RISE UP: Real Issues and Stories of Everyone of Us Podcast

Our guest tonight is our incoming Philippine Nurses Association of America President, Dr. Gloria Lamela Beriones. 

Gloria Lamela Beriones is a transformational nurse leader with over forty years of exemplary contributions to nursing practice, leadership, education, and research. She is President-Elect of the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) and will assume the presidency in July 2022.

She is passionate in her role as a leader, change agent, educator, consultant, facilitator, and researcher. Dr. Beriones is a Coldiron Senior Nurse Executive Leadership Fellow, Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Beriones participated in the AARP Foundation / Robert Wood Foundation Future of Nursing 2020-2030 Campaign for Action Virtual Summit that developed action plans and measurable outcomes.

Dr. Beriones is the PNAA Foundation / PNAA Infection Prevention Control (IPC) Lead Champion for the  CDC Project Firstline. Together with two PNAAF /PNAA IPC Champions, they conducted and coordinated three Infection Prevention and Control Education and Training Series.

Dr. Beriones was a Nursing Director at Houston Methodist Hospital (HMH) for 14 years in the General Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Units; The recipient of Houston Methodist Hospital Nursing Leadership Award for her exemplary Nursing Leadership; was a Top 20 Outstanding Nurses by Texas Nurses Association District 9 for excellence in nursing leadership, education, and community outreach services.

Dr. Beriones was the recipient of Dr. Jose Rizal's Excellence Award for Nursing Leadership and Service by Knights of Rizal, Houston, TX. 

As a Manager of Education, Research, and Professional Excellence at Saint Francis Hospital Bartlett, Tennessee, she contributibuted to the building and strengthening of the shared governance councils, staff professional development, and creating the hospital RN Residency Program.

Dr. Beriones is a speaker at local, state, national, and international levels. She has presented numerous topics on leadership, clinical practice, education, and research; has written articles and publications. Her greatest passion in life as a leader is mentoring and making a difference in people's lives, particularly fellow nurses.

Hosts: Manny Ramos and Mindy Ofiana

Directed and Produced by: Rodney Cajudo

Executive Producers: Mary Joy Garcia-Dia and Carmina Bautista

Outgoing PNAA President Mary Joy Dia-Garcia joins us to relect as she exits her term as PNAA President.

Our returning guest tonight is our Philippine Nurses Association of America President, Dr. Mary Joy Garcia-Dia. Currently, she is the program director for Nursing Informatics in the Information Technology Department and the Center for Professional Nursing Practice at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Mary Joy led multiple clinical systems and electronic health record installations in various healthcare systems across the enterprise as Director of Clinical Systems. She has overseen remote patient monitoring platforms, workflow automation, and clinical alarm integration with mobile devices. Dr. Garcia-Día’s research interest in mobile technology and passion for raising awareness about nursing informatics led her to author and publish a book Project Management in Nursing Informatics.

Mary Joy serves on the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Steering Committee for the Future of Nursing Campaign for Action, a joint initiative of the AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She also serves as a member of the American Nurses Association’s National Commission on Addressing Racism in Nursing. As a past member of the National Advisory Council on Research for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Health, Mary Joy raises educational awareness in addressing the underrepresentation of minority health through grant projects and community-based participatory research. Her community engagement led to her fellowship at the New York Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Nursing.

Dr. Dia chairs the Advocacy Committee at the New York State Health Information Management Systems Society and is a Board member of the Center for Nursing at the Foundation of New York State Nurses.

Dr. Mary Joy Garcia-Dia is an inaugural member of the Coldiron Nurse Executive Fellowship through the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University.

We are privileged and honored to have Dr. Garcia-Dia, the 21st PNAA President, as she concludes her tenure for 2020-2022, living and breathing the theme of her presidency: SPARK: Stories of People, Achievements, Resilience, and Kindnes

Hosts: Manny Ramos and Mindy Ofiana

Directed and Produced by: Rodney Cajudo

Executive Producers: Mary Joy Garcia-Dia and Carmina Bautista

Our guest is ​​Nancy Hoff, who has served the PNAA Foundation in different capacities since 2013 and has been a PNAA member since 1989, where she served on several committees. She is the founding president of PNA Central California.

For 56 years, she has worked as a clinician, educator, administrator, and consultant for the nursing curriculum and nursing school accreditation process. She continues to find opportunities to influence healthcare and nursing education positively. She has been recognized and awarded leadership, mentorship, and education awards.            

