Hello, It’s Nice to Meet You – Catherine Crawford RN

May 1, 2012 By 1 Comment
Cathy

We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first women only surgical center in Southern Arizona – The Joel M. Childers Women’s Surgical Center. The center focuses on delivering gentle, specialized care for women undergoing surgery. Take a moment to meet Catherine, part of the dedicated staff caring for our community’s women. 

 Where are you from?
I was born in San Diego and moved to Tucson in 1969.

What do you love about Tucson?
I love the smell of the desert after the summer rains. The people in Tucson are so nice and even though it has grown it still has the feel of a small town.

When you’re not at work, what do you do for fun?
I love to sing. I am involved in my Church choir and I sing on the Praise Team. I also love to go biking with my husband and friends.  I am blessed with  wonderful peeps and enjoy going to dinner with them and our husbands on Friday nights. I love to travel and see my son perform professionally in Musical Theater Productions in New York and throughout the country.

What is the best aspect of your job?
I love working in women’s surgery. We work as a team and support each other in giving our patients safe care.  I feel it is such a priviledge to be a Nurse and to provide our patients with the care and respect they deserve.

What would you like women to know about the center?
When you are scheduled on our unit for surgery  all of the staff makes it a priority to give you safe care and to meet your needs. Our staff prides themselves in making each patient feel like they are the only patient we are caring for. It is the best place in Tucson to have any kind of women’s surgery.

I feel it is so important to educate women on the importance of getting yearly gynecological exams.  There is so much health information we can obtain from our gynecologists at our yearly appointments. I know there is some fear associated with these appointments because of the unknown but if we can educate women at a earlier age regarding what happens at these exams I know there are some diagnosis we can diagnose earlier and even some we can prevent.  Education is the key when it comes to Women’s Health Issues.

Filed Under: Hello, It's Nice to Meet You, Women's Surgery Tagged With: , ,

Celebrating 25 years of high-tech, yet gentle care for women

April 27, 2012 By 1 Comment
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Photographs courtesy of Cindy Creed

Tracy is a surgical RN. She has a healthy respect for the operating room and doesn’t take lightly the idea of surgery. That sentiment was evident last Saturday when she spoke with a group of 50 women and surgical staff about how she felt when faced with her own surgery. Tracy talked of the fears she had when told of her need for surgery. She worried about the recovery, taking care of her family and the impact of a ‘woman’s surgery’ on her sense of womanhood. She also shared the relief when those fears were not realized – the swift recovery from surgery allowing her to get back to her regular routine, being able to maintain her sense of self, the importance of being in an environment dedicated to women’s surgery, and the relief of her symptoms thanks to the use of a robotic surgical system.

Tracy, other former patients, doctors and staff past and present, came together to celebrate 25 years of a dedicated women’s surgical space at TMC and to educate the public about a tool that is revolutionizing the recovery and pain management of major surgery ‑- the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. Participants had an opportunity to operate the robotic system and to gain a doctor’s perspective. Drs. Gayle Dean, Jeffery Palen, Alton Hallum and Maryam Betheshti shared their experiences and insights, and responded enthusiastically to a barrage of questions from the audience that ranged from the specific to the larger potential of the da Vinci Surgical System.

As patients talked of their experiences, the conversation was often light and sometimes comedic. But the impact of having a dedicated space within the hospital with its own nurses and staff, each of whom can truly empathize with the emotional and physiological implications of their surgeries, was paramount. The importance of privacy, confidentiality and gentle care at this vulnerable juncture in a patient’s life is a focus for the Women’s Surgical Center staff as it has been for the past 25 years. Congratulations to the Joel M. Childers, M.D., Surgical Center staff on 25 years! Here’s to another 25 years, and more, of gentle care and education!

Filed Under: Events, Reproductive Health and Infertility Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Hello, It’s Nice to Meet You – Denise Murphy RN

April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Denise
This year we celebrate the 25 anniversary of our dedicated women’s surgery unit, The Joel M. Childers Women’s Surgical Center, the first of its kind in Southern Arizona. Denise Murphy is part of the surgical staff dedicated to providing a safe, private and caring environment for women undergoing surgery.
Where are you from? Tucson native or not? How long have you been in Tucson?
I was born and raised here in Tucson.  I attended Flowing Wells HS and attended nursing school at PCC.
What do you love about Tucson?
I love the desert weather and landscape.  My favorite time of year is monsoon season.  I always love the way the desert smells after a good rain.
What do you do for fun?
Most of my family lives here in Tucson.  I enjoy getting together with family and friends regularly. (family dinners, playing bunko etc.)  I also have three children and most of our weekend activities are centered around what they have going on.
What do you love about your job?
I started working in the Women’s Surgical Center back in 2000.  What I love most is that our staff is like a family.  We enjoy coming to work each day and we care about each other.  This translates into the care we deliver to our patients.  I also love the fact that what we do makes a difference to someone each day.  We operate on people everyday and for us it is second nature, but for someone who has never had surgery before this may be the scariest day of their life.  I take pride in the fact that I can help them through that.
What would you like women to know about the center?
Because of the nature of the surgeries performed in our department, our staff focuses on maintaining privacy for our women and delivering a more intimate level of care.

In regards to women’s health, it is important for us as women to educate ourselves about our bodies. Also, as a mother, we need to educate our children about their bodies and encourage them to ask questions. As we get older, it is important to go to your doctor for regular gynecological  exams and continue getting preventative care.  We know our bodies better than anyone, if you notice a change, do not hesitate to follow-up with your doctor.

What would you tell your 18-year-old self, 25-year-old self, 35-year-old self?
18-year-old self – I was starting college at this time.  I would tell myself to keep going to school, but to slow down and enjoy your youth a little more.

25-year-old self – I was married and was about to have my first child at this age.  I would tell myself to have a little more confidence in who I was.  Not to be so concerned with what I thought others were thinking.

35-year-old self – By this age, I had three children and had been an RN for 11 years.  I have actually enjoyed my 30s.  It is about finding peace with who you are and how you choose to live your life.  Using that confidence you wish you had in your 20s.  I would say – good for you!

Check out some of our other staff spotlights here. 

Filed Under: Hello, It's Nice to Meet You, Reproductive Health and Infertility Tagged With: , ,
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