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Salute to Nursing... Salute to Nursing... Salute to Nursing... Salute to Nursing... Salute to

JOE DIMAGGIO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WEST

Lina Puntervold, Lisandra Rodriguez, RN

RN, BSN, MPH, CIC, LSSGB Lisandra Rodriguez, RN, has a passion for helping
patients and leaving a smile on their faces at the end of
Lina Puntervold is an infection control preventionist each day. She serves in acute care oncology at Memorial
who is often the bridge between administrative and clini- Hospital West. This recent graduate launched her career
cal departments at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital at Memorial Hospital West in November where it was her
(JDCH). It’s a role she has embraced for nearly a decade. goal to be since the start of nursing school. Knowing that
“I love collaborating with experts in different areas and she wanted to explore many areas in nursing drove her
learning from them for the benefit of our patients, fami- ambition and dedication to start there. “What I like most
lies, and care providers.” Puntervold, a former NICU about the nursing career is its versatility. There are so
nurse, is on the front lines of public health, working with many roles you can fulfill for your patients as a nurse.
her team to maintain control of communicable diseases in Being a nurse is exciting to me because you are always
the children’s hospital that include measles and other vac- learning and improving yourself as a professional and as a
cine preventable diseases. They also focus on preventing person.” Her message to those who wish to pursue a career in healthcare is to love what
hospital-acquired infections and analyze data to make recommendations that ensure you do and always give the best of yourself every time you are with a patient.
JDCH continues to be among the safest medical facilities in the region.
A current challenge for Puntervold involves the four-story vertical expansion of the Miguel Hernandez, RN
children’s hospital and maintaining optimal conditions for patients and staff during a
massive construction project. “This career requires our fingers to be on a lot of pulses.
It’s never boring,” she said. Miguel Hernandez, RN, began his relationship with
Memorial Healthcare System as a patient care associate five
years ago. Today he serves as a nurse at Memorial Hospital
Lisette Kaplan, RN, BSN, CCRN West in the Joint Replacement Program. In that time, he has
been recognized for his passion to the field as a Champion
For the past 18 years, long before its home was a free- of Privacy, the High Performer award, and the Daisy Award.
standing building, Lisette Kaplan has been having an “At nursing school, you can learn the techniques and pro-
impact for patients, families, and staff at Joe DiMaggio tocols of evidence-based practice, but the courtesy, compas-
Children’s Hospital. Starting as a critical care nurse before sion, and dedication that comes with working in the health
transitioning to a nursing educator, Kaplan has always sector, is part of a personal decision of giving our best to
made it a priority to bring positivity to challenging situa- impact a person for the rest of his/her life. To Hernandez,
tions. Whether that’s done through the classes she now his passion is evident as he describes the extended role nurs-
teaches, in planning sessions, when onboarding new es perform with regard to the patient experience.
nurses, or working with clinicians, her focus is on uplift- “My goal each day is to contribute to the formation of a work environment that favors
ing people for the common goal of providing the best the provision of a high quality healthcare service and that positively impacts the life of
patient and family-centered care possible. the patient and family as well as the outcome of the unit and the hospital.”
“I adore this place,” Kaplan said about the children’s
hospital, “and love working with kids. Their innocence and desire to get better inspires
me. It’s a privilege to be around them and their families, helping navigate the difficult MEMORIAL REGIONAL HOSPITAL SOUTH
situations they are facing.”

Bianca Millien, RN

MEMORIAL HOSPITAL MIRAMAR
The unpredictability and pace of the operating room
might make some hesitant to be a part of, but not for Bianca
Jennie Wright-D’Orazio, RN, APRN Millien, RN, who joined the O.R. team at Memorial
Regional Hospital South a little over a year ago. “My num-
Jennie Wright-D’Orazio is the emergency room clinical ber one goal is that my patients are safe because I am their
manager at Memorial Hospital Miramar. Her responsibili- advocate and I watch over everything that happens in the
ties include bedside care, monitoring the flow of ER O.R. for the highest quality of care,” said Millien. “I want to
patients, coordinating patient needs and transfers with make sure all of their questions are answered before the
labs and other departments, and responding to all codes surgery and that they feel comfortable and relaxed.”
within the hospital. What’s the best thing about being a nurse? Millien said,
Wright-D’Orazio has been part of the care team in “That I can help my patients in their time of greatest need.
Miramar for more than 14 years, beginning work the day It makes me happy to hear that they had a great experience
the hospital opened, following time spent as an EMT after at our hospital due to the effort and personalized care we provide as a team.
high school. She says the facility is very family-oriented To be a successful O.R. nurse, Millien feels you need a combination of compassion,
and its many longtime employees work well together. commitment and assertiveness. “You have to be passionate about what you do! A career
“I appreciate how active Memorial is in the communi- in healthcare is not just a job, it is a commitment to your patients that every day you will
ty,” said Wright-D’Orazio, a clinical manager since 2012. “We participate in events, col- give 110% to make sure they are safe.”
laborate with EMS, and improve the lives of residents in our area.”
Suvitha Chandran, RN, BSN
Mariagala Morales, RN
Suvitha Chandran, RN, BSN, serves as a clinical manager
Mariagala Morales admits her job can be an “emotional of acute care at Memorial Regional Hospital South, which
rollercoaster,” but her work in the cardiac telemetry area is home to South Florida’s largest provider of physical reha-
of Memorial Hospital Miramar also comes with major bilitation services known as Memorial Rehabilitation
benefits. Institute. She specializes in telemetry, medical surgical and
“I’m selfishly selfless, so helping people on some of the IMCU also known as intermediate care. Her 17-year nurs-
worst days of their lives brings joy to my soul,” said ing career started in India where she gained telemetry and
Morales, who most often works with those who have had ICU experience. In 2007 she transferred to the United
heart failure. “I enjoy seeing them go from really sick to a States and joined Memorial Healthcare System in 2008.
much better place.” “My goal is to provide safe and high quality service to all
Morales has been involved in many aspects of care of my patients and families by exemplifying compassion,”
delivery in her two years in the Memorial system – includ- said Chandran. “As the first point of contact, nurses help
ing making assessments, implementing procedures, and administering medication – but uplift spirits and calm nerves contributing to positive patient outcomes.” Chandra stress-
feels being a patient advocate is her most important role. It’s there that she can best bring es that nurses are the cornerstone of healthcare systems because the profession is highly
skills and compassion learned from parents who were both nurses to relationships that rewarding for individuals who genuinely care about people at every ages. “Providing
bridge the space between the medical staff, patients, and families. emotional support and encouragement allows patients to feel uplifted and stay positive”

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com May 2019 21