Nancy had been inducted into the Central San Joaquin Valley Nursing Hall of Fame for promoting the nursing profession through a lifetime of dedicated work and achievement. She also has been awarded by California State University Fresno Health and Human Services Hero award in recognition of her significant impact and outstanding service that has made a difference for the region's residents.

Hosts: Manny Ramos and Mindy Ofiana

Directed and Produced by: Rodney Cajudo

Executive Producers: Mary Joy Garcia-Dia and Carmina Bautista

We have a panel of guests who are here to talk about running a local PNAA chapter.

We have Carol Robles, President of PNA Metropolitan Dc and the Chair of PNAA communications & Marketing and Lourdes Carreaga is the Senior Certification Outreach Specialist at the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association in Silver Spring, Maryland. Lourdes is the immediate past president of PNA Metropolitan DC and the chair of the Wellness Committtee.

Christine Pabico, is the Director of the Pathway to Excellence Program at the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is also the President-Elect of the Philippine Nurses Association of Metro DC.

Hosts: Manny Ramos and Mindy Ofiana

Directed and Produced by: Rodney Cajudo

Executive Producers: Mary Joy Garcia-Dia and Carmina Bautista

Our guest on this episode is Dr. Darlene Acorda who joins us to discuss Children with Medical Complexities.

Dr. Darlene Acorda is a Clinical Specialist in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Texas Children’s Hospital and a pediatric nurse practitioner in the community. She is also an adjunct faculty in the undergraduate program at the University of Texas Cizik School of Nursing and currently serves as the chair of the Clinical Practice and Research Committee of the Society of Pediatric Nurses. Her research focuses on the experience of children with medical complexity and their caregivers, especially those who are tracheostomy and ventilator dependent. She has received funding support from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare to explore how family caregivers perceive the use of high-fidelity simulation in learning tracheostomy emergency management. She also received funding from Sigma Theta Tau Zeta Pi Chapter to examine the challenges of caring for a child with medical complexity during a global pandemic. Her other research interest is in minimizing pediatric health disparities, improving the rapid response of critically ill children, increasing cultural competence in care, and merging research and quality improvement methods to implement interventions with a positive, sustained impact on the care of hospitalized children.   

Hosts: Manny Ramos and Mindy Ofiana

Directed and Produced by: Rodney Cajudo

Executive Producers: Mary Joy Garcia-Dia and Carmina Bautista

On this episode we have three panelists to talk about Memberships in PNAA.

Antonina Tobeo Mendoza, aka “Nancy “. Nancy graduated with a Doctor of Medicine from the Far Eastern University in the Philippines. Nancy moved to the United States and worked as an RN. She worked as a Charge Nurse, then Unit Manager in a Skilled Nursing Facility. She also worked as an Admission Liaison in Hospice Nursing and RN at the Partners Home Care. Currently, Nancy is a clinical coordinator. Nancy serves as the Treasurer of PNA New England.

Melissa Cunanan is the PNAA Membership Chairman and Asst. Treasurer. She served on the Executive Board of PNA North Texas (Dallas) as Treasurer (2012-2016), President-Elect (2016-2018), and President (2018-2020). She was the Circle of Presidents Regional Representative (COPRR) for PNA's South Central Region 2019-2020. Melissa received her BSN from the University of the Philippines. In 2021, Melissa received the PNAA President's Trailblazer Award.#

 Al Manila Espinas is a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi in the Philippines, Studied Programming and Networking Specialist at Brick Computer Science Institute, and Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Mr. Espinas is currently employed as a Quality Nurse consultant at the Regional Clinical Quality Programs and Data Analytics department of Kaiser Foundation Hospital and Health Plan.

Al is instrumental in forming several PNAA chapters. He was the founding President of the PNA Ocean County Subchapter in New Jersey when the chapter was formed in 1997. When he moved to Texas, he facilitated the formation of the PNA South Texas, Rio Grande Valley chapter in 2004, where he served as the interim President. In 2010, he once again sowed the seeds of the PNAA, which led to the formation of the PNA Greater Sacramento chapter and he served as their Adviser. Just when he thought he was done with chapter formation, he organized the PNA Napa-Solano chapter in 2018, where he still serves as their Adviser. Mr. Espinas' latest PNA involvement is not by forming a new one but by re-invigorating a nearly dormant chapter, the PNA Greater Sacramento, which was eventually renamed California Capital City (PNAC3).

