HOUSTON CHRONICLE SALUTES NURSE LEADERS FOR 2019
Using the banner, “4 Million Reasons to Celebrate,” the American Nurses Association takes time out during National Nurses Week, May 6-12, to recognize nurses across the country.
Each year for the past two decades, the Houston Chronicle has joined in this celebration with its annual Salute to Nurses, selecting 15 nurses from around the city who have been nominated by their peers, patients, physicians, administrators, family and/or friends for their outstanding contributions to the profession.
This year’s Salute to Nurses is sponsored by a range of sponsors including Houston Methodist, Harris Health System and UT Physicians.
“As health care providers, we place a special value on relationships and serving the individualized care needs of our patients,” said Dr. Liisa Ortegon, BA, MAA-OD, BSN, RN, NE-BC, CPD, senior vice president operations, chief nursing executive, and entity business practices officer for Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas Medical Center. “Our outstanding nurses – those always present at the bedside – are the ones who consistently demonstrate excellent clinical skills, heartfelt compassion and collaborative opportunities in everyday interactions.
“Nurses wear many hats – they are clinicians, leaders, caretakers, collaborators, innovators and advocates, often all at the same time. Nurses are the backbone of our hospital.”
“Nurses are at the heart of health care. Nursing excellence deserves to be recognized,” said Kathy Hinze, RN, MDN, EHNP-BC and UT Physicians nursing administrator. “It is the perfect opportunity to salute the men and women who serve millions of patients throughout our great city in hospitals, clinics, schools, companies and elsewhere.”
Hinze said she looks for nursing candidates who exhibit highly valued qualities and attributes, such as a strong commitment to excellence and a passion for the profession. “These values and traits align closely to those Florence Nightingale embodied,” she said.
Honeychile “Honey” Benitez said she was 4 or 5 years old before she realized her grandad was a nurse.
“He was the first nurse in my family and became my inspiration,” she said. “Every summer he converted our home into a makeshift clinic because we lived in a remote, rural area in the Philippines, and he offered health care and circumcised the small boys whose parents could not afford to go to the city, which was very expensive.”
Benitez, whom he called his “little assistant,” had the responsibility for calling the next patient to be treated and to clean the glass syringes (her grandfather cleaned the sharps and then boiled everything) to ready for the next day.
When she was notified of her selection to the Salute to Nurses Top 15, she was unbelieving. “I asked my supervisor, ‘Is this a scam?’ and she told me to reread the email, but all I do is my passion — oh, and I also love to bake,” Benitez said.
As Kathy Trevino wrote in Benitez’ nomination: “For the past decade, Honey Benitez has devoted herself to this hospital, caring for a unique and complex group of patients with poise. It is an honor to nominate her for the Salute to Nurses.
“Honey started her nursing career in 1988 in the Philippines before moving to the United States in 1994. She continued her work in nursing, joining HMB in 2006. This hospital is fortunate to have someone with Honey’s merits and kindness and hope to continue to work with her for years.
“Benitez was instrumental in developing the Unit 2 West’s team and helped mold it into the efficient unit it is today. Not only has Honey contributed to the betterment of her unit, but also to paving the way for HMB’s Magnet Journey.
“She is not only a Magnet Champion, but recently became a Magnet Ambassador. This elite group works on Chief Joy Facilitators, spreading Joy and magnetizing clinical staff to create a feeling of inclusion and belonging.”
Honey sits on the Physician, Nurse Collaboration Committee, as well as the Philippine Nurses Association-Texas Golden Triangle Division.
She also has been nominated for awards for her achievements as a permanent charge nurse on the Medical Surgical units.
A favorite from the many stories about Benitez involves her love for baking.
One day, upon hearing a patient’s condition was terminal and had no family, Benitez asked what would bring her joy on her upcoming birthday.
When the patient answered she would love a chocolate cake, Honey baked a beautiful cake and delivered it to the patient before she was discharged to hospice.
Along with her compassionate patient care and her baking abilities, Benitez represents her unit on the Interprofessional Shared Government Council and has led several innovative and successful initiatives, such as the 3 for 3 Project to increase nursing certifications and her work with Project Flip Flop, which involved a change in handoff process from nurse to nurse — a system later adopted throughout the hospital system’s eight hospitals with over 15,000 employees.
Maria Boissonneault, BSN, RN-BC Houston Methodist Hospital — Texas Medical Center
“For me, nursing is more than a vocation,” said Maria Boissonneault, “and by working at a Magnet Hospital, it is always a challenge.” Serving as a Magnet Champion for seven years, Boissonneault was a Magnet escort to various departments for the visiting surveyor. “I was proud that Houston Methodist was a role model for all the different initiatives and specialties we offer.”
For this 19-year nurse veteran, nursing offers fulfillment. “I love my job and my profession, helping patients and my co-workers. As a leader in shared- governance, I can always encourage and motivate others as we focus on patient and familycentered care. I am proud of our goals and our staff at Houston Methodist (ICARE)…and we truly do have excellent nurses,” she said.
Diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 30 years old, after six cycles of chemo, Boissonneault has been cancer-free the past eight years.
“I am a strong person,” she said, “and I was extremely fortunate in not having any days off during my treatment,” and continued with her duties.
“Because of the determination I learned from my mother, I got through it, and I now see things in the bigger scheme of things, plus I had the chance to sit with cancer patients and encouraged them,” Boissonneault said.
Graduating from nursing school in Philippines, Boissonneault began her nursing practice at Vancouver General Hospital in Canada and credits her early mentors — Sandra and Carol Acton — with her skills and success as a nurse and her parents and cousin Ruth as her role models. As her nomination by Sheeba Cherian read: “In submitting this nomination, there are three things that come to mind whenever I work with Maria — passion, hard work and determination.
“When I say how passionate she is as a nurse, this means a lot, not just to me but for our whole team. She is a great blessing as a WT 17 team member and her passion is limitless in terms of her contributions to our unit, our patients, their family members and the leadership team.
“Once she starts working on service and quality initiatives, she never lets up. She is such a charismatic and high- energy individual as well as a leader in our department. She is instrumental in inspiring our unit’s staff and Shared Governance (SG) subgroup leaders to put our best foot forward in working toward excellence and reaching for our SG goals.”
