James Yoo

Ochsner Health, a not-for-profit health system based in New Orleans, recently announced it will be the first U.S. hospital system to commit to an innovative program that will offer employment to Ukrainian nurses.

Ochsner Health will be the first U.S. hospital system to commit to the “Passport2Liberty” initiative created by CGFNS International. The Passport2Liberty will help Ukrainian nurses who want to migrate to the United States and continue their careers here. CGFNS is the largest credentials evaluation organization for nursing in the world. 

Ochsner Health and the Catholic Health Association of the United States will pilot the program with help from The American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, and an international nurse placement agency. Ochsner Health encompasses forty hospitals and more than 300 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Gulf South. 

---

---

Ochsner Health expects to welcome eight Ukrainian nurses into their ranks this fall, employing them and providing them with support as they integrate into their new homes. Warner Thomas, President and CEO of Ochsner Health, said in the release, “I am so proud of our creative and empathetic nursing teams at Ochsner Health, who saw a need to help their fellow nurses from Ukraine, and shared with leadership this idea to participate. Not only will this program be part of our international RN recruitment strategy, but it’s the right thing to do.”

In a release issued by his organization, CGFNS President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Franklin A. Shaffer spoke of the need that the Passport2Liberty initiative is filling. 

“CGFNS created the Passport2Liberty initiative to address the challenges faced by Ukrainian nurses during this time of crisis,” he said. “It is grounded in the belief and commitment that safe, orderly, regular migration is a human right, and that the global community has a responsibility to ensure that refugees in all situations are aptly supported and empowered.”

The eight Ukrainian nurses will commit to remaining with Ochsner for a minimum of two years.  Speaking of her enthusiasm for the role that Ochsner will play, System Chief Nursing Officer Tracey Moffatt said in the release, “I’m grateful that we are able to sponsor nurses from the country of Ukraine and hope that they can heal and find joy in their work here at Ochsner. Nurses have a legacy of bravery and strength in the most difficult times, starting when Florence Nightingale brought nurses to aid soldiers in the Crimean War. We welcome these brave nurses and their families into our community.”

---

---

To learn more about the program, visit passport2liberty.org. Ukrainian nurses seeking information specific to their situation can fill out the general information form at www.passport2liberty.org

Going above and beyond is all in a day’s work for nurses, but when Kimberly Still adopted her patient’s dog after the woman passed away, she changed her own life and captured hearts around the nation.

Nurse adopts dog of patient who died

Kimberly Still is a nurse at Northside Hospital Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Recently assigned to the care of a terminally ill elderly patient, she quickly established a close bond. The two spoke extensively, and Kim learned that the woman had no children or nearby family. She also heard about Jax, the woman’s chihuahua mix, and of her patient’s concerns about what would happen to her pet after her death.

“She didn’t have any kids. She didn’t have any family close by. So all she really had as this dog,” Kim recalled in an interview with 23ABC News.

---

---

Kim has been a nurse for four years, and notes that there are some patients with whom a special bond is formed. “I could have never guessed the connection that you develop with some people when you take care of them.”

When her patient eventually passed, Kim spoke with family members who had flown in to make final arrangements. As the woman had feared, the family planned to surrender the dog to a local shelter. That’s when Kim knew she needed to act.

Still already had one dog, and though she’d had no intention of adding to her family, she worried that “he was not going to be given a good chance, and possibly be put down if he didn’t get out of the shelter.” She made the decision to adopt Jax herself, a decision that has been rewarded by the dog’s good nature. Jax and her dog have become best friends, and Kim says, “I am never going to get rid of him. He is so sweet. He is one of the most loving dogs ever.”

Kim has been praised and rewarded for her kind and compassionate act. Her coworkers at Northside Hospital Gwinnett celebrated her by nominating her for The Daisy Award, an international program established in the memory of J. Patrick Barnes by his family. The program allows patients, family members, and hospital staff to recognize extraordinary compassionate care being provided by a nurse.

When The Daisy Foundation posted on social media about Kim’s act of kindness, the response was heartfelt. Wrote one follower, “How kind. We need to be reminded often of even the seemingly smallest of kind acts [and] that there are still decent human beings out there.” Another’s response was more personal, remarking, “I’m so touched by this story. As a pet owner with no children or a lot of family, I’ve thought of this scenario. This patient is very lucky she met this nurse.”

---

---

As for Kim, she says that Jax and his owner both “changed her life,” and that he serves as a daily reminder of what nursing is all about. “People need to feel heard, and they need to feel like someone cares about them,” she said.

Two years ago, the Office of the Surgeon General published its Call to Action to Improve Maternal Health. That document noted that despite access to world-class medical care, the maternal mortality rate in the United States was higher than that of countries that are similarly technologically advanced. The report called racial and ethnic disparities “especially concerning” and called for evidence-based measures to be put in place. In keeping with this urgent request, researchers from the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons set out to explore the impact a diverse registered nurse workforce has on maternal health outcomes. They concluded that “A diverse state registered nurse workforce is associated with reduced risk of severe adverse maternal outcomes during childbirth.”

