Baystate Health

In 2021, Helai Shinwari evacuated Afghanistan when the Taliban recaptured the country. While at a refugee home, Helai met Pamela Fournier, a nurse at Baystate Noble Hospital, who was volunteering through her church. From there, a heartwarming friendship was formed and the start of Helai's career at Baystate Health. Watch their moving story here: https://bit.ly/3ZdckSO Learn More About Helai with her recent My Baystate Story: “My name is Helai Shinwari. In September 2021, my family and I evacuated Afghanistan to the United States when the Taliban recaptured the country. I met Pamela Fournier in an Afghan refugee home where I was helping the family with translation. In Afghanistan, I studied nursing and worked as nurse assistant in a private hospital. When I was in school, I was working to continue my education in the medical field. Pamela, a nurse at Baystate Noble Hospital, referred me for a job starting in Enviornmental Services. Now as a PCT at Baystate Noble, I can honestly say I love my job because I get to help patients and encourage them every day. Also, the friendly and cooperative team motivates my work - - we work as a team, RNs, PCTs and doctors. As a team we support each other. I am a hardworking and responsible caregiver to my all patients. I have many memorable moments in this role but one of them was taking care of an elderly lady. I was assigned as caregiver for this patient for two weeks. I did my best to take care of her and when she recovered from her sickness, she hugged me and wanted to kiss my hands. She was so grateful. Knowing I can help people and make them feel cared for, it makes me feel so honored, happy, and content. Working in healthcare comes with such pride, caring for people in their time of need is the best job on earth. For me, this is where I want to be, serving others. I am grateful to Baystate Noble for providing me this opportunity to pursue my dream career.”

Faculty Spotlight on Carolyn G. Garcia, MD Dr. Garcia was recently awarded a two-year National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Diversity Supplement Grant totaling $411,165. The purpose of the grant is to recruit individuals who are underrepresented in health sciences to careers in research by providing salary support for research career development and investigative work. Read more: bit.ly/46LH13m

Happy Labor Day! 🎉 Today, we honor the hard work and dedication of our incredible healthcare team and all workers who make a difference in our communities. Your commitment to health and well-being inspires us every day. Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing holiday!

A warm congrats to Edyta Guberow, a respiratory therapist at Baytstate Wing Hospital, our most recent PHIL award recipient! “We recognized Edyta for the compassionate care that she provides to our patients, her professionalism, and the support that she provides to our care team," shared Karli Barrett, vice president & chief nursing officer, and chief administrative officer, at Baystate Wing Hospital. At last week’s ceremony, Edyta received a framed certificate and a sculpture titled, “Appreciation." The sole-standing figure includes in its encircled arms a fully opened butterfly, a figure to represent the support of a respiratory therapist, always looking for ways to help patients breathe better. Winners of the PHIL Award are nominated by patients, family members, and other caregivers. The award honors and recognizes the unsung heroes in the Respiratory profession who understand that each breath matters. Edyta, we thank you and are grateful that you are an important part of our Baystate Wing Hospital team!

Recently, our Wellness on Wheels (WoW) Bus and dedicated team members proudly represented Baystate Health at the "Hello Neighbor" Community Festival, hosted by Celestial Praise Church of God. The WoW Bus provided a vibrant backdrop for our vendor tables, where our clinical team conducted continuous blood pressure screenings, and employees distributed health information, giveaways, and details about our new community health and wellness center coming to the heart of Springfield. Celestial Praise Church of God has been a cornerstone of the Hill McKnight neighborhood for over 65 years. The "Hello Neighbor" Community Festival, one of their signature outreach events, drew hundreds of attendees with a day full of fun activities, free food, music, and appearances by local officials.

