Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1470104
Health Matters: Providence St. Mary Medical Center | 9 Caregiver Spotlight on Priya Canales Priya Canales, RN, MSN, leads a busy life, and she wouldn't have it any other way. A registered nurse for 13 years, she has been a Providence St. Mary Medical Center caregiver for 10 of those years, currently serving as a STEMI coordinator. Canales and her husband, Sammy, have been married for 13 years, but they have been together since high school—a total of nearly 27 years. She is also a proud mother of three: Alexis, 25; Alyssa, 19; and Madison, 10. Alexis is a Special Olympics gold medalist in both soccer and swimming. The family has many pets, including a horse, two donkeys, three dogs, two cats, a red- eared slider turtle and a fish. What do you enjoy about working at Providence St. Mary Medical Center? I love how my co-workers all come together and work as a team. We all have the same goal: to help our patients. What got you into the health care field? I joined the health care field because I have always enjoyed helping others. To me, joining health care was a way that I could make a difference in someone else's life. What made you choose to work in your specialty? I became an ICU nurse because I loved that I was constantly being challenged and had to often think critically. Every shift was different. I really enjoyed the challenge of taking care of an open-heart patient, and when personal obstacles reared up, I was able to transition into the interim STEMI navigator position. I was still able to participate even from afar in the care of our cardiovascular patients, which makes my heart happy. What do you enjoy the most about working in your role? My new role has opened my eyes to a completely different side of nursing. My previous perception of being a nurse was basically you come to work and take care of your patients. Now I can honestly say I did not know what the administrative side of nursing entailed. It drives the why of what we do. What's your favorite thing to do outside of work? Going to concerts or on vacation. Vacations might consist of a tent, glamping or a luxury resort. I enjoy it all. Is there anything unique or surprising about you that you want to share? Going fishing is one of my favorite things to do, even though I am allergic to fish. Visit providence.org/locations/ st-mary-medical-center for more information about our hospital and caregivers. Hospital Partnership Is Flying High Among the services unique to Providence St. Mary Medical Center is its partnership with REACH Air Medical Services to expedite care for patients needing emergency air medical transportation. In June, the two organizations celebrated the first anniversary of their partnership, one that stations a REACH helicopter at the hospital and reduces travel time for the transport of certain patients. "This is all about what's best for our patients," Providence St. Mary chief executive Randall Castillo says. "While we do everything we can to provide the best care possible here, there are some services we aren't equipped to handle. In those scenarios, we need to get our patients to an appropriate care setting in the fastest and safest manner. This partnership allows us to do exactly that." Strategically placing an aircraft at Providence St. Mary can potentially save up to 45 minutes, depending on weather and traffic patterns, according to REACH program director Ronald Taggart. Visit reachair.org to learn more about REACH Air Medical Services.