Main points:

• Racial and ethnic diversity in a state’s registered nurse workforce is associated with reduced risk of severe adverse maternal outcomes
• Diversifying the registered nurse workforce may significantly reduce racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes
• The study used 2017 U.S. birth certificate data, identifying how many births in each state included a severe adverse maternal outcome and comparing that number to the proportion of that state’s nurses that were racially and ethnically diverse.

What did the report say about diversity and health outcomes?

The researchers investigated whether there was a link between the number of mothers who had suffered severe adverse maternal outcomes — defined as eclampsia, blood transfusion, hysterectomy and intensive care admission — to the diversity of their states’ nursing workforce. They also categorized mothers who had suffered these outcomes by their race. 

---

---

What they found was that there was a significant difference between the number of severe adverse maternal outcomes in the states with the lowest level of diversity in its workforce and those with the greatest. By mother’s race, the researchers found that the incidence of severe adverse maternal outcomes was:

• White mothers: 85.3 per 10,000 in states in the first tercile and 53.9 per 10,000 for those in states in the third tercile
• Black mothers: 130.6 per 10,000 in states in the first tercile and 85.7 per 10,000 for those in states in the third tercile
• Hispanic mothers: 100.3 per 10,000 in states in the first tercile and 51.1 per 10,000 for those in states in the third tercile
• Asian and Pacific Islander mothers: 96.0 per 10,000 in states in the first tercile and 62.9 for those in states in the third tercile.

After correcting the data for patients and hospital characteristics, the researchers concluded that for white mothers, delivering in states in the third tercile of registered nurse diversity yielded a 32% reduced risk of severe adverse outcomes, while for Black, Hispanic, and Asian and Pacific Islander mothers the reduction was 20%, 31%, and 50% respectively. 

The significance of the report’s findings

The study’s authors emphasized the actions that could be taken as a result of their findings. Guohua Li, MD, DrPH, professor of epidemiology and anesthesiology at Columbia Mailman School and VP&S said, “This study is important because persistent racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality are of public health significance and because health care workforce diversity is amenable to policy interventions. He pointed to the advantages to be gained by increasing minority representation in nurses, saying, “Demographic diversity is widely regarded as a strength of the United States. Our study indicates that workforce diversity could also be a major strength of the U.S. health system, which benefits the entire population.”

First author Jean Guglielmiotti, MD, Ph, in the Department of Anesthesiology noted that “Structural racism in public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms works to perpetuate racial group inequities and what we believe contributes to these disparities in severe adverse maternal outcomes, independent of poverty and other social determinants of health,” with black and Native Americans at the greatest risk.

While noting that their findings “hold up for white mothers as well as for mothers of color,” Li added that the study demonstrates that a more diverse nurse workforce could help to “reduce provider implicit bias and enhance communications and trust between patients and clinicians.” to diversify the workforce with the goal of addressing racial and ethnic disparities.

How did they do the study? 

The researchers used the American Community Survey’s 5-year estimate from the years 2013-2017 to identify the proportion of minoritized racial and ethnic nurses in each state. They divided each state into thirds in which the first third had the lowest proportion of diverse registered nurses, ranging for 3.3-14 percent, and the third had the highest proportion with ranges of between 32 and 68 percent. They then used 2017 U.S. Birth Certificate data to determine that out of 3,668,813 birth certificates included in the study, 29,174 (or 0.8 percent) recorded severe adverse maternal outcomes, identified as eclampsia, blood transfusion, hysterectomy, or intensive care unit admission.

The highest incidence of severe maternal adverse effects were identified as occurring among Native American mothers (1.75 percent), with Black mothers next at 1 percent, mothers of more than one race also at 1 percent, white mothers at 0.74 percent, Asian/Pacific Islander mothers at 0.73 percent, and Hispanic mothers at 0.7 percent.

---

---

“It became a healing journey for a lot us. We got to use the power of music to heal others, and to heal ourselves as well.”   Emanuel Remilus, member of the Northwell Health Nurse Choir

During the worst days of the global pandemic, New York was one of the hardest hit places on the planet. The staff at Northwell Health System, New York’s largest private health system, arguably saw more patients than any other organization. Yet in the midst of darkness and despair, the Northwell Health Nurse Choir emerged to offer hope and healing. 

Who is the Northwell Health Nurse Choir?

The Northwell Health Nurse Choir is a group of 18 nurses from New York’s largest private health system, the 23-hospital Northwell Health System. The group is made up of front-line nurses who came together during the pandemic, using music to capture the essence of the collaboration, teamwork, and sacrifice that healthcare workers around the country demonstrated during the worst days of the global pandemic

---

---

The choir members are:

Jodi Beasley – Cardiac Nurse, Long Island Jewish Medical Center

Jodi Beasley is a wife, mother, and grandmother who enjoys cooking, singing, and educating patients.

Darice Borlaza – PACU Nurse, Long Island Jewish Medical Center

A lifelong singer, Darice Borlaza is a dedicated mother of three who is active in her church.

Jenny Philip Chacko – Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Phelps Hospital

In addition to singing and nursing, Jenny Philip Chacko is a disability advocate.