Hosts: Manny Ramos and Mindy Ofiana

Directed and Produced by: Rodney Cajudo

Executive Producers: Mary Joy Garcia-Dia and Carmina Bautista

We have a panel of guests who are here to talk about iLDP, the Leadership Development Program of PNAA. iLDP is on its fifth year and has produced over 100 Fellows who have served as chapter presidents and has led different programs and committees not only in PNAA but also in other community organizations.

Dr. Priscilla Sagar is a Professor Emerita of Nursing at Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY. she is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing &  the New York Academy of Medicine. Dr. Sagar completed the iLDP in 2020 and currently serves as a mentor of the of new iLDP Fellows. 

Reglita Laput is the President of PNA Michigan. Reggie is an iLDP Fellow in 2019. She received the 2021 PNAA Nursing Excellence Award for Community and Population Health and the the 2021 PNAA Membership Century Award. 

Cris Escarrilla is the Chair of PNA San Diego Education Committee and Scholarship Awards. She’s a retired nurse with a many years of experience in nursing and has occupied leadership positions in her career. She is a 2021 iLDP Fellow and now serves as a mentor in the Program.

Retired Colonel Bob Gahol served for over 23 years. Most recently before retirement, he was the commanding officer of the U.S. Army’s largest medical recruiting battalion. Bob is a Board Member of PNAA and is the Editor in Chief of Inside PNAA, the online PNAA newsletter. He currently serves as a mentor to the iLDP Fellows. 

Hosts: Manny Ramos and Mindy Ofiana

Directed and Produced by: Rodney Cajudo

Executive Producers: Mary Joy Garcia-Dia and Carmina Bautista

Our guest is ​​Dr. Luigi Cendana, a board-certified general pediatrician who provides care for infants, children, and adolescents in Ridgecrest, California. 

He earned his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University with concentrations in nutritional sciences and biochemistry. Shortly after that, he spent 8 months in the Philippines, providing volunteer work at a charity hospital for the poor.

Upon returning to the United States in 2009, he started medical school at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. 

Following medical school, he entered pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital at Palms West Hospital in Loxahatchee, Florida. Since completion, he has served Palm Beach and Brevard counties in Florida as an outpatient Pediatrician and Pediatric Hospitalist, respectively. 

In 2017, Dr. Cendana joined the Ridgecrest Regional Hospital staff as a hospitalist and outpatient pediatrician. Since 2019, Dr. Cendana has provided care at the North Medical Campus Pediatric Center. 

Hosts: Manny Ramos and Mindy Ofiana

Directed and Produced by: Rodney Cajudo

Executive Producers: Mary Joy Garcia-Dia and Carmina Bautista

Our guest Dino Doliente joins us to talk about his nursing journey, how he found his way into more of the finance side of Nursing, his involvment with the PNAA Legacy Building, and the importance of fundraising for orgs like PNAA.

Dino has a unique experience in combination of roles,  in the acute and post-acute care industry from operations, to clinical and to finance leadership background. A high energy, innovative, flexible, enthusiastic, and dependable leader who excels in a dynamic, challenging, and competitive clinical and business environment. 

Currently works as the Vice President of Quality and Innovations at Rockport Health Services located here in Los Angeles, CA. A graduate of Saint Louis University for BSN and MBA, University of Phoenix and Doctor of Nursing Practice, Leadership and Management from Aspen University. The founding President of St Louis University Nurses Alumni Association International. The person that stays hungry and stays foolish, Our 19th PNAA President, Dr. Dino Doliente III.

Hosts: Manny Ramos and Mindy Ofiana

Directed and Produced by: Rodney Cajudo

Executive Producers: Mary Joy Garcia-Dia and Carmina Bautista

In Part 2 with Dr. Karriem Watson, Manny sits down with Dr. Watson and talks about the importance of the All of Us program and how it is helping many underserved communities and helping with medical reasearch on a large scale.

Dr. Karriem S. Watson is the Chief Engagement Officer of the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program. Dr. Watson leads the All of Us Research Program’s efforts to foster relationships with participants, communities, researchers, and providers across the U.S. to help build one of the largest, most diverse health databases of its kind to study health and illness. 

Prior to joining the NIH, Dr. Watson spent over 15 years as a community  engaged research scientists with prior research funding from the NIH addressing cancer prevention and control. Dr. Watson also held administrative roles in leading research and engagement in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in the Chicagoland area. 

Hosts: Manny Ramos and Mindy Ofiana

Directed and Produced by: Rodney Cajudo

Executive Producers: Mary Joy Garcia-Dia and Carmina Bautista