Maria Culangan and I work in the Infusion Center together at Victory Lakes. Maria exemplifies excellence in the areas of compassion, teamwork, advocacy, critical thinking, and family patient/family focus. There have been several situations in which she has demonstrated these qualities.
One example is when Maria took care of one of our cancer patients who arrived confused and weak. His wife was crying and distraught because the patient had fallen several times at home and she could no longer care for him by herself. Maria worked for hours assuring that the patient would receive the care he needed and that his wife would have assistance when they returned home. She advocated for this patient to be admitted and not be sent home, and she worked with the case manager to set up home health care for the patient. A few weeks later the patient returned looking and feeling much better. His wife was happy and pleased with the help they received from Maria. This is just one of many instances that she went above and beyond for her patient.
Maria always goes the extra mile, follows through with her word, and makes sure that patient issues are resolved to the best of her abilities. On a daily basis, I watch Maria as she cares for our patients and I see the compassion and love that she has for each and every one of them. She provides patients with the same quality of care that she would give to her own family members.
As Maria's team member, I know that I can always count on her when I need her. This is very important since we are a small team. Maria is always willing to help our patients by donating to their fundraisers and has donated money to purchase chemotherapy "Victory Bells". We give these to our patients when they complete chemotherapy.