Gaelle Clesca – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Cohen Children’s Medical Center

When she isn’t working or studying for her PhD, Gaelle Clesca spends time with her family, ballroom dancing, and singing.

Danielle Filippone – Registered Nurse, Staten Island University Hospital

Inspired to become a nurse after witnessing the care her mother received, Danielle Filippone uses song to communicate with her 7-year-old son, who has autism.

Janelle Garcia – Hematology-Oncology Nurse, North Shore University Hospital

Janelle Garcia enjoys dancing and watching shows on Netflix. She comes from a family of nurses.

Julieta Hernandez – Registered Nurse, Cohen Children’s Medical Center

Julieta Hernandez loves travel and Italian food and is known for singing to premature babies in the NICU.

Josh Hombrebueno – Cardiothoracic ICU Nurse, South Shore University Hospital

Josh Hombrebueno teaches chemistry and enjoys cooking. He started singing in high school and continued through college.

Keshia Jaboin – Assistant Nurse Manager, North Shore University Hospital

Keshia Jaboin loves traveling and singing. She cherishes every day and loves being a nurse.

Lisa Kennedy – Registered Nurse, Long Island Jewish Medical Center

In addition to singing, Lisa Kennedy loves being a lactation consultant and helping mothers to bond with their babies.

Winnie Mele – Director of Perioperative Services, Plainview Hospital

A nurse for over four decades, Winnie Mele loves spending time with family, especially her three sons.

Christian Montanez – Float Registered Nurse, North Shore University Hospital

Christian Montanez’ musical talents go beyond singing: He plays guitar and beatbox, and he raps too!

Shonda Ramirez – Nurse Case Manager, Long Island Jewish Forest Hills

Shonda Ramirez attributes her love of singing to her mother. She is a mother of four and has been an ED nurse for almost 30 years.

Emanuel Remilus – Nurse, Cohen Children’s Medical Center

After spending significant time in the hospital as a child, Emanuel Remilus was inspired to become a pediatric nurse himself.

Jonell Kenneth Robles – Assistant Nurse Manager, Lenox Hill Hospital

In addition to singing, Jonell Kenneth Robles loves travel, fitness, playing piano and saxophone, and spending time with family and friends.

Ben Thomas – Nurse Educator, Plainview Hospital

Ben Thomas is passionate about educating his patients. He and his wife, who also works for Northwell Health, are parents of small, active children.

Cassidy Toben – Nurse Manager, Lenox Hill Hospital

Cassidy Toben enjoys travel and spending time with family and friends. She is grateful that her lifelong passion for music led to participation with the choir.

What’s their story? How did they start?

The nurses who make up the Northwell Health Nurse Choir are all health-care heroes in their own right. They were each hard at work, doing their best to deliver high quality patient care through the worst days of New York’s battle against COVID-19, when an email arrived inviting the system’s entire nursing staff to submit 30-second auditions to participate in what was to be a one-time event: A virtually-recorded song that would be broadcast at a celebrity concert benefiting Nurse Heroes Live on Thanksgiving Day 2020.

Those selected each prepared their own recording of either Stand by Me or Lean on Me, and those videos were spliced together for the performance. The nurses reveled in the chance to share their talents to raise awareness of the global nursing shortage and to provide funds for nursing scholarships. The end result was met with such enthusiasm that one year later the group was invited to participate in the popular NBC television show America’s Got Talent! Rehearsing for the show was the first time the individual members got to meet one another face-to-face.

The national audience that watched the show fell in love with the choir. Their reception was wildly enthusiastic, and they were pushed through to the competition’s finals by celebrity host Howie Mandel, who used the show’s “Golden Buzzer” to fast-track them. Though they did not win in the finale, the Northwell Health Nurse Choir inspired the nation. 

Where have they appeared? 

Though the heady days of America’s Got Talent are long gone, the Northwell Health Nurse’s Choir continues to be both popular and inspiring. They have been invited to appear and perform at all types of occasions and appearances, including:

• In December of 2021, the choir performed at Carnegie Hall as part of the MasterVoices’ A Joyful Noise concert marking the holiday season and celebrating a return to live performances following the pandemic.
• At the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s national conference in Atlanta, Georgia, they performed You Will Be Found from the Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen while a photo montage of nurses during the pandemic was shown.
• The group performed “We Need A Little Christmas” at “In Performance at The White House: Spirit of the Season.”
• The choir was invited to perform on Live with Kelly and Ryan as part of their “Very New York Christmas” show.
• The group performed at the 2021 Time Person of the Year Awards celebration.
• Northwell Health Nurses Choir was the opening act for Train at the Jones Beach Theater in June of 2022.
• The choir performed at Fenway Park for Boston Red Sox’ Nurses Night.
• On March 17, 2022, the group led the261st Annual New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade with fellow essential worker heroes.

Where will they appear next?

While the choir has no new events posted on their Instagram page, their recent appearance as the opening act for Train at the group’s AM Gold Tour performance at the Jones Beach Theater may be an indication of things to come. In the meantime, they will continue to be remarkable ambassadors for their organization, singing and shining a spotlight on the nursing profession.

 

---

---

​​