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PEP April 2006
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Public Employee Press

A caring angel

Local 420’s Anita Thompson serves her members, patients and the community

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

Anita Thompson is having a difficult time making it back to her office. With every couple of steps she takes down the spotless corridors of Coler-Goldwater Hospital, she is stopped in her tracks by a patient in a wheelchair, a couple of union members with a grievance or a hospital management official.

Whatever problems they bring her, Thompson handles them like the 21-year veteran of HHC that she is. “Everybody deserves to be treated with the utmost dignity,” she says, summarizing the foundation of her philosophy.

A Certified Nurses Aide and Local 420’s Chapter Chair for the Roosevelt Island institution, Thompson is grateful for the opportunity to work and serve the patients and Local 420 unionists at the hospital, as well as the members of her congregation at Greater Zion Hill Church in Harlem.

As an activist in the church’s health ministry, she’s part of a team of nurses that makes sure everyone is taken care of during any emergency that may develop during Sunday services. “Once we had a woman who had a seizure. We were able to stabilize her until EMS arrived, and then a young man suddenly passed out,” she says.

Thompson is going on four years as chapter chair. Seeing the members evolve is her greatest joy. She is constantly reminding them of all the educationalopportunities and other programs available throughthe union.

“I suggested to this young man that he enroll in the GED (high school equivalency) program. The next time I saw him, he came at me waving his diploma,” Anita says, beaming like a proud mother. “Then there was a member who finally got his citizenship papers together.”

A member of Local 420’s Women’s Committee, she recently helped organize their first weekend retreat where the members ­received information on health issues like breast cancer, and stress prevention techniques and studied the history of their union.

“It was just great,” she says of the weekend gathering, which 50 members attended. “Women have to get ready and step up as leaders. And as President Carmen Charles said at the retreat, ‘We can’t be leaders if we can’t take care of ourselves.’ ”

Anita Thompson got ready and stepped up to leadership and public service a long time ago. For that, she gives credit to her husband Calvin, her church and her union.

 

 

 
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