One of her service council projects, is an evidencebased project titled, “Beyond Bedside” and is one of our Drive for Excellence WT 17 Commit to Connect Initiatives.”
The project was designed to promote effective communication and create a positive environment for patients and their family upon admission until the day of discharge and strengthens our ICARE commitment.
The nominator said, “Maria is my role model Shared Governance Chair, motivates everyone to work hard and never give up despite the many challenges we encounter in our department and as a bedside nurse. She leads by example, not only for nurses but to all the staff. She is a change agent and encourages the PCAs and UAAs to be part of our various evidence-based projects focusing on both service and quality care.
“She exhibits superb leadership skills on the floor and is an exceptional leader at the bedside, earning Outstanding Nurse Award Finalist-Brown Award in 2015 and 2016 by Houston Methodist Hospital, HMH Outstanding Nurse Clinician finalist year 2011, Good Samaritan Award 2011 and HMH Nurse Innovation Award Finalist in 2014. She also won HMH (Houston Methodist Hospital) Surgical Posters the last four years consecutively (2nd, 1st, 2nd and 1st).”
“I am humbled by this award,” Boissonneault said, “and truly honored.”
Audrey Castillo — RN The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Julia Sarkar’s detailed nomination describes Audrey Castillo, RN, in these words:
“Audrey’s always so caring and attentive. She answers call lights that aren’t even her patients…and I’m not sure where she gets the energy, but she’s there, time and time again, doing her job. She has this thing where she makes sure her patients are safe. She’s good…real good.”
One night, Castillo was working on the unit as the charge nurse. One of the patients on the unit ended up wandering downstairs to the Emergency Room. Audrey had a patient assignment, but without hesitation, she immediately gave report on her other patient and then took the elevator from the 10th floor and went downstairs to encourage the confused patient to come back to his room.
Sarkar continued, “He returned to his room, but approximately an hour later, one of the staff members came in a panic, saying the same patient had gone down the elevator and had taken his belongings with him, and Audrey and the nurse aide were alone with the patient (who could sometimes have aggressive tendencies, plus it was dark outside already). I found Audrey downstairs on the first floor talking to the nurse’s aide on the phone; the aide was running behind the patient outside the building and Audrey was trying to catch up. Finally, the aide called and told Audrey they were on the bridge near 1MC.”
“Audrey found the patient and aide with two police officers who they flagged down. Once the patient recognized Audrey, he realized the staff was there to escort him back to his room. The patient finally agreed to be walked about ¼ mile back to his room by one of the police officers in the dark while another one of the officers kindly drove Audrey back to the hospital in his squad car.
“Thanks to Audrey’s quick thinking and actions, both the patient and aide remained safe, and neither were injured. Audrey selflessly put herself into a situation where she had to go outside searching for a patient in the darkness in the Medical Center, for the good of the patient and other staff member.” Patients say: “Audrey is excellent in doing cluster care, (care coordination in the overnight hours); she comes and does everything at one time.”
“Everybody is great, but Audrey is just special to us. She is very sweet, and caring. We love her personality, and she stood out for us.”
“I love RN Audrey as my nurse. She is very caring and attentive.”
“Audrey really went above and beyond, on top of everything. She is very sweet as she could be. She had her hands full last night, but she did a great job, and started the chemo on time.”
“Audrey asks, “Is there anything I can do for you?” vs. “Call me if you need anything.” She is very sweet and attentive.
A coworker submitted an Awesome Job Award for Castillo, which said:
“Audrey is a wonderful nurse to work with. She does this thing where she volunteers to help you with anything. Not many nurses do it. Audrey would sometimes ask me to go to lunch when I didn’t even realize I was hungry, or she would ask if she could check my chemo. Frankly I think she spoils us too much. It makes you want to work more like a team.
“She is also a clinical coach for new employees and serves as a mentor on the unit. Audrey has a very good bedside manner and she very much values our patients’ satisfaction.”
Castillo is a member of the unit’s Retention Committee, which collaborates and celebrates the successes of staff on the unit in order to improve retention. As a member of the night shift team, Castillo works with other members of the night shift committee to ensure that each staff member’s birthday is celebrated with a cake or other treat, and photos are taken.
Patient comment
Jonathan Gecomo, MSN Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center
Jonathan Gecomo said he’s “extremely honored and amazed a small-town boy from the Philippines would receive an award such as Salute to Nurses Top 15.”
A 1992 graduate of the University of Manilla who will complete a doctoral degree in nursing informatics this summer, this outstanding nurse received his initial clinical experience at St. Luke’s Quezon City before immigrating to the U.S. in 2004.
“During that time, there was a lot of recruiting activity as well as immigration of nurses from the Philippines to hospitals in the U.S.,” he said, “and when I began my training, I knew only that nurses worked at the bedside. One of my professors was patient enough to explain, not only about what she was doing but opened my eyes to realize nurses could work at other significant tasks as well.”
One of those areas, as Gecomo would find, would combine two of his passions — caring for others and impacting a positive outcome from their care and computers, a passion he found after coming to the U.S., because unlike many children in this country, he did not have a home computer or computers in his schools.
“Audrey is excellent in doing cluster care, (care coordination in the overnight hours); she comes and does everything at one time.”
But because of his hard work and his newfound curiosity about electronics and data science, this nurse has been teaching the electronic health records for several years to nurses, physicians and administrators in his hospital and beyond.
His current project and the subject of his doctoral studies is looking into possible alternatives when the electronic health record (HER) is inaccessible.
“I am so honored to make this contribution to my new home — the USA,” he said.
“I keep learning from new nurses, and I miss the communication with patients when I was at the bedside full time,” he said, “but I always want to make sure the patient feels involved and in control. We emphasize that during orientation. We will always treat our patient as our own family.” As his nomination read: “From a CCU nurse, Jonathan discovered the love for technologies. He is specialized now in informatics, has a master’s degree in health care system administration and presently is completing his PhD. He is a talented public speaker with a great sense of humor and a trainer, both domestic and international.
