HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Nurse Erin Manka Named 2025 March of Dimes Nurse of the Year – Emergency & Trau

O’FALLON, Ill. — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is proud to announce that Erin Manka, RN, has been honored as the 2025 March of Dimes Heroes in Action Nurse of the Year in the Emergency Care & Trauma Services category.
 
Manka, who was the only nominee from Illinois in her category, stood out among other finalists from St. Louis-area hospitals. Her selection is a testament not only to her clinical excellence and dedication but also to her resilience and passion for serving patients.
 
Manka expressed her shock upon hearing her name called as the winner. “I owe a huge shoutout to my leaders for supporting me through my whole career at St. Elizabeth’s and for nominating me. I love what I do and who I work with, and I’m incredibly lucky to have a profession that I enjoy,” she said.
 
The March of Dimes Heroes in Action program honors nurses and maternal-infant health providers across the Missouri and Metro-East Illinois region. Each year, March of Dimes selects finalists and announced the winners of all disciplines at the 2025 Heroes in Action Gala celebrated on November 15, 2025.

Erin Hazen, RN, Director of Emergency, Convenient Care, EMS, SANE, Clinical Decision Unit and EEG at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, shared her deep pride in Manka’s recognition. “Erin embodies everything we value at St. Elizabeth’s: clinical excellence, patient-centered care, a commitment to service and being an educator of others.”
 
Manka currently serves as Emergency Department Team Lead and sits on numerous committees, including Peer Review, Ethics, Sepsis, Moderate Sedation, Unit Partnership Council, and Shared Governance. One of her notable accomplishments was her work around quality improvement and education on sepsis. She created an educational platform for her fellow colleagues, providers, quality team members, and the community, which included interactive activities, educational tools and other assets to provide added rigor around recognizing signs of sepsis.
 
In addition to Manka’s nomination and win, Katelyn Whitener, RN, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital Women and Infants Center nurse, was also nominated in the Critical Care-Pediatrics category.
 
For more information about HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, visit steliz.org.