When Kimberly Horton heard that she had received the 2007 Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award, she was surprised and humbled. “Honestly, I am more the behind-the-scene person,” she explains.

As vice president and chief nursing officer for Clinical Services for Mercy and Mercy Southwest hospitals, Horton works tirelessly to help women in her profession, her workplace, her patients, and her community.

“She’s done a lot for women and nurses’ self image,” says Sister Judy Morasci, Mercy’s vice president for Mission Integration. Horton secured funds for cultural diversity training for health care providers. “We want to break down biases and have people see the commonalities,” Horton explains. “This will change a whole community.”

Single teen moms are especially near to her heart. Recently, her grant proposal for scholarships for single mothers who want to become nurses was awarded. “Now 30 Kern County single teen moms will begin to fulfill their dreams and forge a better life for themselves and their children,” Horton says. The first 20 single moms began school in January.

“When I am talking to a young mother who has pronounced doom on herself, and I see that light come on, that’s it!” Horton says. “I want my existence to have some meaning. I find comfort in not wasting the experiences, the trials and challenges that I’ve gone through.”

Horton’s own personal life is her driving force. By age 19, she was a divorced mother with two children. After completing her high school proficiency exam, she earned bachelor and master’s degrees in nursing, along with certifications as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist and nurse paralegal. She just completed her Ph.D. in health administration in early 2008.

Horton praises God and her praying mother for any successes she has in life. “My mother instilled in all of her children the importance of education, perseverance, community and church,” Horton explains. “She graduated from high school when I was five and from college when I was 12.”

Horton is also a wife (married to Steve Horton, vice president of ministries for the Central California Conference), a new recording artist (her first CD, "Beautiful," was released in May), the mother of two grown children and a grandmother.

“Fun” is how Horton describes her life. “Expanding my mind is fun. Singing for the Lord is fun. Helping people is fun. It’s where I find my relaxation,” she explains.

About balancing it all, Horton readily admits that she doesn’t really know how she gets it all done. “Whatever the Lord is leading me to do, I do it.” About the award she adds, “There is more the Lord has for me to do, because He has expanded my exposure.”