“As a previous ICU nurse, this outstanding employee has always made himself available to anyone who needed his help. He is very knowledgeable about his craft and is always willing to help other nurses. He has always been very generous with his time especially in uplifting health conditions in the community.
“With his lead, we have successfully rolled out EPIC documentation with good humor to 600+ employees and physicians. He is a national and global speaker on nursing informatics, has led in raising funds for colleagues during Hurricane Harvey and has joined medical missions to the Philippines.
Among his achievements, Gecomo has earned the Philippines Nurses’ Metro Houston Outstanding Filipino Nurse, PNAA Nurse Excellence in Informatics, TNA 20 Outstanding Nurses, Clinical Manager and has worked as Nursing Informatics St. Luke’s TMC and Project Manager in EPIC Documentation Roll out. He has earned his master’s degree in Nursing Informatics and is a DNP candidate for nursing informatics.
The nomination continued, “I first met ‘Jo’ in the Philippines in one of the postgraduate training courses for nurses and in that class, he was the most likable person. He was funny, friendly, intellectual and has strong leadership skills. Several years later, by chance, we met again in the same hospital that hired us, St. Luke’s, Houston.
“He carried those wonderful qualities along with him and added more achievements to make a meaningful contribution to his career, but especially to his community through charitable activities.
“Everyone knows ‘Jo’! The guy who’s always smiling, the guy who has the most jokes to tell and make someone laugh. He’s the guy who has the hands of an angel, the greatest heart to help others and many other qualities that make him worthy of this nomination.”
Stacy Huntley, RN, BSN School Nurse at Moore Elementary School, Pasadena ISD
Growing up in the Clear Lake area and graduating from Clear Lake High School in 1987, Stacy Huntley began college with a somewhat cloudy focus on what area best suited her interests.
“My dad saw there was a nursing shortage and suggested I consider this as a profession,” she said. “Honestly, I hadn’t given nursing much thought until we talked about it because my main motivation was a love for children.” (She now has two children — ages 19 and 20.)
Transferring to Alvin Community College’s nursing program, Huntley became the first nurse in her family.
“I was the medical pioneer for our family,” she said, “and receiving this honor makes it so nice to be recognized for hard work.”
After earning her RN, she worked as a hospital nurse, “but when my children started school and I was around school nurses more, I went back for my BSN and began subbing as a school nurse,” she said.
Although most people think of school nurses as taking temperatures, applying Band-aids and conducting hearing and eye screening, as her nominator principal Jill Lacamu explains in her nomination, “Stacy Huntley routinely provides information to the students, parents, and staff on things they can do to stay healthy and avoid getting sick.
“For example, one week we noticed that a lot of students were either absent or being sent home because they were sick. Mrs. Huntley decided it was a good time to review the importance of washing your hands and doing the “DAB” when you sneeze or cough.
“She worked collaboratively with our technology teacher and made a video showing students “Doing the DAB” when they had to sneeze or cough. It was played during the morning video announcements, the kids loved it, quickly started doing it and because of this, our school became a healthy environment for all.
“She also recruited a parent to help her create cute bulletin boards with a specific theme each month to remind everyone of ways to stay healthy and regularly provides useful information to staff members on healthy lifestyles, the importance of routine screenings, and how to recognize warning signs for problems like strokes and heart attacks.
“Stacy requested the school purchase a blood pressure monitor for staff to use and the staff feels comfortable going to her when they feel don’t feel right. In addition to this, she has worked hard to build partnerships with community businesses. She works with ABC Dental to provide all of our students with free dental screenings and she has a local dentist come out and share with the students the importance of good dental hygiene.”
This nurse also has identified suppliers of socks and underwear she makes available to any student in need.
“I don’t think the average person truly knows the exponential problems students bring to school and the many roles school nurses play in interventions and advocacy for students and their health needs,” Huntley said. “My greatest challenge as a school nurse is trying to meet all the needs in the community, constantly advocating for kids with high needs…finding solutions outside the school for needs as medical care and dental care.
“Many of the families have no insurance or other help with medical problems.
“Today’s school nurses must be aware of emotional traumas and/or witnessed or physical violence individual students experience as well as managing the diseases that are coming back due to lack of vaccination,” Huntley said, “and as with most professions, the technological advancements make it necessary for the school nurse to adapt, like managing children with chronic diseases so they can come to school and continue learning and growing.”
“What gets me up every morning is knowing our students still have many needs to be met, knowing I work with an amazing principal who fulfills our needs and continues to be an innovator collaborator and problem-solver. I know I wouldn’t be successful without her.”
As her nomination concludes, “Stacy actively seeks out professional development to help her become a better school nurse and help meet the needs of our students. She is proactive, detail- orientated and passionate about her job. Moore Elementary is very fortunate to have such a dedicated and caring school nurse.”
Michelle Lauterbach, BSN, RN Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital
Growing up in northern Kentucky, just outside Cincinnati, Michelle Lauterbach informally began her nursing career as an eighth- grade Candy Striper in a local hospital. In high school she volunteered to tutor inner- city kids.
“Throughout my growing up, I watched as my parents were always helping people and volunteered, so that’s what I knew,” she explained. “If somebody needed a home, my parents brought them in.”
After earning a degree in nursing from Northern Kentucky University, as a new nurse, fresh out of college, Lauterbach met Monte Bradford.
“Monte was bathing an elderly patient and was so thorough, gentle and so compassionate. When I saw her recently, I told her what an impression she had made. She was so touched,” she said.
Now, like Bradford, Lauterbach mentors and serves as a preceptor to many, always making a point to tell the story of learning from nurse Monte Bradford.
After graduating in 1982 and working on various hospital units, she found her niche in the neonatal ICU.
“It’s all about caring and compassion, not only for the baby, but for the parents and the family as well,” she said.
Dipping into her love of arts and crafts, this nurse also takes a great deal of pleasure in creating bulletin boards, and visitors to the NICU at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital will find her artwork on the walls of that unit.
Following Lauterbach into nursing are a brother, two nephews, several in-laws, her youngest brother is an occupational therapist married to a nurse and her daughter, who is now in training as a nurse anesthetist after two years at the bedside.
