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Heroes like Arianna Piazza, Carmen Rentas-Diaz,
Odette Santos, and Henry Krystofolski do the unexpected on
behalf of others without ever looking for, or expecting,
recognition. Today, I’d like to highlight those who make a
positive difference in often difficult situations in support of
the residents and visitors of Southwest Florida.
Health care is complex, intense and high pressured. Caregivers,
physicians, support staff and volunteers are team members in our
hospitals, outpatient centers and physician offices who perform
small and large miracles every day and every night on behalf of
patients and families. They celebrate joys and supportively cry
with patients and families during hard times.
Over this past year, many team members have shouldered extra
responsibilities, on top of their regular challenging roles
while continuing to care for their patients with even more
passion and dedication. The employees who work within the halls
of Lee Memorial Health System remain devoted to caring and
compassionate patient care in Southwest Florida.
Arianna Piazza is just one of those employees. Just two days
after Gulf Coast Medical Center (GCMC) opened, Arianna, a
Nutrition Services Assistant from Cape Coral Hospital, was
working at GCMC to help with the transition of the former
Southwest Regional Medical Center into Gulf Coast Medical
Center. While delivering items to the cafeteria, Arianna heard a
woman screaming for anyone who spoke Spanish. Fortunately
Arianna was able to understand the lady and found out that she
was having a baby—at that very moment! Arianna helped the woman
to the ground and assisted her as she delivered the baby right
in the lobby. Within a couple of minutes, clinical staff arrived
and helped the new mother and baby to a room.
It takes amazingly strong, giving and compassionate individuals
to work in the demanding world of patient care. Many of our true
health care heroes work behind-the-scenes and never have their
stories told to the public.
Carmen Rentas-Diaz, a Medical Assistant in our SunCoast Surgical
Associates physician office, was recently helping a physician
during a seminar at one of our hospitals. Carmen noticed that
one of the audience members seemed to be having medical issues.
Carmen spoke with him several times during the session, and
noticed that his symptoms were becoming increasingly worse.
After some time, she convinced him to go with her to the
Emergency Department…and the staff quickly diagnosed he was
having a heart attack. Carmen’s attentiveness to the seminar
participants allowed her to identify a problem early and avoided
an unfortunate outcome.
On one of the coldest days this year, a patient in Cape Coral
Hospital called the Coral Tree Gift Shop asking if it sold shoes
or had a consignment shop. Gift shop manager Odette Santos asked
a volunteer to take a pair of Scuffs to the patient, who then
told the volunteer he could not afford the shoes. He had been
admitted in an ambulance through the Emergency Department and
had no shoes. Odette immediately called Henry Krystofolski, the
manger of the Cape Coral Hospital’s Auxiliary Thrift Store. Soon
after, a package arrived for the patient. Inside were not only
shoes, but pants and a sweater that the Thrift Store had donated
to the patient.
In our health system, there are all types of heroes. There are
those who provide life saving operations and treatments and
there are those who make their difference in a much quieter way.
Whether it is saving a life or being there when a mother-to-be
needs you, Lee Memorial Health System appreciates each one of
our heroes…who are mostly quiet, behind the scenes heroes that
make a difference in the lives of our patients and their
families every day and every night.
I am proud of all of our local heroes and know you are too.
These are caring people, caring for people.
Peace,
Jim Nathan, LMHS President
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