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Fabiana Peixoto, RN, BSN Krystal Caisapanta, RN, BSN

Some of the highest praise a nurse can receive is to be Krystal Caisapainta doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that she’s
described as an “exceptional leader” having “selfless dedica- on duty when patients come into her hospital’s 24/7
tion,” “passion,” and a “commitment to patients and team.” Emergency Care Center. “I feel like I’m destined to be there at
Within Memorial Healthcare System, saying someone “embod- that moment, to walk them through the emergency depart-
ies our culture of deeper caring and smarter healthcare” is an ment experience, managing expectations, and helping them
even larger compliment. understand what resources are available moving forward.”
All those words were recently written to describe the daily A nurse for nearly four years, with half that time spent with-
performance of Float Pool Clinical Manager Fabiana Peixoto. in Memorial Healthcare System, Caisapanta enjoys using her
“Fabi doesn’t realize how impactful her optimism, passion, persistence, resilience, and skills to assess the variety of injuries and illnesses that come through the door. Some of
leadership are on the department's morale because this is who she is as a person,” said that involves recognizing a true emergency and having the ability to act and help people
Stephanie Paultre, nurse manager of Float Pool & Staffing. “Her light never fizzled dur- during their most trying times.
ing the pandemic; it only shined brighter with each challenge she faced.” Caisapanta grew up as the oldest of six siblings and says she always wanted to be of
Peixoto was a zoologist in her native Brazil before realizing nursing was her true call- service, so nursing was a natural next step in her life. While she’s thankful to be recog-
ing. “I like to influence people, help them heal, and lead our staff by example. The con- nized by MHS leadership, her desire is for all the nurses she works with to be applauded,
nections we can make are powerful,” she said. especially given the last two years of COVID-19. “I wouldn’t have succeeded without
them,” she says.
Sharon Terry, RN IV, MSN, PCCN

While Sharon Terry is always quick to share knowledge with MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
fellow nurses, she’s now taking her outreach to the next level.
The relief charge nurse has established a “Test Your Knowledge
Corner” on 6 Central where each month she posts information La Tanya Forbes, RN, MSN, CNOR
on a new and interesting medical topic for nurses to review.
“Sharon is a leader that has the ability to motivate others to
learn and be better practitioners,” said Senior Clinical Nurse As the director of safety and compliance for Memorial
Educator Diana Villada. “She has a strong sense of dedication, Healthcare System, La Tanya Forbes preaches to those she
accountability, and responsibility to her team and the patients trains to ‘see it, say it, and fix it.’ “We talk about being aware,
they care for.” keeping your eyes open, head in the game, and trusting your
Villada says Terry is respected by both peers and managers, and her work as a preceptor gut instincts,” said the longtime patient advocate.
has drawn raves as well. Nurse residents have commented about her patience, caring, Having started a (‘not on my watch’) campaign to empower
and willingness to go out of her way to ensure they grasp new concepts and skills staff to act when they sense things aren’t right, Forbes was grat-
ified to hear that two Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital security
guards recently prevented a possible rape while at Fort
Lauderdale beach during spring break. The women heard
MEMORIAL PRIMARY CARE someone screaming and acted as if the stranger was their lost friend to extract her from
the situation.
“Being a parent, you’d want someone to help your family member in difficult circum-
Heather Gibson, LPN stances,” said Forbes. “That’s what we’ve established at Memorial. A culture where we
look out for each other, communicate, and use teamwork to improve outcomes.”
The patients Heather Gibson works with in her role as a case
manager have chronic conditions, including HIV/AIDS, hyper-
tension, lupus, cancer, and diabetes, to name just a few. Given
their ongoing health issues, it’s critical they get the appropriate MEMORIAL REHABILITATION INSTITUTE
care at the right time.
“I help them navigate a system they often don’t understand,”
said Gibson, a member of the Memorial Healthcare System for Laura Francis, RN, BSN
three years. “That means making appointments with special-
ists, scheduling labs, and caring for them like members of my The patients Laura Francis works with as an acute
own family.” rehab/telemetry nurse have had life-altering medical proce-
It’s her unique style of ‘hand-holding’ that inspires those she helps to send letters dures, including surgeries to remove cancers, kidney and heart
thanking her for being someone they can trust. “The follow-up care we provide makes a transplants, LVADs, and peritoneal dialysis. Being one of their
difference in their lives. I believe what we do keeps these individuals from falling through caregivers is, literally, a one-day-at-a-time journey. “They have
the cracks. to learn to live in a different way and find their path back into
Its also helped me find my place and understand this work is my calling,” said Gibson.
society. A nurse’s patience and understanding is critical to the
progress they can make,” she said.
Laura London-Weaver, RN, BSN An RN for nearly seven years that has been with Memorial
more than half that time, Francis always wanted to be a care-
Laura London-Weaver has been a nurse for more than three giver. She was inspired by a nurse in Jamaica (coincidentally also named Francis) that
decades, first at the bedside, then in case management, and was helpful and respected in the community.
now as director of quality that focuses on preventative care for Today, Francis is the one leading the way at MRI, taking on the role of charge nurse,
the community. co-chairing the clinical ladder committee, and mentoring younger colleagues. “I encour-
“There is a gap in health equity, and we look at the social dis- age my colleagues to let their personalities shine and ask questions when clarification is
parities that affect why that is,” said London-Weaver, who also needed. It’s our job to provide knowledge that will make them more comfortable and
manages Broward County’s grant program for uninsured pop- competent.”
ulations. “Sometime there is a lack of knowledge about healthy
lifestyles, but it can also be lack of access to resources, trans- ••••••••••••••••••••••••
portation to where care is provided, or trust in the system.”
To overcome these and other obstacles, Memorial has taken the lead in actively man- Visit us online at
aging their patient’s healthcare journeys, providing a medical home that includes educa-
tion, connections to internal and/or community resources, and, in some situations, tak-
ing mobile units to where groups of people are. “We know the different communities and www.southfloridahospitalnews.com
cultures,” said London-Weaver. “It’s rewarding to break down barriers and provide the
access to services everyone should have.”

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com May 2022 17