Hello! My name is Gabriella and I am an RN at Baystate Medical Center. I earned my BSN at Endicott College in 2021 and graduated with an MSN in Nursing Education from Western Governors University this summer. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I discovered Baystate. My college roommate Haley and I returned from winter break to learn we had both coincidentally applied for Baystate’s Student Nurse Apprenticeship Program (SNAP). I had always assumed I would begin my career at a local hospital where I grew up in Connecticut. However, Baystate’s SNAP program was a unique opportunity for me to begin my career in healthcare before becoming an RN. Little did we know those positions would be the beginning of our journey together at Baystate. I worked as a SNAP on D3B observation for 2 years. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on D3B where I learned valuable skills in patient care and time management while forging meaningful connections. During my 2 years as a SNAP, I learned that I wanted to care for more critically ill patients. In 2021, I began my nursing career on SW5, Baystate’s trauma and surgical intermediate care unit. This unit quickly became home for me. I have had the privilege of learning from and working alongside the most inspiring and committed nurses for the past 3 years, including Haley and childhood best friend Alyssa. Working on SW5 allowed me to develop strong skills in critical thinking, patient evaluation, adaptability, and working in a team environment. I have a strong passion for caring for this patient population. Being even a small part of their recovery is incredibly rewarding. Most recently, I had the opportunity to work on a project to assist staff in bedside emergencies. This past year, I’ve spent countless hours designing, coordinating, and distributing almost 50 “Rapid Response Kits” throughout Baystate Medical Center. These kits store life saving supplies that assist in responding to emergencies hospital wide. I was honored with the “Knowledge, Innovation, and Improvement Award” here at BMC this past May for this initiative. I am incredibly proud of this project and am so thankful for all the support and guidance I have received along the way. The past 5 years I have spent at Baystate have been filled with opportunities for me to learn and grow in my role as a nurse. This has allowed me to provide exceptional care to our patients while also challenging myself. I look forward to utilizing the knowledge and experience I have gained at Baystate to shape the next generation of nurses! Gabriella Bordonaro, MSN, RN #MyBaystateStory

Great work to Dr. Weijen Chang, Chief, Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine. We are honored to have you as a leader on our Baystate Children's Hospital team.

We are honored to share that Dr. Zoha Khan has been named Hospitalist of the Year at Baystate Franklin Medical Center. “The prestigious award, determined by the votes of her nursing colleagues and the wider care team, is a testament to Dr. Khan’s outstanding commitment to teamwork and patient care,” says Dr. Ben Freda, Chief of Hospital Medicine at Baystate Franklin Medical Center. As a nocturnist, Dr. Khan takes on the critical responsibility of cross covering the hospital and managing medical admissions during the overnight hours. Operating in a setting where she often navigates patient care with a more streamlined team, Dr. Khan consistently demonstrates exceptional communication and leadership, ensuring that every patient receives the highest standard of care. “When Dr. Khan is on overnight, the nursing staff breathes easy. We really feel like we are part of a healthcare team,” shared one of Dr. Khan’s nursing colleagues. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Khan for this well-deserved recognition.

"I have been a nurse for 10 years! To be honest, when I was little, nursing was not something I had in mind. However, when I went to Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School, they required all students to participate in “exploratory” which included taking part in each shop for a week before deciding which one we wanted to establish with. Funny enough I was actually dreading my week in the health shop because I feared it would be boring compared to the more hands-on shops I had already experienced. Little did I know then that it would end up being my chosen career path. Once I started in the health shop something clicked and I knew that is where I wanted to be. Over the years of doing clinicals, I was able to explore many different parts of the health field, but I always gravitated back to a career in nursing. I know it sounds cliche, but I grew up knowing I wanted to do something to help others. What interested me was that nursing has such a broad impact on the lives of others and there are so many different paths to take in nursing. The most rewarding part of the work I do is being able to help not only our patients but my team as well. I cover three practices: Baystate Primary Care-Palmer, Baystate Medical Practice - Quabbin pediatrics-Palmer, and Baystate Convenient Care-Palmer. I love the small-town vibe here at Baystate Wing Hospital. I have been coming here since I was a child for my own healthcare, and this is where I started my career in the field of healthcare. We have such a great friendly group of team members and colleagues here. I always joke that it’s nice to get to know patients and visitors when you're walking in the hallway at Baystate Wing, it’s nice to share a smile with them and help them find where they are going. My words of wisdom for new nurses and novice leaders are to be confident in their abilities and never feel you can’t ask for help. Always be open to learning new things and new ways to approach a situation or a skill. I always keep in mind a quote I heard years ago- when you stop learning, it’s time to retire!" - Sara Kosnicki, Clinical Supervisor #MyBaystateStory

Baystate Medical Center has been ranked among Massachusetts’s top ten Best Hospitals for the 2024-2025 ranking year. According to U.S. News and World Report, Baystate Medical Center was ranked #1 in the Springfield area and #7 among the 104 hospitals in the state. Sam Skura, president of Baystate Medical Center and senior vice president of Hospital Operation for Baystate Health, shares, "This placement is a result of the hard work and dedication of our team. We are proud of our work and continue our commitment to top-quality patient care.” Read more about this achievement: https://bit.ly/4dwpz5q