“My daughter is an exceptional nurse whom I have had the pleasure of working with and I am so totally proud of what she has achieved,” Lauterbach said. She remembers a lesson she learned early in her career while working on the med-surg floor.
“I asked a patient, ‘What would you like to see happen today?’ In this case, the patient wanted a shower. I got permission and then the floor became so busy, I ended up helping her with her shower at the end of my shift. My reward? Seeing how good the patient felt after the shower and what a change it made in her attitude, her entire demeanor.”
As her nomination read: “Michelle goes above and beyond for her patients and provides exceptional familycentered care. In the NICU, she provides “spa baths” for her babies — a fun bubble bath engaging the parents and providing cute photo opportunities for the new parents who haven’t had the chance to take their babies home yet.
She makes personalized diaper cakes for her patients and footprint keepsakes for the new parents to have. She does this voluntarily, using materials and she provides…and when Magnet inspectors came for a visit, Michelle made welcome boards, bulletin boards and nursing education posters for the unit, which is not a part of her job description or any committee she is on. She goes above and beyond to make her unit the best it could be.
She precepts new students and new nurse orientees and has voluntarily mentored a new nurse who was not even on her unit. This truly demonstrates her passion to help everyone, not just her patients.
She served as a PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) instructor, coming in on her days off to help ensure other units nurses were certified in PALS, and she serves her unit as the committee chairman for the staff experience board. She is also a member of shared governance for her unit and helps give nurses a voice in the hospital.
She routinely has helped coordinate staff outings, birthday dinners, holiday parties, and donations for nurses in need on the unit, especially during Hurricane Harvey. She boosts the morale on her unit, and after talking to many nurses on her unit, they all say she is their favorite nurse to work with.
She has been recognized by many physicians as an exceptional nurse and is one of the nurses selected to attend high-risk deliveries. She has provided life-saving care by using exceptional critical thinking and nursing judgment. She is dedicated to her unit, the staff, patients, and their families, even if it means putting them above herself.
During Hurricane Harvey she resided in the unit for five days without leaving once. She was one of the last ones to take relief. She was so dedicated to her patients and their families that she stayed for as long as
she could to help.
Van Mariano, BSN, RN-BC Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital
To nominate this outstanding nurse, Van Mariano’s co-worker Kathy Arthurs wrote the following: “Van Jaymar Mariano received his medical-surgical certification in 2014 and as a charge nurse, Van is devoted to all patients on his floor during his shift and even volunteers his time off the clock to ensure that those patients have the best stay during
After graduating in 1982 and working on various hospital units, (Lauterbach) found her niche in the neonatal ICU.
their hospital visit.
“There are numerous examples of his generosity, but one of the most recent and a favorite of the nominator would be when he went above and beyond to make sure a patient felt comfort when she lost her beloved pet.
“One of the hospital’s (patients) developed breast cancer that spread to her lungs; she endured Neupogen shots, blood transfusions, and countless chemo treatments, so many that she further suffered from chemo-induced leukemia.
“On top of her medical issues, this patient suffered a personal loss as her extended stays were unable to prevent the death of her loving dog. While most patients would find either of these situations utterly demoralizing, she remained strong and maintained her sense of humor. One of the biggest reasons enabling her to hold on her positive outlook on life were her interactions with Van.
“Upon hearing of the death of her beloved pet, Van purchased a stuffed dog to provide her comfort. This speaks to the dedicated character of Van and his commitment to his patients.”
“This little toy (I found a little white one with patches of brown, as she had described many times to me) really changed her countenance, and she was positive and smiling and joking, as was her normal attitude,” Mariano said.
The nomination continued, “Again, this is just one of the examples of Mariano’s heart and compassion, highlighting his devotion to the quality of patient care. He truly has a passion to serve the greater Houston community’s population at the bedside and beyond.”
In addition, Mariano learned of a young patient, recently diagnosed with cancer and married just a year, was going to hospice from the hospital. In his usual thoughtful and compassionate mode, he helped arrange an anniversary celebration for the couple — probably their last before the patient was discharged.
Mariano, whose mother is a nurse, also is recognized as a clinical nurse leader and as a favorite colleague among his peers and the hospital leadership team. He is active in Shared Governance and attends the Houston Regional Shared Governance Conference yearly, even presenting on panel discussions at this event. In addition, he chairs the Interprofessional Shared Governance Professional Development Coun
cil.
His dedication and commitment to professional development led to the creation and distribution of the Clinical Career Path Guide. He developed education materials for the Clinical Career Pathway to assist nurses with completion of their portfolios for career advancement.
Van has been a Magnet Champion since the role was established in 2013. In 2016, he served as a Magnet Champion Escort for the Magnet Appraisers, and his leadership with the Magnet Champions and Magnet education events contributed greatly in preparation for the site visit. He continues his involvement to support nursing excellence, applying the Magnet Model and serving as a representative on the System Magnet Council. In 2018, he was selected as a Magnet Ambassador, a select group of Magnet Champions who serve as an advisory group to the Chief Nursing Officer and Magnet Program Director.
He has received multiple recognitions for his nursing practice, The Good Samaritan Award 2017, Texas Nurses Association, Harvey Hero (2017), Outstanding Clinician of the Year (2014), Nominated as Preceptor of the year (2013), and Nominated as Outstanding New Graduate (2012).
Ebony Mitchell, MSN, RN, BSH Memorial Hermann Health System and Houston Methodist
Originally from Orange, Texas, Ebony — at age 7 — figured out nursing was a good profession for her, taking care of her four brothers. Her dad was a military OR nurse, and was her role model. He left nursing when he got out of the military, but continued in public service as a police officer.
“I didn’t know exactly what kind of nurse he was until I graduated from Prairie View A&M College of Nursing and he asked what area of nursing I planned to enter,” she said. “When I told him I wanted to be an OR nurse, that’s when he shared his instrumentation books with me and said that was his area, as well. Up until then, I never knew he was an OR nurse.”
She is now a mentor for nursing students at Chamberlain College of Nursing, the institution where she earned her master’s degree.
