Myrna D Santos, RN, MSN

    A Leader, Mentor and Nurse Advocate

I appreciate the dedication, passion and service of every nurse. I recognize their contribution to the global healthcare. I respect man’s dignity and autonomy toward the right to self-direction and self-preservation. I believe and support the individual and group efforts of nurses towards holistic life. I value all nurses and recognize the need to meet their basic needs: physical, spiritual, mental, social and financial so they can be freed of burden to unselfishly give service to the community.

Dr. Leticia Puguon, PhD

The Imugan Dream: Preserving the “Ikalahan” pride

The nursing profession already brought her to international conventions, but she is never remiss in visiting fellow tribal folks. In fact, regular medical visits to the upland barangay of Imugan and neighboring villages in Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya is no longer a new challenge for Leticia Puguon, a registered nurse by profession who rose from the care of a poor family at barangay Imugan, a situation she treasured as a challenge to reach her dream profession. “Our life then was difficult but because of the help of our fellow villagers who inspired me and pushed me to study, I did it,” she said. The absence of health workers in their barangay, especially during her childhood, days prompted her to take up the nursing course. Guided by the religious teachings of then Reverend Pastor Delbert Rice, a United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) protestant missionary during her childhood years, Puguon grew up nurturing Christian values and beliefs along with her cultural beliefs and traditions as an Ikalahan native. Rice also helped her in getting scholarship grants from benevolent individuals abroad. In return, Puguon continues to provide free medical services in Sta. Fe, bringing in doctors and fellow nurses, and free medicines. It was payback time.

She implemented the Community-Based Health Program, a primary health care approach which started at barangay Imugan in 1984. She served as the provincial coordinator for the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) and Control of Diarrheal Diseases (CDD) while doing primary health care activities.

In 1989, she organized the Federation of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) of Nueva Vizcaya to which she served as adviser. She finished her master’s degree in nursing, major in Mother and Child nursing from the St. Paul University Philippines in Tuguegarao City and a doctorate from the Nueva Vizcaya State University.

“We should be proud of our culture and show to our fellow IPs that we can become cultural models in our communities,” Puguon tells her people. She claims that improving health and nutritional status in the upland villages have inspired her to move on with her vocation and serve with all the dedication and commitment she can now muster. “When I started my profession and service, we did not mind our low salary. First and foremost, for us is to serve our fellow IPs. It gave us satisfaction and inspiration,” she said.

She was the lone representative of the country to the International College of Nursing-Global Nursing Leadership Institute at Chatteau de Bossey in Geneva, Switzerland in September 2012, and in the International Training on Community Maternal Child and Child Nursing at KhonKaen University in Thailand in 1993. Her awards portfolio includes Most Outstanding Nurse in Community Health Nursing by the National League of Philippine Government Nurses.

“A major challenge for us is to be at par with our lowland counterparts. Let us show them that discrimination has no room in our society,” she said.

by Ben Moses Ebreo, 3/2016

Mrs. Jan Andrada Lane 

Current Communications and Network Director of The Nursing Office.Com, a Community and Public Health Delivery System. She also works as a Newborn Care Specialist in Manhattan, Tri-State area, Washington DC, California, and Florida taking care of what she enjoys as her most favorite nursing field, Maternal and Child Nursing through her registered Kalinga, LLC . She is a proud graduate of Saint Louis University with a degree in BS Nursing which is located in Baguio City , Philippines. She underwent training at the National Kidney Training Institute and was a private duty nurse of a stage 4 brain cancer patient in the Philippines and personally understands the challenges many cancer patients go through with this horrendous disease. Jan is a strong advocate in the promotion of WWII History in the Philippines particularly the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea which took place in the Sibuyan Sea, Romblon, Philippines. Through the Friends of World War II Memorial, she participated during the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf by representing the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NAFFAA in honoring the heroism of Filipino, American, and FilAm veterans. She was a former Treasurer of NaFFAA New York State Chapter and received a Congressional Service Award at the State of New York.Volunteering for FilAm Cancer Care is a lifelong dedication and commitment to ensure that there will always be a big organization like FACC that takes care of the underserved in the community.

LUTGARDA  M.  RESURRECCION  “LUDY”

SUMMARY:        Educator and Researcher with over 25 years of experience, including 10 years in Public Health education, Community organizing & Public advocacy, and over 12 years as Legal writer/paralegal, Interpreter , and Translator.

RECIPIENT:          U.S. Residency based on “National Interest Waiver: Alien of Exceptional Ability or  Member of  the professions holding an advanced degree,” as approved by U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), December 26, 1996, based on work as HIV/AIDS Health Educator for Asian & Pacific Islander community in the U.S.

