Guthrie Cortland Emergency Nurse Named 2026 Nightingale Award Winner as Benefit Concert Raises More than $45,000 for Local Medical Center
She walks into a room and changes it. That was the spirit behind the nominations that poured in for Katelyn Belcher, who was named Guthrie Cortland Medical Center’s 2026 Nightingale Award winner by the Cortland Memorial Foundation on May 8.
Belcher, RN, an Emergency Department Nurse at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center, was named the 2026 Nightingale Award winner at the fourth annual Nightingale Benefit Concert, held at The Lookout at Greek Peak Mountain Resort. The concert, which opened National Nurses Week, drew a crowd of supporters ready to celebrate the nurses who show up — shift after shift, year after year — for the Cortland community. The event raised more than $45,000 for Guthrie Cortland Medical Center through the Cortland Memorial Foundation.
The Nightingale Award, named in honor of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, is presented each year to a Guthrie Cortland nurse selected through peer nomination. Belcher stood out among a strong field of nominees that included fellow Guthrie Cortland nurses Sheri Andrews, Heather Griswold, Emily Levitskiy, Happy McClurg, Jody Norris, Kira Read, Rebecca Schute, Dena Sinnigen and Annette Wagner.
Kansas Underwood, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Operations at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center, captured what set Belcher apart.
"This award is not just about clinical excellence. It is about presence. Character. Leadership. Compassion," Underwood said. "The kind of nurse people trust instantly. The kind of nurse coworkers want beside them on the hardest shift. The kind of nurse who changes the culture of a department simply by walking into it. Katelyn embodies all of that."
Ithaca's Fall Creek Brass Band headlined the evening, bringing the kind of high-energy celebration that matched the occasion. For Sheila Ossit, Director of the Cortland Memorial Foundation, the night was a reminder of what community support for nursing can look like.
"What an incredible night. It was wonderful to have so many people show up for our nurses. The Lookout at Greek Peak helped us throw quite a celebration," Ossit said. "And we couldn't have done it without the generosity of a community that cares deeply about the work being done by our nurses."
The event was made possible through broad community sponsorship. Greek Peak served as title sponsor. Contentos, Lakehouse Cannabis, McNeil and Co. and Taylor Rental sponsored The Fall Creek Brass Band. Nightingale Sponsors Tompkins Cortland Community College and Visions Federal Credit Union — which donated 25 pairs of tickets directly to Guthrie Cortland nurses — rounded out the top tier of support.
Nursing Superhero Sponsors included AmeriCU, Cortland Biomedical, Cortland Standard, Dental Arts Family Dentistry, First National Bank of Dryden, The Jaekle Family, JM Murray Center, McNeil Development, Royal Auto Group, Dr. Erica Skipton, Tompkins Community Bank, What's Hot and WXHC.
Compassionate Care Sponsors were A Pizza & More, Arnold's Florist, Beak & Skiff/1911, Benn Conger Inn, Byrne Dairy, Central New York Community Foundation, Cortland Area Chamber of Commerce, Cortland County Business Development Corporation, Cortland Eye Center, Damiani Wine Cellars, First National Bank of Groton, Guthrie, Homer Hops, ImageFIRST, Key Bank, Lamoreaux Landing, La Tourelle, Long Point Winery, Pine Point Medical, The Summit Federal Credit Union and Wagner Vineyards.
Additional support came from Buttonwood Grove Winery, Hazlitt Vineyards, Kevin and Sheila Ossit, P&C Fresh, Pudgies Pizza and Route 13 Discount Liquor & Wine.