As her nomination read: “It seems like she wakes up each morning with a passion for others, determined to make a true and lasting difference in their lives. In her role as night weekend charge nurse, she listens well, always puts patients first and utilizes strong clinical skills to ensure individual and team commitment to the highest standards of care.
“As the best thing next to a manager that we have to assist us, we admire her keen attention to detail, willingness to assist us when needed both during periods when things are going well and when patients are deteriorating. We oftentimes call her as “our Shero.”
“Prior to Ebony taking on the role of night charge, we did not huddle like other shifts customarily do with their individual teams and managerial staff. Since she took over this role, we have been kept informed of pertinent information through huddling and feel more inclusive and knowledgeable of unit-based activities. I admire her for her tenacity, vivaciousness, and willingness to advocate strongly for patients as well as us as employees.
“I can recall several times when Ebony has gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure family members were not only kept informed of their family members surgical procedure occurrences, but have also been allowed time to grieve after a death.
“One time that Ebony showed true leadership ability was when the patient expired after a routine procedure. As a team we as well as the surgeon were devastated. Ebony made sure to contact the chaplain who came and had prayer with us as team. Once we prayed and the family arrived, Ebony went to the family room in the ED, met the family and contacted the chaplain to have prayer with the family.
“As a team we watched how Ebony orchestrated viewing of the patient’s body in an organized fashion and how she assisted the husband, who was totally distraught, with notifying the funeral home and initiating the process of making funeral arrangements.
When asked, Mitchell believes she followed her mom’s example as a volunteer in the community.
“She taught me to be passionate about whatever I was doing and to be unafraid to accept any challenge with boldness and compassion for those around me,” Mitchell said.
She said one of the greatest lessons she has learned patients and their families should never be rushed, particularly in their time together before a surgical procedure or at any other time during the hospitalization.
“Even if the surgeon is ready, we as nurses must be brave enough to allow our patients the time they need,” Mitchell said.
She said she also absorbed her mother’s determination and leadership.
“My mom is a ‘get-it-done’ individual and I watched her and learned,” she said.
Mitchell also serves as a volunteer through Memorial Hermann’s Live Your Dreams program, has become certified as a Stop the Bleed Instructor and after working all night, she will go volunteer in the community.
“We oftentimes joke about how much she does and wonder how she does it all without complaints, but with a smile,” the nominator added. “She is also the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses Greater Houston Chapter 4407 President and has established new and innovative means of community involvement
within the organization.”
Mitchell plans to continue to work on her doctorate with a goal of becoming a nurse administrator and, at some point in the future, a chief nursing officer.
Her parents must have known at her birth that Mary Joy Pocon was going to take her middle name seriously throughout her life.
Her mom, a nurse for 35 yearswho nowworks at the VA Hospital in Houston, inspired Pocon and mentored her when she entered nursing.
“My mom and dad came from the Philippines and we were always taught to work hard,” she said. “Growing up with a mom who was a nurse wasn’t typical in our neighborhood or within my circle of friends because she worked nights. When it came time for me to enroll in college, my mom’s advice was this: ‘Don’t go into nursing for the money because it will not be a fulfilling career if money is, truly, most important.’ She encouraged me to do what I wanted.”
Pocon earned her undergrad from HBU and her nursing degree is from Texas Woman’s University in Houston. A year ago, she married. Her husband also is a nurse. They postponed their honeymoon after their vows, but are planning to honeymoon in Spain. Julie Sarkar, who nominated Pocon, wrote the following:
“In her work, Joy gives patient care that is relationshipcentered.
“She cared for a male patient in his mid-60s who was admitted for increasing abdominal distension and abdominal pain. He was informed cancer had ravaged his body and no further curative treatments were available for him. The patient’s only caregiver/family was his partner and they were not legally married.
“They had been together for over 30 years and had been disowned by both their families. At the hospital, the patient and his partner’s goals were quality care and comfort.
“As soon as the patient was told no treatment options were available, he began to physically decline. He had to be placed on a continuous PCA (patientcontrolled analgesia) for pain, but was still alert but only intermittently, not able to leave his bed.
“He shared with Joy he finally wanted to “make the jump” and be married so his longtime partner would be considered his legal spouse. With this information, she immediately called the social worker and the primary care team. In a matter of a few short hours the patient was married to his loved one of more than 30 years.
“They were so reluctant in asking for help from the staff but with their blessing I called the chaplain,” she had said. “They and the chaplain talked for several hours and the patient felt decreased anxiety and fearfulness.”
“Joy stayed with him and the partner so they would feel her sincere presence during this difficult time
Mary “Joy” Pocon, RN The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
even though she felt saddened, but relieved for the patient since he was no longer in pain.
“The next day he was assigned to Joy again. His condition deteriorated and though he had orders to transfer to the palliative unit, it appeared that moving him might create additional stress on him that he could not tolerate.
“Joy spent time with the two, getting to know about them and their life together. They said their life had been difficult but one they would never regret. They ultimately said their goal was just to make each other happy.
“The patient and his new husband said that they wanted to stay on our unit since they were already receiving the comfort they sought. He also expressed his appreciation to Joy and thanked her for listening and her kindness. Only a few hours into the shift, the patient passed away. ‘I helped the husband with the body, packed the patient’s clothes and, as we did, we cried together,’” Pocon said.
“My opportunity to make a human connection with my patients separates my profession from every other profession on the planet,” Pocon said, “and I plan to use this amazing honor as one of the Chronicle’s Top 15 Nurses to communicate my gratitude — to my parents, my husband and every person I work with and I work with amazing people. As a nurse, I wear a lot of ‘capes’ and this gives me a cool superpower.”
Marcus Pollard, Director of Nursing Harris Health System — Ben Taub Hospital
Meet Marcus Pollard — a man with all the talents a leader and skills of a nurse who has attained the role as director of nursing.
As one nomination explained: “Not only is Marcus an amazing nurse at Cornerstone, but he’s also director at Ben Taub Hospital. This nurse consistently goes above and beyond, showing every member of his staff he cares about them and does more than any director I have ever known.
