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NEWARK, NJ --- Roselle resident Tatiana Alvarez , RN, BSN, CCTC, a transplant coordinator at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is in the spotlight once again. This time her achievements have gained national attention, earning her the coveted 2006 Nursing Excellence Clinical Care Award from Nursing Spectrum magazine. Ms. Alvarez joins a select group of nurses who were lauded for their expertise in their chosen areas of nursing. Ms. Alvarez actually qualified for the award this past spring, when she won Spectrum's regional competition (NY/NJ). Described as in her nomination, Ms. Alvarez is "an accomplished nursing leader who is recognized for her many contributions to nursing and patient care. She is seen as someone who possesses an unwavering commitment to sharing her knowledge and talents and to giving her patients the best care possible."
Administrators and staff at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, (NBIMC) an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, agree and note the significance of her accomplishments.
"Tatiana's achievement on this level speaks volumes about her success and determination to positively impact the level of patient care at Newark Beth Israel," says Nancy Shendell-Falik, vice president of Patient Care Services at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. "She has gone the extra mile in educating and caring for patients. As a result, doors have been opened, creating opportunities for a higher level of patient care."
Alvarez was nominated for the award by Newark Beth Israel Nursing Leadership
for her unwavering commitment to Hispanic patients who seek transplantation as a treatment option. Her service excellence and a willingness to share her expertise in addressing the needs of the Hispanic transplant patient also earned her recognition.
Ms. Alvarez has been a member of the Newark Beth Israel nursing staff since 1997. She is a Level III Professional Advancement System Nurse, the highest level a nurse can achieve at The Beth. She is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the intricate evaluation process for transplant candidates and living donors. In recognizing the language barrier for non-English speaking Hispanic patients, Tatiana developed several successful bilingual education tools that have given her patients and their family members a better understanding about kidney and pancreas transplantation. In addition, she designed a bilingual patient survey that has given her patients a greater voice in the care that they receive.
Ms. Alvarez has increased her patients' chances of successfully being matched with a donor by reaching out to and recruiting their families in Spanish-speaking South American countries. Working with international transplant centers and the American Embassies in these countries, Ms. Alvarez helps family members overcome barriers to being tested as potential donors. Based on the results of their testing, some relatives have been brought to the United States from Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. According to the Newark Beth Israel Renal and Pancreas Transplant team, one was successfully transplanted and three others are pending for later this year.
Those who work closely with Ms. Alvarez say that she maintains an open door policy, owning any situation that presents itself. She has excelled and demonstrated nursing leadership within and outside of the medical center. Selected to serve on the national Minorities Affairs Committee of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), she is called on frequently to lecture about transplantation to the Hispanic population. "I know firsthand from my own family experience that some people fall through the cracks because they cannot communicate their needs or trust the individuals caring for them. I am an immigrant from Colombia, South America, who has been very privileged and I now serve as a bridge to my patients…It is my commitment to share my knowledge and to give my patients the best care I possibly can."
Nursing Spectrum is an RN-led communications company that celebrates nurses and the profession of nursing. To learn more about the organization visit: NursingSpectrum.com or NurseWeek.com.
To learn more about the Renal and Pancreas Transplant Program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, please call 973-923-7555. Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is a 673-bed regional referral teaching hospital with specialized programs including heart, kidney and pancreas transplantation, cardiac surgery, robotic surgery, oncology, and maternal/child health services. Newark Beth Israel is home to Children's Hospital of New Jersey and the Saint Barnabas Heart Center (at Newark Beth Israel).
Date: October 2006
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