Page 16 - CNF April 2021

Volunteers
★ ★ ★ Salute to
★
★ ★

MEMORIAL HOSPITAL MIRAMAR

Nilda Ramos

Not even her own battle with cancer has slowed the vol-
unteer efforts of Nilda Ramos, a former nurse that has given
her time and talents to Memorial Healthcare System since
2010.
A talented seamstress, Ramos recently made more than
300 themed hats for nurses to sell as a fundraiser for co-
workers fighting cancer. She has also made caps and clothes
for babies that pass away and was part of the team that
sewed nearly 200 sleeping bags to give to the homeless. “My
mom worked at Lord & Taylor and I learned to sew while
serving as her translator,” said Ramos, who has also fixed the
clothes of fellow cancer patients.
“Nilda has continued to work behind the scenes throughout the pandemic,” said
Veronica Palmer, Memorial Hospital Miramar’s manager of volunteer services. “She is one
of our most beloved volunteers.” Pediatric Specialists

MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WEST Now in Doral

Rafael Esquivel The most advanced pediatric

Being hospitalized is a stressful situation for anyone, specialty care is now in the heart of
especially now that COVID-19 has kept family and friends Doral, just across from CityPlace.
from visiting patients in-person. Into that void is where
volunteer Rafael Esquivel has an impact, sharing conver- KIDZ Medical, a multispecialty
sation, prayers, and comfort to those who may be con- pediatric practice, can provide
fused, frightened, and in need of hope.
Offering his own brand of spiritual care through your children with state-of-the-art
telemedicine since the pandemic began, Esquivel uses an medical care and you, the parent, with peace of
education from the “University of Life” and an all-faith mind. Our medical team can see your kids for cardiology,
approach during the online visits that provide purpose in
his own life. “I’m overwhelmed to be allowed to do this and learn something new every nephrology, gastroenterology, pulmonary medicine,
day.” travel medicine and much more.
Esquivel has been involved in spiritual care since 2011, accumulating more than 5,000
service hours along the way. He “hasn’t skipped a beat,” according to Dalia Inman, the
manager of volunteer services at Memorial Hospital West, since the coronavirus made his Medical Staff in Doral:
daily visits virtual. “Rafael is an exceptional human being who demonstrates what giving Abdulwahab Aldousany, MD - Pediatric Cardiology
back is with every bit of himself. We’re very fortunate to have him in the Memorial fam-
ily.” Mariselis Rosa-Sanchez, MD - Pediatric Nephrology
Sheila Perez-Colon, MD - Pediatric Endocrinologist
MEMORIAL REGIONAL HOSPITAL Kunjana Mavunda, MD - Pediatric Pulmonology &
Travel Medicine
COVID-19 Vaccination Site Volunteers Mario Tano, MD - Pediatric Gastroenterology
Aymin Delgado-Borrego, MD - Pediatric Gastroenterology
While volunteers
haven’t been in hospitals Neeraj Raghunath, MD - Pediatric Gastroenterology
for more than a year, that
doesn’t mean they If you would like to discuss your child’s care, please
weren’t ready and willing
to be on-site in the fight contact Isabel Viera Gonzalez, Office Manager.
against COVID-19. In
early January, an area of
the conference center at
Memorial Regional
Hospital was converted K K
to a vaccination site and I I Z Z
volunteers were called in
to ensure the process ran
smoothly.
“Our volunteers assist- (l-r) Richard Russo, Carol Bartley, Patty Wood,
ed the clinical staff and and Carol Durocher
covered every shift at the
vaccination pod in Hollywood,” said David Reinmund, director of volunteer services at Medical
Memorial Regional and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospitals. “They provided a warm, wel-
coming environment and plenty of extra smiles to people excited about the opportunity
to be inoculated.”
Volunteers in the vaccination area included: Brenda Aisenberg, Carol Bartley, George Providing care to infants, children
Beren, Pat Cummings, Carol Durocher, Leonard Finver, Fran Fletcher, Rupert French,
Nancy Green, Duane Hart, Mary Hart, Marsha Hogg, Kenneth Iovino, Hazel Kalleta, Liz and moms since 1988
Kaufman, Jim Lamey, Lynn Lamey, Marteen Longo, Pat Martin, Sally McGee, Lorraine
O’Connor, Ligia Pagan, Leslie Parish, Merrylee Parnes, Carol Penn, Margaret Reydel,
Richard Russo, Virginia Sadolf, Arlene Seidner, Vicki Weber, and Patty Wood. 3785 NW 82nd Ave, Suite 307, Doral, FL 33166, 305-556-4263

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com April 2021 17