EXPERIENCE:                     

The Nursing Office                                                                                          Sept. 11, 2011 – present

Director of Program Development

Co-authored with Myrna D. Santos, BSN:  1) Concept Paper on Learning, Health, and Wellness Center for the City of Passaic, NJ (Feb’ 12), based on “Challenging the Health Care Apartheid: Equality and Equity for People of Color, A Report on the Community Health Survey, supported by the New York State Dept of Health, Office of Minority Health and the US DHHS – Region II Office of Minority Health, New York City, Sept, 1998;  2) with Ping Panlilio, Concept paper on Extended Arts Centre, 52 North Avenue, NJ (July’12); 3) Concept paper on Philippine Retirement Facility Model  in  Malarayat, Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines (Feb’12); and  4) with  Dr. Zal Velez, Fr. Ben Beltran, and Ping Panlilio,  Zarzuela Filipina Concept & Production  based on the historical novel, Las Islas Filipinas, by Cristo Rey Alunan (Nov’12).

Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS (APICHA, Inc.) Oct. 1992 – Jqn. 1999

Volunteer Program Coordinator / Community Health Educator

Responsible for recruiting, training, supervising volunteers and interns.  Designed basic & advanced

HIV/AIDS training curricula for volunteers and peer educators.  Co-designed Women's Self-Defense course for Asian women and volunteers.  Supervised training activities for the NYC Dept. of Health Peer Training Institute (PTI).  Coordinated ethnic communities outreach events.  Managed editing and production of  APICHA's  Quarterly Newsletter.  Coordinated HIV/AIDS Leadership network for policy and advocacy.   Conducted Technical Assistance workshops on developing Volunteer/Peer programs for all Asian AIDS service organizations, in San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City, in conferences organized by The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum  & the Center for Disease Control & Prevention  (CDC).

Appointed Community Advisor (1996-98) and Voting Member of the New York State Dept of

Health AIDS Institute’s HIV Prevention Planning Group, and elected Chair, Immigrant & Migrant

Committee (1998-2004)

Coalition for the Advancement of Filipino Women, Inc.

(CAFW), New York City                                                                                          Sept. 1994 – Sept. 2004

Co-Founder & Secretary - Treasurer

Organized free health clinics for uninsured, low-income, immigrant women and their families in Queens,Manhattan, the Bronx, and Jersey City (1994-98).   Peer Reviewer for Challenging the Health Care Apartheid:  Equality and Equity for People of Color, A Report on the Community Health Survey, supported by the New York State Dept of Health, Office of Minority Health and the US DHHS – Region II

Office of Minority Health, New York City, September 1998.

Village Care Plus, Inc.                                                                                     August 1999 – July 2000

Education Specialist / Office Manager

Assisted in developing orientation and continuing education curricula for all home care field and office staff.  Coordinated orientation and mandatory in-service classes for all staff. Maintained records on staff compliance with state regulations on in-service requirements.

Assisted Director of Professional Services in Continuing Quality Improvement (CQI) projects in education and home care service provision.  Coordinated with Director in screening, competence testing, and evaluations of field staff.  As team member, achieved score of "95 with commendation" from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHCO) Survey, November 9, 1999.  As Office Manager, facilitated scheduling systems, payroll and billing, and maintenance of patient records.  Monitored office systems and procedures, physical plant requirements, emergency and safety  procedures.

HIV/AIDS CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS & PARTICIPATION

One (1) international and four (4) national presentations on the impact of HIV/AIDS on immigrant Asian Women and Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers' Unmet HIV Prevention Planning and Service Needs, 1999 – 2000.

Presenter, “HIV & Asian Pacific Islander Women in New York City,” World Women’s Conference, Beijing, PROC, September 1995.

Participant, Asian & Pacific Islander HIV Leadership Summit, San Diego, CA, September 1998.

Participant, Asian & Pacific Islander HIV Community Plg Grp Mig, Honolulu, HI, Oct 15-16/00.

AWARDS:            Achievement Award "Women Putting Their Stamp on America," for Women's

History Month, by the Bronx Borough President F. Ferrer, March 17, 1999.

Community Service Award as TULAY Project HIV/AIDS Educator, Philippine

American Communities Executive Council (PACEC, Inc.), May 25, 1995.

AMAUAN Filipino American Multi-Arts Center, Inc., NYC                                              Aug '89 - Sept'92

Assistant Administrator

Responsible for planning & implementing Filipino traditional arts & culture workshops, exhibits, & film  festivals for the Filipino-American communities in the NY Metropolitan Tri-state Area.