“He helps his CNA’s daily while working their shift so they won’t be overwhelmed, and for the nurses that work in the units, Marcus works their shift. Marcus is there when his staff needs him most and I am truly proud of him.
“But the greatest thing I see in Marcus is while directing a plastics unit, and an IMU Stepdown Unit, he still makes time to pursue his dream by going to school to earn his PhD.
“As a director of two nursing units for a level one trauma center, Marcus Pollard leads by example,” another nomination said. “He steps up to take care of patients when needed even when he is in a suit and tie…and because he still provides direct patient care, Marcus can be found answering the phone on the unit, covering for a nurse who is off the unit or taking on an assignment.
“Marcus truly understands the importance of professionalism in the workplace includes appearance, how you carry yourself, as well as your actions and interactions toward others, and he recognizes, as a leader, you must build good relationships with your staff and coworkers to strengthen loyalty and trust. He makes it a priority to personally know his staff and supports their professional and personal growth endeavors.
“He uses his personal time to visit staff and their close family members who are hospitalized. When his staff has lost loved ones, he has attended their funerals, memorial services, and/or calling hours.
“Marcus is a born mentor / role model, not just to his staff but also his colleagues. He is often a voice of reason in tough situations. His ability to see different perspectives allows for those who seek his advice to make rational decisions while growing professionally and personally. His quiet, humble confidence as a demeanor allows him to be an effective, productive leader who is not afraid to groom others.
“He looks to bring out the best in everyone he encounters, understands that to be respected you must respect others. I salute Marcus Pollard because he epitomizes what nursing and nurse leaders should be and is a blessing to the Houston community.”
Yet another nomination highlighted this: “Over the last few years, Marcus has seen the need to ensure proper health care for the patients he comes into contact with. To achieve this, he has sought out numerous research-based practices to assist him with making sure he provides his patients, nurses and staff with what they need to make patients’ stays in the hospital more tolerable. He has also begun researching how to decrease the number of falls in elderly patients. This desire to increase patient safety is the driving force behind his doctoral project.”
In January, Pollard was honored by the Elnita McClain Women’s Center and the Texas Heart Institute. He also was recently recognized by the American Heart Association for his community work with stroke awareness. In addition, Harris Health System recognized both units he directs for two years in a row for high inpatient quality metrics and staff satisfaction.
Priscila Phillips Reid, MS, RN, FNP-C, CPNP-AC Texas Children’s Hospital, Texas Tech
Nurse practitioner Priscila Phillips Reid remembers the nurse who took care of her following surgery when she was 9.
“She was wonderful, and that experience led me to think more seriously about a nursing career in high school,” Reid said.
This experience and her older sister’s membership in the international Health Occupations Student Association, along with her plans to become a nurse were all factors in Reid’s decision to pursue a degree in nursing as well.
“I loved math and science and I loved children, so nursing was an easy choice,” she said.
The Brenham High School graduate enrolled in the nursing program at Texas Woman’s University in Denton and went on to earn a graduate degree at TWUHouston and postgraduate degree from Rush University in Chicago. She is now a pediatric nurse practitioner in the highly respected department of pediatric cardiology at Texas Children’s Hospital-Houston.
“Because I was fortunate enough to have a smallertown upbringing,” Reid said, “no one is a stranger. I treat every patient and family and every coworker like my own family. We formed strong bonds of support, positivity and nurture in my home community and I incorporate these values into my practice.”
She said she was also fortunate to have outstanding mentors throughout her nursing career.
“I am grateful to Mrs. Linda Montgomery, Brenham High School, for her help and encouragement, and to Donna Walls at TWU for sharing her expertise and positivity with me. Here at Texas Children’s, I owe so much to Dr. Silbana Molossi, my mentor within the pediatric cardiology, one of the true supporters — along with my family — in my career.
“There also are three nurse practitioners who have challenged me to reach higher and become better at my calling,” Reid said. “Dr. Connie Cephus, Dr. Karen Esquibel and Remi Hueckel, DNP. Remi was the first nurse practitioner I saw as a bedside nurse at TCH, and watching her at bedside made me want to go back to school.”
As written in her nomination, “Priscila is extraordinarily compassionate and she cares deeply for her patients and families...this is evident in her work every day. She provides patients with her cell phone number so they can contact her directly with their questions and concerns, and when a patient’s parents do call her, she is happy to help...often the parents are in need of support and guidance after receiving a difficult diagnosis. Priscila will provide this support, too. “Many of our colleagues, including me, are often surprised at how much Priscila is willing to extend herself for patients and families…and families feel it. We know this because she often receives messages from families she cared for years ago with updates and gratitude.
“Priscila stays late, has exceedingly high expectations for professionalism, compassion, and “doing the right thing” for patients. She is tireless in this commitment, and quite inspiring. She is also a wonderful colleague.
“She works very hard, as you may imagine because when someone has expectations of themselves to this degree, things don’t get done in a usual workday. As nurse practitioners, we hand off care to each other from day to day, and I am always confident the patient has been well cared for and has a solid plan in place when I receive a patient from Priscila.
“She is even diligent in the small things... like help
“My opportunity to make a human connection with my patients separates my profession from every other profession on the planet.” Mary ‘Joy’ Pocon
ing to cover work hours when the team needs coverage. She genuinely feels a personal obligation to make sure our team is solid and the patients are taken care of.
“Sometimes I see this approach takes a toll on Priscila and I ask her why she feels so compelled to be 110% on everything. Her answer is always simple: ‘It’s the right thing to do.’”
Maregina Shankar, MSN, RN-BC Harris Health — Ben Taub Hospital
Maregina Shankar’s aunt inspired her and four others in the family to become nurses and helped them through nursing school.
“Most Filipino nurses had family members in the U.S. who are nurses and helped us through,” she said. “My story is not unique. Compassionate with patients, generally care about our patients. Something in our culture, close-knit families, it begins when we were young. In 1980s, many nurses came from Philippines.
“I think I’m a good nurse, leader and manager because I care about my staff, my staff, my doctors — a caring person and willing to work what’s best for my clinic and my team — positive attitude. I have a strong work ethic and as a manager/leader, have to walk the talk. It’s about integrity and respect, regardless of the situation. Every time I drive out of the garage, see patient who need help and direction. Also I give respect to staff, regardless,” she said.
