MVP! MVP! MVP!

It took four days to find out, but that doesn't make Kathleen Anderson's victory any less sweet. As she and her family members believed when online voting stopped Friday at 3 a.m., Anderson followed in the footsteps of last year's "The Simpsons Movie" online victory by winning EndoNurse magazine's MVP, or Most Valuable Professional, contest.

MVP! MVP! MVP!
Anderson wins EndoNurse magazine contest

By DAN BUSTARD, Staff Writer
Twin State Valley Media Network
Thursday, September 11, 2008 7:17 PM

SPRINGFIELD -- It took four days to find out, but that doesn't make Kathleen Anderson's victory any less sweet.

As she and her family members believed when online voting stopped Friday at 3 a.m., Anderson followed in the footsteps of last year's "The Simpsons Movie" online victory by winning EndoNurse magazine's MVP, or Most Valuable Professional, contest.

"This is the biggest thing I've ever won," she said, having received awards for nursing assistant of the year twice.

"You couldn't wipe the smile off my face."

The Springfield woman who works at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in White River Junction, Vt., found out Tuesday morning by checking the endoscopic nursing magazine's Web site.

A congratulatory e-mail from EndoNurse was waiting for Anderson when she got to work, along with a congratulations banner across her office door and a MVP ribbon. Acting hospital director Kate Harty stopped by to offer her thanks, Anderson said.

"Ecstatic" is how she felt about finding out she won, though it appeared Anderson was ahead when the online voting ended. "I was really excited this morning. It's still such an honor to be acknowledged."

A gastrointenstinal tech at the VA Medical Center, she credited the support received from co-workers, friends and family, including her mother Margaret "Marge" Behsmann and granddaughter Katrina.

The Andersons moved to Vermont from Colorado, building a home on Randall Hill Road. They were in good spirits, as were their dogs and cats. Behsmann stopped by and shared a hearty hug with her MVP daughter.

"It was from here to Colorado," she said, "nieces and nephews, my brothers and their wives."

Anderson survived three rounds of voting against nearly 50 nominated people in the field of endoscopy. More than half a million votes were cast.

"That is amazing," she said. "It's unbelievable the support. I told the same day shift I owe them a pizza because they voted so often."

The contest is held to draw attention to people working in endoscopy. While the magazine will not release the final round vote totals, Anderson finished ahead of Eileen Erwin of Inova Mt. Vernon Hospital in Alexandria, Va., and third place finisher Patricia DeSouza of Westchester/Putnam Gastroenterlogy in Carmel, N.Y.

All three will be featured in the October-November issue of EndoNurse and receive certificates and an American Express gift card.

Just to be sure the final result was captured early Friday morning, Anderson said her husband Howie took a screen shot of the closing results nine seconds before the magazine Web site closed down voting.

http://www.eagletimes.com/ET/Story/080812ph-dfb-spfMVP-winner