Diego Pagan-Ortiz
May 2016
Diego
Pagan-Ortiz
,
MSN, BSN
Specialty Clinic in the Jacksonville Outpatient Clinic
North Florida South Georgia Veterans Health System
Gainesville
,
FL
United States

 

 

 

Integrity
Mr. Pagan-Ortiz is a man of integrity. His dedication in providing the highest standard of care possible for our brave men and women through education, policy enforcement and initiative and process improvement all throughout his career is impeccable.
His reputation in the VA community is flawless. He is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable, experienced, and skilled employees. In spite of this, he is ready to own up and accept his imperfections; that is integrity.
Commitment
Mr. Pagan-Ortiz has served our great nation as a Navy Corpsman for four years. He has served our veterans in the VA for the last 31 years as a staff nurse and nurse supervisor at Gainesville, South Point, and Jacksonville VA facilities.
Although he is the only permanent nurse in the Gastroenterology Clinic, (which has five providers) he would never complain about the situation. Instead, you see him cheerfully performing his tasks and responsibilities with a big smile in his face. He comes in early every morning to organize the clinic and have everything ready for the float nurse. He truly is the heart of the GI Clinic.
Advocacy
Mr. Pagan-Ortiz has truly embraced the principles of caring not only when he is at work, but also in the community. He not only cares for the patients, but he is much loved by his peers as well for the support and care that he shows for them. He currently serves as the President of The Friends of Nightingale, an organization that offers their services to the family of deceased nurses.
Respect
"Thank you for your service". These are the last words that he utters to our veterans every time he concludes his encounter with them on a given day. He always makes our soldiers feel appreciated and important. As a nurse in the VA system he inspires me to the same; to be more appreciative to all the sacrifices that our brave men and women had laid to protect our freedom.
Excellence
His 31 years of experience and dedication in caring and providing the best care for our brave men and women through education, policies, process and system improvement based on research, and his vast human resources in the VA nationwide and even in private sector are commendable. He created and updated the JOPC GI orientation packet and multiple educational forms for patients.
He inspires his colleagues to aim for higher education by serving as their mentors for their graduate studies including yours truly. He has been a good resource for his peers for many subject matters (i.e. policies, procedures, telephone numbers, even retirement). He knows the VA system inside and out. He has mentored many a nurses, opened and organized many clinics, and has inspired his peers to love and be proud of our nursing call.
The accomplishments and contribution that Mr. Pagan-Ortiz has given to the veterans and the VA as well as how he inspired the people around him to have the right attitude and be the best that they can for our brave men and women.