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Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Featuring Zulmarie Adorno-Maldonado, MSN, CRNA

PANA
Oct 12, 2022

Zulmarie Adorno-Maldonado, MSN, CRNA, is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico Nurse Anesthesia Program. Zulmarie is the clinical coordinator at UPMC York Memorial Hospital. She takes pride in her work, in her team, and in helping students make the most of their clinical rotation while at UMPC York Memorial Hospital. Her passion for providing safe anesthesia shows with every patient interaction, and she especially lights up when caring for Spanish-speaking patients. When asked what it means to be a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) of Hispanic heritage, Zulmarie responded:

“For me, being a CRNA is about serving the community and helping them to have a successful surgery and a quick recovery. I feel honored to be a Latinx CRNA, representing my culture through the care of my patients and being a familiar face for them and a communication tool in their preoperative journey. I'm committed to my profession and the safety my patients.”

🩺💙 For additional #HispanicCRNA stories in our #HispanicHeritageMonth blog series, click here.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Featuring Rigo Lemus

PANA
Oct 4, 2022

The orgullo, or pride, felt by many Hispanics who are living the American dream is a sentiment expressed by Rigo Lemus, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). He shares his experience of being both a health-care hero and an American hero. Thank you for serving our country, Rigo, and happy National Hispanic Heritage Month!

“As a recent graduate of the Allegheny School of Anesthesia at Duquesne University, I’m extremely proud to be a Latino CRNA. Being a second-generation immigrant, you are born with the weight of your parents’ dreams and struggles.

My Honduran parents came to this country with little to no English. I was often asked: ‘How could I not be successful if I was born here and know the language?’ This was usually followed with a motivational idiom like, “ponte las pilas,” which I think translates loosely to “put the batteries in.” So, with the “batteries in,” I went to work.

I proudly served in the U.S. Air Force during the Iraq War. Within a week of being honorably discharged, I started nursing school and worked for 10 years as a nurse. I started on a tele-floor and kept moving up until I worked a few years in a CTICU, always believing that one day I would reach my goal of being a CRNA. Now, as I embark on a new career, I am grateful for my Latin roots. All the years of hard work seem to have paid off just like my parents always preached to me: That an immigrant’s son can accomplish anything he puts his mind to with a little hard work and orgullo.”

🩺💙 For additional #HispanicCRNA stories in our #HispanicHeritageMonth blog series, click here.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Featuring Veronica Hincapie Escobar

PANA
Sep 26, 2022

Updated: Sep 30, 2022

Dr. Veronica Hincapie Escobar, DNP, CRNA, is a graduate of the Crozer Chester Medical Center Nurse Anesthesia Program at Villanova University. She is a Colombian immigrant who rose through the health-care ranks from environmental services to Registered Nurse (RN), and is now Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). She delivers anesthesia at WellSpan York Hospital with a positive attitude and is eager to continue to grow in her practice. When asked what it means to her to be a Hispanic CRNA, she responded:

“Being a Hispanic CRNA means that I get to show future generations that with discipline and determination you can exceed academically and professionally. The Hispanic resilience, positive outlook, work ethic, and empathy gave me the confidence to continue pursuing my dream to work as an anesthesia provider. Being a Hispanic bilingual CRNA gives me the satisfaction of providing high-quality and safe anesthesia care to our growing community.”

✨ Thank you, Dr. Hincapie Escobar, for sharing your thoughts and happy National Hispanic Heritage Month to the Hispanic communities you serve and all communities across Pennsylvania!