one else to turn to. On top of flu-like symptoms and needing an urgent prescription refilled, she was overwhelmed by the thought of navigating a hospital visit alone and leaving her kids behind.

She asked Karen if she would go to the hospital with her while a social worker watched the children. Karen agreed without hesitation.

At the hospital, Karen acted not just as a nurse, but as a calm and supportive advocate. She helped explain the woman’s medical history to the doctor and ensured her concerns were addressed. “That extra support made all the difference,” Karen said.

When the visit was over, the woman turned to her and said, “You’re a miracle worker.” Karen just smiled and replied, “No, I’m a Red Cross nurse. This is what we do.”

It’s a phrase she’s said many times, because for Karen, helping people through fear, confusion, and uncertainty is more than a duty — it’s a calling.

A National Honor for Outstanding Service

On April 3, 2025, Karen’s exceptional service was recognized on a national stage. During the Leadership Awards Luncheon at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, D.C., she received the Bob Hassmiller Excellence in Disaster Services Award.

Karen Younger at the Leadership Awards Luncheon on April 3, 2025, held at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Pictured left to right: Trevor Riggins, President of Humanitarian Services, American Red Cross; Karen Younger; Gail McGovern, Chairman of the Board of Governors, American Red Cross; and Cliff Holtz, CEO, American Red Cross.
Photo by Dermot Tatlow/American Red Cross

This award celebrates a volunteer who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and commitment, improving disaster response through innovation, collaboration, and impact.

One of her most notable achievements was leading a regional initiative that aligned Red Cross health services with each state’s nursing licensure laws across South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Thanks to her efforts, Red Cross nurses are now able to provide care seamlessly and legally across state lines. This groundbreaking effort not only improved care for disaster survivors in the region but also established a new national model for delivering disaster health services in rural and underserved areas.

Tonya Peterson, Senior Community Disaster Program Manager for the Red Cross Minnesota and Dakotas Region, praised Karen’s work:

“Karen’s work has made a lasting difference – whether she’s helping someone manage a medical condition in the middle of a disaster or mentoring new volunteers stepping into this work for the first time. She doesn’t just show up – she listens, she leads, and she lifts others up.”

Tonya Peterson and Karen Younger at the April 3, 2025, Leadership Awards Luncheon held at the American Red Cross National Headquarters, Washington, DC.
Photos by Dermot Tatlow/American Red Cross

As part of the award, a $1,000 grant will be donated to the Red Cross of Eastern South Dakota, further supporting the lifesaving mission that Karen holds so close to her heart.

A Legacy of Service and Humanity

Karen describes her time with the Red Cross as both meaningful and humbling. “I consider it an incredible privilege to be part of the Red Cross,” she says. “When I retired, I wanted to keep using my skills to serve others. The Red Cross has been a perfect fit.”

For Karen, the transition from her nursing career to  to the Red Cross was seamless thanks to the shared values of humanity, impartiality and neutrality. “We treat everyone with dignity and respect. That’s what our profession is built on. We don’t engage in the noise, we can stay focused on the mission,” she explains.

She also speaks passionately about the power of teamwork. “There’s real power in doing this work alongside others who share the same purpose. I’ve made lifelong friends and shared unforgettable moments with people I may never see again. But we supported each other, and we knew we were making a difference. That’s incredibly rewarding.”

In Hawaii for the Lahaina fire response, January 2024. Pictured left to right Trisha Mims, then DHS Senior Program Manager, Karen Younger, and Denise Cohen, Client Care Chief for the DRO and a dedicated nurse. Photo submitted.

Congratulations, Karen. Your leadership, heart, and service are an inspiration. Your legacy is already making a lasting impact in communities across the country — and we’re all better for it. Thank you!

See the Need, Meet the Need

The Inspiring Story of June (Ahlfs) Qualy

Growing up, I was always very close to my grandmother, June (Ahlfs) Qualy. She taught me to read by the age of three embroider by the age of seven and the importance of helping those who need the most help by 12, at which time she encouraged me to take my first Red Cross class in babysitting. While most pre-teens spent their time at the mall or playing with makeup, I was busy learning the basics of survival skills and how to properly tie a makeshift sling in case of a broken arm. By 16 I was in Red Cross lifeguarding classes and became First Aid and CPR certified via a college class at 21. June was always a beacon of light in my life, modelling what a responsible, compassionate person in our society looks like.

