Public Employee Press

Award goes to patient safety advocate

In March, Tunisia Gittens, a Clerical Associate II at Coler-Goldwater Hospital on Roosevelt Island, received the annual Patient Safety Award from the Health and Hospitals Corp.

Gittens' thoughtful attention to the details on her job in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Nursing Unit helped her find an error in a patient's medical record. With deductive reasoning and old-fashioned detective work, she averted a serious problem.

Her vigilance was honored in March at a ceremony held at Jacobi Hospital.

Gittens, a member of Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549, "deserves to be recognized," said Council Rep Nina Perez. "She's very involved in patient safety and is also a great shop steward and union activist."

"Tunisia has a very watchful eye," said Dr. Gertrude Tejera. Alma Patricio, R.N., who supervises Gittens, called her "exceptional! She's dependable and is always on top of her appointments and charts."