“What makes us go to work? To be able to help, make a difference — patients you meet in clinic, the garage, in the hallway. What you get from nursing is a lifetime of knowledge, lessons, the way of life you want. It brings me happiness, inspiration, satisfaction. Nursing is my life, 32 years.”
If she were in charge, she said she would make health care free and make programs about health care free — like go to gym for free.
“Whenever I speak about leadership, new theories, new technologies, I am a back-to-basics advocate. B-ring the best in people. A — attitude to bring the best. S-trong work ethic. I-inspire and integrity; and C — compassionate, committed patients. S — success will come and show our way.”
Shankar is president, Philippine Nurses Association of Metro Houston, offering education, opportunities, support and mentorship — and open to all kinds of nurses, not just Filipino nurses.
‘Compassionate care’
A nomination read: “Shankar is an excellent nurse manager, always going above and beyond for her employees. She is a great clinician leader, giving her best to take care of the patient. She has worked with Harris Health System for over 30 years and has been nominated for Outstanding Nurse Manager. She gives compassionate care and treats every patient with respect.
“I have witnessed Gina’s kindness to her staff, how she motivates each one to become better, to be the best nurse representing all patient to the best of their ability. She encourages he staff to go beyond to treat patients. As a manager, she will don her scrubs and provide excellent patient care when called upon.
“During Hurricane Harvey, she walked to the hospital and worked in several departments where she was needed, whether it was a nurse or other functions, and she was instrumental in keeping the units operating.
“Gina is an awesome and inspiring leader. She has a heart of gold and is very charitable in all her ways. She is a Medical Mission organizer and advocate for the education and children welfare. She is admirable person being a leader, a friend and a family supporter.
“She participated in medical mission to the Philippines with the Philippine Nurses Association of America. She received the outstanding Filipino nurse award. Gina’s vision and mission are to provide the best quality health care to all Harris health residents and to train the next generation of health care professionals. She values compassionate care, dignity innovation respect, integrity and accountability.”
Among the awards Shankar has received are the Award for Outstanding Filipino Nurse, Outstanding Nurse Manager, Excellence in Field of Performing and Visual Arts, Magna Cum Laude-Nursing Academy, and President PNA Metro Houston, Medical Mission Organizer/ Advocate.
Cristina Sola, MSN, RN-BC, AGNP-C UTHealth Dept. of Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, McGovern Medical School
Growing up in the small West Texas town of Meadow, near Lubbock, Cristina Sola graduated in 1999 from Brownfield High School and started nursing school the following Monday.
“My mom is a nurse, working in home health for years, and as a teen, I often tagged along with her. I liked how she built a relationship with the patient as she helped them with their diseases.
“Most of her patients were older and happy to see her,” she said.
This determined young woman began training at Covenant Hospital’s RN Diploma program in Lubbock in 2002 and graduated from Texas Tech’s Bachelor of Science program in 2008.
As her nomination pointed out, “Cristina has 16 years of surgical nursing experience and has specialized in vascular surgery over the past 7.5 years. She holds a cardiac/vascular certification and is on the ABI Registry for the Society of Vascular Nursing (SVN).
“She was made nurse manager of the UTHealth vascular clinic in 2015 and won the SVN Nurse of the Year Award in 2016.
“She also won an SVN travel award. She joined the executive committee for SVN in 2017 and was selected as program director for the Nursing and Allied Health Symposium for the Texas Society for Vascular and Endovascular Society.
“She assisted in our research study about the followup for patients with IVC filters placed in the trauma setting, and her most recent research and clinical efforts involve surveillance and follow-up for patients with aortic dissection.
“Her local expertise in this high-risk area is increasingly recognized in the community. In 2016, she was invited by the San Antonio chapter of the SVN to speak about our protocol for treating patients with aortic dissection at the nursing breakout session within the annual meeting of the Texas Society for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery.
“She was invited to speak at the Society of Vascular Nursing conference on critical limb ischemia and presented her expertise caring for patients with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome at multiple venues.
She works with surgeons in the post- operative care of their patients, and said the rewards of her work are many. She said she particularly values the camaraderie, knowledge and relationships with patients she wouldn’t be able to have otherwise.
Building relationships
“It’s a different kind of relationship with my colleagues in caring for a patient to achieve a positive outcome,” Sola said. Currently, she is completing her master’s degree, working full time and taking care of her kids.
“I have worked in ICU and as you may realize, caring for acute patients difficult because there are so many things happening at once, and it is imperative you get it all done. My life is similar, but I also know it is a fulfilling achievement when you’re successful,” Sola said. “Cristina is a prime example of patient advocacy,” her nomination read. “She goes beyond clinic duties and advocates for our patients, making sure their needs are met and provides a voice during their plan of care.
“She is known to stay after office hours to make sure that patients have the proper plan of care enacted, and I can recall a specific case requiring numerous phone calls to the patient’s insurance company in order to get a patient the correct wheelchair. She then had to coordinate care with the physical therapists and medical supply companies.
“She also obtained referrals so the patient could be seen by the physical medicine and rehabilitation team and her tenacity paid off. The patient received what he needed — oblivious to the time and effort she spent.”
“On her own, Cristina sought out specialized educational conferences on wound care, noting many of our patients suffer from venous and ischemic foot wounds. Although the vascular surgeons in our group usually refer these problems to podiatry or other wound care centers, she felt that there was a delay in care between referral and wound care initiation, so she took it upon herself to manage these wounds and order appropriate wound care supplies for the office.
“This has resulted in better wound healing, improved patient satisfaction, and better limb preservation outcome.”
Christella “Chris” Whitcher, EdD, MSN, MBA, RN-BC, OCN The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
“Chris has a heart the size of Texas, and believes people need to feel valued and recognized at all levels.” Tara Tatum, nominator
In eighth grade, Chris Whitcher became a candy striper volunteer to explore the field of nursing at St. Anthony’s nursing home, located at that time on Almeda Drive near Hermann Park.