  • Young Sarah Qualy with her grandmother June Qualy.
    Sarah Qualy (left) sharing a moment with her grandmother June, Summer 1991.

It wasn’t until I joined the American Red Cross in 2022 that I started learning more about June’s time serving with the Red Cross in World War II. She had just graduated from St. Catherine University in 1945, where she was an active member of the League of Women Voters, and then entered the nursing service of the Red Cross. June was deployed to Hiroshima and Tokyo, Japan, where she witnessed firsthand the devastating aftermath of the war. Her experiences there shaped her perspective on human suffering and the power of compassion to heal.

Red Cosser June (Ahlfs) Qualy, 1946.

June served with the Red Cross until she decided to marry and start a family in 1949. However, her commitment to helping others didn’t end there. She went on to have a wonderfully impactful career at Saint Mary’s in Minneapolis as a chemical dependency counselor at their inpatient rehabilitation facility. June was known to be the toughest counselor on staff, often assigned the patients who were least likely to recover. Her approach was firm but compassionate, believing in the potential for change in even the most challenging cases.

“June always said, ‘see the need, meet the need’ and that keeps me going every day.” – Sarah Qualy, June’s granddaughter

Image of cover of book, "Saint Mary Blue" by Barry H. Longyear

June’s dedication and unique methods led to an alarming success rate despite the odds. Her work was so influential that former patient Barry B. Longyear wrote a book about her in the 1980s called “Saint Mary Blue.” This book not only chronicled June’s methods but also highlighted the lasting impact she had on countless lives.


When I think about June, I think about the tenacity of what it means to be a woman in times of crisis. Much like our Red Cross matriarch, Clara Barton, June embodied the spirit of humanitarianism that requires not only compassion and philanthropy but also courage and defiance. In this spirit, I’m reminded of my favorite Clara Barton quote: “I have an almost complete disregard of precedent, and faith in the possibility of something better. It irritates me to be told how things have always been done. I defy the tyranny of precedent. I go for anything new that might improve the past.”

While my Grandma June is no longer with us, having passed away at almost 90 in 2013, I know that I carry her light within. There’s a fire inside me that I learned from her, to step up for our community in times of tribulation. To not fear the emotions of disaster, but to use them to alchemize into action. June always said, “see the need, meet the need” and that keeps me going every day. Her legacy lives on through the countless lives she touched and through those of us who continue to serve in the spirit of the Red Cross.

By Sarah Qualy, proud Red Crosser, following in her grandmother’s footsteps

As we celebrate March as both Red Cross Month and Women’s History Month, honor June’s legacy by joining the American Red Cross in our mission to alleviate human suffering—whether it’s through volunteering, donating blood, or making a financial contribution, your support can make a difference in your community and beyond. Visit RedCross.org/MNDAKS to get involved.

Minnesota nurse receives highest international Red Cross award

This year, our own Janice Springer is among the selected recipients of the prestigious Florence Nightingale Medal. This honor from the International Committee of the Red Cross is the highest international distinction a nurse can receive.

Janice Springer, DNP, RN, PHN, received this prestigious recognition for extraordinary service in disaster situations and in public health and nursing education.

Dr. Springer co-authored the American Red Cross Disaster Health and Sheltering course, used to teach more than 18,000 nursing students nationwide how to serve as Disaster Health Services volunteers. Students who complete the course may go on to become official Red Cross nurses after graduation, expanding the pool of prepared Disaster Health Services volunteers. She also created the evidence-based Cot-to-Cot© model to assist clients with functional and access needs in American Red Cross shelters.

Dr. Springer is a Red Cross volunteer who has deployed to 15 disaster relief operations since 2005, often as a leader. Having held several Red Cross leadership roles within Disaster Cycle Services and the International Services Department, she is currently serving as Volunteer Partner for International Recovery, expanding her public health nursing expertise internationally.

Dr. Springer serves as a disaster public health and disability integration subject matter expert for the North American Humanitarian Response Summit, a coalition of U.S. and international government and humanitarian response organizations, helping plan for international cross-border catastrophic disasters. She has published extensively in nursing textbooks and professional journals and has presented papers and posters on her research and best practices throughout the world.

Dr. Springer’s contributions to public health nursing, disaster nursing and the Red Cross are exceptional. The effects of her dedication, leadership and work will continue to spread their positive impact on Red Cross nursing and support individuals affected by disasters around the world.

