Officer Vondell Cornell, Public Safety
Nominated by Juliann Kinney and Kareem Davis, Environmental Services
Officer Cornell, a Public Safety officer in the Emergency Department, is highly effective at defusing potentially explosive interpersonal situations. She accomplishes this by using a fair but firm approach with people and a courteous, helpful tone of voice. Many of the people Officer Cornell interacts with are often hurt, sick or confused. But by using her good judgment, common sense and innate kindness, she always manages to get any situation under control, with little fuss and in a short period of time. Officer Cornell's low-key approach to handling difficult situations helps to keep the atmosphere in the Emergency Department calm and efficient. We commend her for her good work!

Afshin A. Divani, PhD, Neurological Institute of New Jersey
Nominated by Adnan I. Qureshi, MD, Cerebrovascular Program, Department of Neurology and Neurosciences
Dr. Divani is highly committed to the development of University Hospital 's Cerebrovascular Program, which treats over 400 patients with stroke every year. Stroke represents one of the most challenging diseases in medicine. Given the burden of disability and financial losses, stroke is probably one of the most devastating diseases in the 21 st century. To help patients gain valuable information on this subject, Dr. Divani developed the New Jersey Stroke Center website . He also collaborated with Marketing and Media Relations to create a stroke section on University Hospital's website, giving numerous patients and the community at large the message of hope in an easily accessible, comprehensive manner. Patients have reported that they have received a better understanding of cerebrovascular disease through this website, than through any hospital visit.

Dr. Divani has also been instrumental in organizing media coverage for the Stroke Program, highlighting new and effective treatment modalities. Through his efforts, the Stroke Program has been recognized as the premiere center for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases throughout New Jersey . Information about his work can be seen in publications such as The Star Ledger and HealthLink Magazine and through various television interviews with the New Jersey Network News and PBS News . Dr. Divani's contributions are not limited to New Jersey . He has also organized many successful educational programs for Third World countries with other physicians from University Hospital .

Dr. Divani is an effective leader whose passion to help others has been an inspiration to many. We are most grateful for his exemplary contributions and proud to have him at University Hospital!

Nieda Espelita, RN, Labor and Delivery
Nominated by Linda McGinnis, RN, BS, MA, Critical Care Division
Nieda has been a dedicated nurse at University Hospital for over 12 years. Because of her sensitive and astute nature, she is often able to anticipate and respond to her patients' needs well before they even express them. Nieda is renowned for providing extraordinary patient care and is very skilled at turning around difficult and complex situations before they turn into a crisis. A dedicated mother/baby advocate, Nieda is a terrific asset to her department.

Cathleen M. Noonan Flores, Cardiac Cath Lab
Nominated by Torlan Hopkins, Linen and Materials Management
The staff of Linen and Materials Management applauds Cathleen for providing inspiration and motivation to them everyday! “When Cathleen arrives to pick up her linen order, she never fails to “drop off” an abundance of her positive spirit and encouraging words,” reports Torlan Hopkins. Her generosity is evident not only in her words, but in her actions as well. It's not uncommon for Cathleen to show up at the Linen Department carrying a bundle of morning bagels, cookies and cake for the “gang.” During the holidays, she gave gifts to everyone– even those on the night shift. Cathleen's team player approach is not limited to her own department – she practices it in every corner of the hospital. “Cathleen is a unique person with a kind and compassionate heart. She has taught us by example that when you put 100% of yourself into your work, you will definitely get it back…and them some. Cathleen is proud to work at UH and we're very fortunate to have her,” concludes Hopkins .

Denise Glagola, RN, E-Green, SICU
Nominated by Linda McGinnis, RN, BS, MA, Critical Care Division
Denise is gifted with the ability to inspire and mentor others on a consistent basis. Because of this, new staff members are able to receive the one-on-one guidance required to help them quickly and effectively acclimate to the unit and focus on the job at hand – providing excellent patient care. In addition to her impressive teaching abilities, Denise is a highly compassionate nurse. Her tender and caring approach helps critically ill patients and their families feel comforted and more at ease.

Carmen Munoz, Environmental Services
Nominated by Mary Best, LPN, Boarder Baby Program
Carmen is an efficient, kind-hearted and highly progressive employee. She always goes out of her way to be helpful – whether it's providing translation services to those in need, giving directions to lost visitors, or cleaning the nursery as if it were her own home. A tremendously hard worker, Carmen never complains about the amount of work she must do. As matter of fact, she always accomplishes her tasks with a smile on her face! The staff of the Boarder Baby Nursery can always rely on Carmen. They have confidence in her work ethic and her upstanding character. For these reasons and more, they proudly nominate Carmen for the Five Star Award.

Vanessa Silva, Critical Care Division
Nominated by Linda McGinnis, RN, BS, MA, Critical Care Division
Vanessa has removed “boulders” to achieve success in the Critical Care Division. As the department's administrative assistant, she faces a variety of unique challenges everyday. She handles each one of them with a professional demeanor and positive attitude. As a result, the morale of the department remains high and the complaints low. Vanessa supports the managers and directors by juggling schedules, preparing reports and supporting the operation of all the units. She does this always with a smile and positive attitude. Thanks, Vanessa!
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