Medical Office of Dr. Jacobson, 5th Avenue, New York City                          February - Dec'91

Responsible for appointments, billing, and office maintenance.

Maryknoll (now Miriam College), Quezon City, Philippines                                            1973 - 1989

Communication Arts Department

Instructor of English grammar & composition, literature, and communication arts;

Bilingual Education & Remedial English

Research & Publications Management Officer                                                  1981 – 1988

Responsible for conceptualizing, research, & publication of the Maryknoll Faculty Research Journal.

Women's Resource and Research Center, Miriam College                                           1987 – 1989

Co-founder and Publications Manager

Planned and implemented programs in women's studies, research training, women's health & sexuality workshops, including reproductive rights and domestic violence.

University of the Philippines Law Center                                                                               1978 - 1982

Assistant Professor and Research Associate

Conducted 5-year socio-legal research project on legal procedures for juvenile offenders, attitudes of

judges, lawyers, police, and social workers, and offenders' recidivism and rehabilitation.   Designed &

implemented 12-month research training workshops for lawyers and judges.  Designed & implemented evaluation study of the National Legal Education & Popularizing the Law Projects.

Population Commission of the Philippines                                                                            1972 - 1973

Research Assistant: Conducted 200 interviews in 5 Filipino languages for Family Planning Clinic

Evaluation  Survey.

University of the Philippines, Dept. of English & Comparative Literature 1970 - 1972

Teaching Assistant:  Taught Freshman English & Composition and Research Paper Writing

Neil A. Weinrib & Associates                                                                       November 2000 – present

291 Broadway, 17^th Floor, NY, NY  10007

Legal Assistant

Assisting attorneys in drafting labor certification applications and immigrant petitions for legal permanent residency. Researching case law in response to Labor Department & Immigration requests for evidence. Training new paralegals and law clerks and assisting attorneys in managing client cases and accounts.  Translating, interpreting, and transcribing for clients.

Court Interpreter & Translator (free-lance)                                                          1992 – present

EDUCATION:      Bachelor of Arts in English and Comparative Literature, University of the Philippines

Master of Arts, Communication Research (units), University of the Philippines

Master of Science in Legal Studies, Kaplan University (units), IL, USA

NILDA R. BERGUIDO,RN, BSN,CCRN,PT   

    A Nurse Leader, Mentor, and Health Advocate

Nursing is a universal profession that is not bound by race and cultural diversity. Caring is the expression of the nurses dedication, passion and service to humanity. I shall remain at the service of nurses and advocate health for all.

AYAL B. LINDEMAN, LPN

Ayal B. Lindeman is a licensed practical nurse, emergency medical technician and disaster response specialist, who has served on site in eleven major disasters. Community Emergency Response Team Member (CERT) and Community Emergency Response Team Trainer (CERT Trainer), as well as a member of the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response Team, a fully-certified National Volunteer Organization Active in Disaster (NVOAD). He is also a member of his County Assist Team CISM.

He served as a forward Triage in the Volunteer Field Hospital and then assisted with logistics and supplies N.Y.C. 911 response. During the 04 Hurricane season he assisted in the field and at the ‘ground zero’ County Emergency Operations Center level in Florida, hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jean. In 05 Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. again in the field as well as at the ‘ ground zero’ County Emergency Operations Center level in Louisiana and Mississippi.

When a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010, he got to work soliciting medical supplies and personnel for transport to the island nation. He then deployed himself, served for 4 weeks at General Hospital PAP as well as in the UM Medishare field hospital. At the General Hospital he took on the care of four wards with one other volunteer from 1700 – 0800. He has made seven trips to Haiti to date. He also assisted in Japan in the days following the earthquake and tsunami of 2011, volunteering the north eastern regions which suffered some of the greatest damage.

When not on-site at a tragedy, Lindeman works to prepare other responders so they can be a resource, remain safe and avoid becoming a liability to the limited resources at disaster sites. Lindeman also trains community members in fundamental and basic first aid techniques using what is available to accomplish the task. “It is not just a question of learning to think outside of the box in these situations but rather a question of knowing how to use the box as a splint, plastic bags as gloves, cloth and forked sticks for traction”. Lindeman also teaches techniques for making safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene WaSH, Oral Rehydration Formula at the community level as well as “Assists For Illness and Injury”. In the last twelve months he has trained over four thousand people in these techniques and also assisted as a nurse in clinics for over one thousand Haitians. Partnering with The 9-11 Fund, Haitian American Nurses Association, Archangel Airborne, Rockland County Haiti Relief Coalition as well as other NGOs to train anyone interested in learning these techniques.