Click here for more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer.

Red Cross needs health professionals

The American Red Cross relies on more than 20,000 nurses and other health professionals who bring our mission to life each day. If you’re a nurse, nursing student or other health professional, we need your help! There are volunteer opportunities in direct service, leadership and behind-the-scenes.  A few examples are:

 • Disaster Health Services –team members and leaders

• Disaster Mental Health Services –team members and leaders

• Pillowcase Project Instructor (educating 3rd-5th graders about disasters)

• Blood Donor Ambassador Leader

• Nursing Network Regional Nurse Leaders and team members

• Service to the Armed Forces Hero Care Case Management

We hope that you consider volunteering with the Red Cross – you can have a meaningful impact by serving individuals and communities.

Get started here.

Vonnie Thomas, a courageous Red Cross volunteer for 65 years

RedCross16_1105.jpg
Vonnie Thomas on her official day, June 28, 2016. Photo: Lara Leimbach

June 28, 2016 was officially Vonnie Thomas Day in Minnesota after Governor Mark Dayton proclaimed it so in honor of Ms. Thomas’s sixty-five years of courageous Red Cross volunteer service. Read the proclamation below to learn about this remarkable woman and how she has helped and inspired many people in many ways. 

State of Minnesota Proclamation for Vonnie Thomas

Whereas, the American Red Cross depends on the power of volunteers to accomplish its mission of preventing and alleviating suffering; and

Whereas, Nurse Vonnie Thomas has generously volunteered thousands of hours in distinguished leadership service through the American Red Cross over the past 65 years; and

Whereas, she courageously cared for those hurt by more than 40 local, national and international disasters such as the 2012 tornadoes in Minneapolis, the September 11 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon, Hurricane Katrina and the 35-W Bridge Collapse; and

Whereas, she has served in many roles on a local, division and national level and is currently a member of the Minnesota Region volunteer leadership team and Disaster Health Services lead and a Staff Wellness Consultant for 13 states;  and

Whereas, she is an exceptional leader, innovator, medical professional, skilled instructor, and humanitarian and mentor, and is beloved by staff and volunteers alike; and

Whereas, she is a vibrant, engaged and active volunteer leading a statewide effort to build Integrated Care Teams in Minnesota to help families who’ve lost a loved one, and greatly contributed to the  development and implementation of the training materials; and

Whereas, her tremendous voluntary service has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest international honor awarded by the International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent, which celebrates the contributions of nurses and nursing aides to the work of the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement;  and

Whereas, she finds inspiration in the words of the founder of the American Red Cross, Nurse Clara Barton: “You must never so much think as whether you like it or not, whether it is bearable or not; you must never think of anything except the need, and how to meet it.”; and

Whereas, she embodies the principles and spirit of the Red Cross and is a wonderful example of unselfish, humble and dedicated service, and an inspiration for us all;

Now, therefore, I, Mark Dayton, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim June 28, 2016 Vonnie Thomas Day in the State of Minnesota.

Volunteer Spotlight: Barb Page and Disaster Health Services

Teaching a CPR class,
Leading or supporting committee work,
Being on-call to assist with small disasters,
Helping in a shelter on larger disaster responses,
Reviewing health forms for the staff and volunteer workforce,
Speaking to nursing students about volunteer opportunities at the Red Cross…

Linked in photo small jpeg Barb PageThere are many ways for those in the medical field to share their time and talents with American Red Cross Humanitarian Services. One nurse doing just that is Barb Page. Barb is celebrating her five-year anniversary with the Red Cross and is nearing the end of her second year as Disaster Health Services (DHS) Lead for the Twin Cities Area Chapter. For Barb, volunteering as a nurse for the American Red Cross is about compassion and community.

COMPASSION
As a DHS volunteer, Barb has enjoyed sharing her gift of compassion with clients when called upon to assist during disaster response.

Asked why nurses have always played such an important role for the Red Cross, Barb replied, “Everybody at the Red Cross has a lot of care and compassion, but I think it’s just innate for nurses, and that comes through in our work and is an important piece of recovery. We are a big part of getting people back on their feet.”

