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MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

MEMORIAL REGIONAL HOSPITAL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PEMBROKE

Joshua Caballero, RN, CCRN Jose Garcia, RN

Jose Garcia had plans to follow in his brother’s foot-
There are many occasions when Josh Caballero is
happy to have become a nurse, the most recent when steps and become a firefighter, but life, and his mother,
he helped save the life of a 33-year-old, mother of three had another path in mind.
that was dying of respiratory failure. “I had completed my training but, at that time, there
“The gratitude she and her family showed will were no jobs available,” said Garcia. “My mom always
always stay with me,” said Caballero, who works at the thought I should be a nurse and encouraged me to go
Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute’s Intensive back to school for that. Unfortunately, she passed away
Care Unit at Memorial Regional Hospital. “So many shortly thereafter, but I did take her advice.”
things in life have little meaning, but the care we pro- After graduating from Miami-Dade College and work-
vide is real, and it matters.” ing for another healthcare provider, Garcia joined the
Caballero has been a nurse for nearly nine years, all Memorial Healthcare System two and a half years ago.
of them in the Memorial Healthcare System, where his His daily focus is on stroke telemetry and heart patients
own mother worked for three decades and his parents met. The work in the CVICU at Memorial Hospital Pembroke, although he’s also a PICC line and resource nurse.
is challenging, but something the former paramedic feels prepared to handle. “It’s Another role he fills is as a preceptor, working with both experienced nurses and
the art of balancing the emotional and clinical aspects. Showing compassion while younger ones just beginning their careers. “I enjoy working with new grads and
also staying focused on critical hourly tasks.” watching them evolve. They keep my mind fresh during the training process, since
Caballero, a graduate of Broward College, appreciates the patient and family-cen- they’ve just come from the classroom and remind me of things I may not be currently
tered care Memorial strives to provide. “We’re staffed well, funded appropriately, and doing,” said Garcia.
given the time to really care for patients,” he said. “We never have to prioritize one His favorite part of the day, however, is caring for patients at the bedside. Garcia’s
person over another because there’s not enough nurses in the unit. It’s a good feeling goal is to create a healing environment through communication, relationship-build-
to be able to get everything done for those who are nearly always critically ill and in ing, and attending to the mind as well as the body. He firmly believes in Memorial’s
need of constant attention.” mission to provide patient and family-centered care and says joining Memorial
It’s safe to say that many others, including a mom and her three kids, are happy Hospital Pembroke has been a life-changing experience. “We’re a smaller facility and
about that too. very much like a family. It’s a team effort where the individual nurses are always
pushed to get better. I love working here.
I guess mom always does know best.”

SOUTH BROWARD COMMUNITY HEALTH
SERVICES MEMORIAL REGIONAL HOSPITAL SOUTH

Barbara Cole, RN Sara Fandino, RN

Barbara Cole’s patients are often in challenging situations. Sara Fandino, a nurse at the Memorial Rehabilitation
Many of those she sees at the South Broward Community Institute at Memorial Regional Hospital South, says the
Health Service’s OB/GYN clinic are uninsured and without job of attending to patients who have suffered strokes, lost
money for even the most basic pre-natal care. She worries limbs, or had traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries has
about their health, and their unborn babies, if they aren’t taught her a lot about life.
aware of the availability of programs that provide the neces- “You realize that any of us could be in that same situa-
sary care, regardless of an individual’s ability to pay. tion,” said Fandino, the nurse leader of the stroke council
“They’d be in danger, especially those with high-risk at Memorial Regional Hospital South. “People fall of lad-
pregnancies, and the chances of having a positive outcome ders and have car accidents every day and you see the
would be significantly less,” said the clinical nurse manager. world in a different way when you understand that not
“I’m fulfilled when we’re able to share the journey and help everyone can take breathing or walking for granted.”
women and a community that needs the services we pro- Fandino, a Broward College graduate, says many of
vide.” Cole’s clinic provides comprehensive, well-rounded pre-natal care that includes those who begin rehabilitation at the in-patient facility can’t talk or move and are often
fetal monitoring, labs, and ultrasounds. It’s all part of patient and family-centered care confused by their circumstances. In those cases, it’s especially important that individuals
that, in this case, hopefully leads to a healthy baby and mother. “When we accomplish keep a positive attitude and are open to the possibility of recovery.
that goal, it’s proof that our efforts weren’t in vain,” Cole said. “We recently had a young patient, probably 19 or 20, that was in a car accident, could-
Cole has been a nurse for nearly 30 years, all of them in the Memorial Healthcare n’t move his legs, and was wondering whether he’d ever be able to walk again,” said
System. She worked with moms and babies in labor and delivery at Memorial Regional Fandino. “He was overwhelmed by his situation and not interested in trying to move,
Hospital for the first nine years of her career before moving to community health serv- but we challenged him to match what an older patient was able to accomplish.
ices. “When I was first starting out, my thinking was that this type of nursing would be His attitude changed and he embraced three-hour daily therapy sessions. The patient
a happy place to be. I’ve since seen some things that certainly weren’t positive, but it still progressed to a walker and, five weeks later, left our facility with only a cane assisting
brings me joy knowing we did the best job we could and made a difference for those who him. That was the moment I knew that all of us - nurses, doctors, therapists, and the
didn’t have much else in their favor. entire MRI team – had transformed a life.”
It’s my way of giving back to society.”

MEMORIAL HOME HEALTH

Nancy Sens, RN works with others on the medical staff to provide the best
possible care. Some of the patients Sens sees are fellow
Nancy Sens hasn’t regretted even one day of the 32 years she’s been a nurse in South healthcare employees and she focuses on helping them get
Florida. “I’m proud to be in a profession that teaches tolerance and compassion,” said the back to work as soon as possible.
Memorial Home Health nurse. A former critical care specialist, Sens has been with “Memorial is a great place to work,” said Sens. “There are
Memorial Healthcare System for the past 16 years. She loves working directly with lots of opportunities for nurses, both clinical and adminis-
patients and their caregivers and seeing different cultures on display at the homes she vis- trative, and, for me, home health is a perfect fit.”
its. “Each have their own customs and it’s part of my job to adapt to them. It’s a privilege Memorial Home Health is committed to delivering the
to experience different environments.” Sens, who attended the University of South same patient and family-centered care offered throughout
Florida and graduated from Jackson Memorial Hospital’s nursing school, provides care, the Memorial Healthcare System. It provides a variety of
education, and assistance to individuals immediately following their discharge from a nurses, aids, and therapists to those who have been treated
hospital in the Memorial Healthcare System. She sees herself as an advocate for them and at any of its facilities.

34 May 2017 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News