Cathy has cared for our area’s tiniest babies for more than 20 years. Even as a nursing student, Cathy loved babies and knew she wanted to work with them. “It’s the coolest thing to help the mom see her baby for the first time.” Cathy has a round-the-clock passion and commitment to the little ones in her care, and often calls into work to check on her patients when she’s off duty. NICU mom Jaime Yarussi says “Cathy was my lifeline. She seemed to know, at any given minute, what I needed.” Cathy enjoys seeing how much her patients have grown at our annual NICU Reunion.
As the nurse manager of Shady Grove’s Forensic Medical Unit, Jessica leads Montgomery County’s only team of nurses who specialize in caring for children and adults who are victims of rape, abuse, human trafficking and other crimes. She is deeply committed to making sure residents know that Shady Grove offers a safe, confidential place for survivors to seek medical care and find resources. Jessica and her team are specially trained not only to treat a patient’s physical and mental needs, but also to collect evidence. Jessica, who is certified as a sexual assault nurse examiner and a forensic nurse examiner, recently earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. She lends her expertise to several county initiatives, including the Montgomery County Sexual Assault Response Team and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Andrea Doctor, Director of Education for Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center, is motivated by helping others achieve their goals. Andrea provides staff with opportunities for growth by way of trainings, certifications, and options for continuing education. “My role affords me the opportunity to build the education program and to empower the nurses as they build the confidence they need to thrive.” Andrea was recognized by The Washington Post as a Star Nurse for 2020. She used her recognition to show other nurses that they can be star nurses as well. Andrea is leading by example as Director of Education; she expects to complete her doctoral program focusing on nursing research in December 2020.
As a medical surgical nurse at Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center, Ma Andrea cares for patients of varying conditions from those who are dealing with medical issues or diseases, or recovering from surgery. An important part of her work, and one that she enjoys most, is having the opportunity to establish a relationship with her patients and communicate often with them. As a nurse, she feels fulfilled when she sees her patients reactions and the difference she can make in their lives. She shared, “Even though it can get stressful, at the end of the day when I get home and reflect I realize that I did all that I could do to help them and that makes it worth it.”
Earlier this year, Ma Andrea’s unit shifted to care for COVID-19 patients. During this time, her team truly relied on one another for support. She explained, “Working through COVID-19 was challenging at first, but not anymore thanks to my incredible team. I am proud to be a nurse and do what I can to keep our community healthy.”
As an Infection Preventionist with Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Cindy carefully monitors staff compliance with hand hygiene protocols and Personal Protective Equipment for the various types of isolation each patient requires. Her work is critical to ensuring patient and staff safety at all times. Cynthia started with Adventist HealthCare in November of 2019, but is far from new to the field, enjoying 40 years of experience as a nurse, with 14 of them being in infection prevention & control. “It’s been a joy working for Adventist HealthCare and with other Infection Preventionists, as I’m encouraged and supported to act autonomously for my entity, as well as work collaboratively with my counterparts to draw strength from during these challenging times.” Cynthia has her Masters in Infection Prevention and is Certified in Infection Control.