DHS volunteers are able to offer both practical assistance and emotional support to clients in their times of need. “When someone has lost everything or has been hurt because of a disaster, they need help in so many ways. They need help navigating how to get their life back together,” Barb explained. “In almost every disaster response, there is someone with medication or someone with medical needs who needs help.” With DHS volunteers like Barb standing at the ready to share not just her professional skills but also her caring spirit, the Red Cross is able to more completely meet the needs of clients.

COMMUNITY
As DHS Lead for the Twin Cities Area Chapter, Barb has enjoyed fostering a sense of community among the DHS volunteer team.

In the beginning of Barb’s tenure, Barb focused on understanding what interested and motivated different volunteers in order to best engage them in ways they would find satisfying. As Barb described, with the variety of activities there is to participate in at the Red Cross, “We need all kinds of people with all kinds of interests.” Barb’s inclusive message is that anyone can find a way to contribute at the Red Cross that will be fulfilling and that will fit his/her unique schedule and strengths.

BarbBarb is now focusing her time as Twin Cities Area DHS Lead on maintaining a mentorship program and four committees centered on sheltering, national deployment, welcoming new volunteers, and external recruitment and education. The mentorship program has helped more than a handful of new volunteer nurses become acquainted and comfortable with responding to local disasters over the past year. Choua Yang, Regional Recovery Program Support Specialist, explained the impact Barb is having locally: “She is a great leader for the DHS group. The mentorship program helps new volunteers navigate the Red Cross and brings them into the DHS community.”

In addition, the more recently established committees are creating new ways for DHS volunteers to get involved and get to know each other, all the while making the Red Cross well positioned and prepared to take action when called upon.

Thinking holistically, as nurses so often do, Barb stated, “You never know if the client you just helped is going to become a volunteer or a donor or help out at the next disaster. It’s a circle.”  The Red Cross community is a growing, more encompassing circle because of wonderful volunteers like Barb. Thank you, Barb!

Story by Kelly Clark, Volunteer Services, American Red Cross Minnesota Region. If you or someone you know would be interested in joining this compassionate community of Disaster Health Services volunteers in Minnesota, please contact Volunteer Services.

This year’s highest Red Cross nursing honor goes to…

Janice Springer (c) receives the Ann Magnussen Award from Gail McGovern (l) and Linda MacIntyre (r) during the American Red Cross National Awards and Recognition Dinner on February 18, 2015, in Washington D.C. Photo by Jason Colston/American Red Cross
Janice Springer (c) received the Ann Magnussen Award from Gail McGovern (l) and Linda MacIntyre (r) during the American Red Cross National Awards and Recognition Dinner on February 18, 2015, in Washington D.C. Photo by Jason Colston/American Red Cross

Each year the American Red Cross presents the Ann Magnussen Award to a Red Cross volunteer or employed registered nurse who has made an outstanding contribution to strengthening and improving Red Cross programs and services. This year, our very own Janice Springer received this great honor, which is the highest honor of nursing achievement in the American Red Cross, at the National Awards and Recognition Dinner on February 18, 2015, in Washington, D.C.

Janice Springer, DNP, PN, PHN, has worked with the American Red Cross for 12 years. Based in central Minnesota, Janice serves as the Disaster Health Services Advisor for the American Red Cross Minnesota Region. She is responsible for overseeing all health services activities, including sheltering, disaster mental health and disaster health. Additionally, Janice is a disaster volunteer with more than 20 regional and national deployments, and is the Public Health Consultant in the Red Cross Regional Nurse Network.

Janice is actively building regional disaster health services leadership. She supported Superstorm Sandy relief as a liaison among the Red Cross, the FEMA Disability Office, local community partners and the shelters. She has been instrumental in promoting the Disaster Health and Sheltering Course for nursing students, which will build capacity in regions and chapters and provide nursing students with an opportunity to assist during disasters. She also teaches numerous courses at the chapters.

Janice’s background also includes research in disaster shelters, and she completed her doctoral study in Public Health Nursing: Meeting Access and Functional Needs in Congregate Care Shelters in Disasters. After recognizing that her initial plan, developed with multiple federal partners, did not meet the needs of shelter clients and staff during pilot studies of disaster relief operations, she reconvened the federal interagency group to develop the current Red Cross shelter intake process to identify the needs of clients with access and functional needs. Her approach has been adopted by Disaster Cycle Services and is an integral part of the new Shelter Prototype Project.

To learn more about the American Red Cross, click here.