“Having grown up in a home with my grandparents, I was totally at ease with the geriatric patients there,” Whitcher said. “I enjoyed caring for their needs and being in the company of the nurses who worked there. Honestly, the nurse’s cap with the solid black stripe was captivating for me. I wanted to be part of such a respected professional workforce that made a difference in the lives of others.”
As a native Houstonian and part of the baby boomer generation, career choices for women were fairly limited to retail, secretary, teacher and nurse.
In the interim, she married a Houston firefighter, became a housewife and saw her mother earn her nursing credentials.
“Frankly, my mother has been such an influence on me, she truly has been my mentor throughout my career,” Whitcher said. “Because the largest medical center in the world is located in Houston, a career in medicine made sense and the role of physician was daunting to me at the time,” she said, “so following my dream of someday becoming a nurse, I attended the original nursing program at the University of St. Thomas and graduated from Texas Woman’s University as an RN-BSN in 1980.”
In her career, Whitcher has balanced life, including two diagnoses of breast cancer, with multiple nursing assignments and continuing her education, earning her Master of Science in Nursing, a master’s degree in business administration and a doctorate in education
As Tara Tatum wrote in her nomination, “This story is one of the most admirable acts of caring and recognition that I’ve ever seen in my 14 years of nursing.
“Chris has a heart the size of Texas, and believes people need to feel valued and recognized at all levels. The following is great example of how she went above and beyond for Carla, her nursing leader, who died of cancer at MD Anderson.
Carla was an associate director in nursing education. Before Carla was aware of her illness, she told Chris of her dream to earn a PhD in leadership. The two had attended Our Lady of the Lake University’s graduate program and had earned master’s degrees together.
“As Carla had said, ‘I don’t want my doctorate for any particular role. I just want it for myself.’
“In the past Carla cheerfully celebrated several of her team members earning their doctorates within the department.”
Whitcher continues: “At UT-MD Anderson, my associate director Carla Willis was a leader I trusted and respected. Her collaborative management style was one that I related to. Her lifelong learning mentality was aligned with my desire to explore and discover new opportunities and practice enhancements. Her deepest wish was to earn her PhD.
“After completing all requirements for her doctorate except her dissertation, Carla received the news — terminal cancer. But she wanted to finish her degree.
“In a spirit of goodwill, I wrote a letter to the president of Our Lady of the Lake University, where she was attempted to earn her PhD in leadership studies. I was able to describe how Carla demonstrated the attributes of emotional intelligence, the subject of her research, to help earn her an honorary doctorate degree.
“The president, after investigation, agreed. Carla had done the work and was eligible to have her degree conferred. Initially, the ceremony was planned to take place in a conference room at MD. Anderson. However, as her condition worsened, she was brought to the hospital.”
Whitcher met her in the emergency room with the news. The university said the school would pay for Carla’s robe and hood.
“One week before Carla died, the University sent the dean and other university delegates to confer the degree in the palliative unit,” Whitcher said. “I will never forget the joy of that moment for Carla, her family and colleagues when she was introduced as Dr. Carla Willis, dressed in her doctoral robes.”
Our Lady of the Lake University — Houston established a memorial wall of honor, where Carla’s portrait is displayed. Whitcher said the Association for Nursing Development established a scholarship in Carla’s honor.
ChristaWilliams, RN, TNCC, OBED Memorial Hermann Health System
Sometimes an outstanding individual comes along who is so above and beyond the average, there are not enough superlatives to describe them. And when it comes to an outstanding nurse’s performance — whether it be in the classroom, at the bedside, in leadership or anywhere — coworkers and friends have no problem sharing these attributes. Christa Williams is such an individual. As coworker Nadia Alexander wrote: “Christa is a talented nurse, someone we can call to start the toughest IVs and perform the most difficult exams. She remains calm in all situations and is a fast, critical thinker.
“She is exceptional with the care of her patients, providing compassion, empathy and top-tier clinical
“This outstanding nurse was recently awarded employee of the quarter at Memorial Hermann Katy. She is a leader on the unit, a mentor to all new nurses…” Nominator
expertise to all of her patients. Christa goes above and beyond helping her peers, doctors and all members of the health care team.
“Christa is an amazing person as well as an outstanding professional. She is very attentive to her patients and always is mentioned in patient surveys for the exceptional care she provides.
‘Go-to nurse’
“Our unit is always able to depend on her in emergent situations. She is able to stay calm and take lead when others panic. She is our go-to nurse for shoulder dystocias and difficult cervical exams. Yet, she is always in a good mood regardless of what she may be going through in her personal life and brings joy and calmness to our unit each and every shift.
‘Sense of comfort’
“There is a sense of comfort when she is on the unit, not only because of her expertise, but because Christa also is able to lighten the mood on the unit at any moment. She has an awesome sense of humor and is extremely witty.
“Without question, Christa is the most caring and compassionate nurse I have ever met. She goes above and beyond to make sure her patients are treated with respect and dignity.
“This outstanding nurse was recently awarded employee of the quarter at Memorial Hermann Katy. She is a leader on the unit, a mentor to all new nurses and employees, and is the first to offer assistance to anyone in need. She deserves this recognition and much more.”
Jacqueline Kohleffel added: “Christa was instrumental in developing the obstetrical emergency department at Memorial Hermann Katy. She was one of the first nurses employed in this department and takes ownership in the management and patient care of this unique unit.
“Not only does she take care of patients throughout the wide spectrum of labor and antepartum complications, she also trains other nurses to function and care for patients in the OBED.
“When Christa is not caring for her own patients, she can often be found helping out fellow coworkers with admissions, surgeries, deliveries, and anywhere else she is needed on the unit.”
“Christa is very knowledgeable in all aspects of care involving the pregnant patient; however, she is most counted on for her knowledge and expertise in managing a shoulder dystocia.
“Our nurses and physicians recognize Christa’s expertise in this area and when a dystocia is suspected, Christa is requested to be present for the delivery.
“Christa has the unique ability of touching the hearts of all around her and brings a unique sense of humor that can lighten the mood, even on the busiest of days, and has earned the honor, ‘Labor and Delivery Employee of the Month.’”