I have known Tina for a few years and with every encounter that I have had I am impressed by her compassion and willingness to go above and beyond for her patients. A recent example of this would be a patient that she referred to our team for assistance with his diabetes management.

The patient had stopped taking his medication and was not managing his diabetes effectively. Tina told me of how she tried to create a bond with the patient by telling him that they were both Italian and discussing some of the reasons why their ethnic background might make it difficult to manage diabetes. She also tried to encourage him to exercise and eat the right food items. She told me how she felt so badly for him and that he just needed to start paying more attention to caring for himself and his diabetes. She tried to point out some examples of easy ways that he could exercise and eat right. She also instructed him to give his injections in his abdomen, something that he had never been taught to do before. She told him that he might not need so much insulin since it is absorbed so much better in this area.

By the time I saw him there was not much else to do. She had focused on just what the patient needed and did it with caring and compassion. Our team often gets called to see patients who are "non-compliant," and we try to get the nursing staff to look at why this is happening to the patient. With Tina I have never had to point this out. She sees each patient as a unique individual, deserving of care and a "fresh start".