Barbra Naccash, left, received her vaccine from Kristine Ortiz, RN, who had cared for Barbra’s mother a year ago when the mother entered Mount Sinai Brooklyn with COVID-19. “Although I could not save her mother’s life, by giving Barbra the COVID-19 vaccine, perhaps I saved hers,” Kristine says.
Kristine Ortiz, RN, a Mount Sinai Health System nurse for 11 years, has been at Mount Sinai Brooklyn for three years, and calls it a “hometown hospital.” This is largely because of the camaraderie of the staff and the diversity of the patients. “You hear Chinese, Creole, and Hebrew among other languages,” Kristine says. “I have my ‘bubbes’ who, like all of my patients, I consider family and treat as such.”
Since January, Kristine has overseen the three MSB vaccine pods. Partnering with Philip Repaci, RN and assistant nurse manager Valerie Hechanova, RN, they call themselves the “pod people,” a name coined by Philip. Working the pods has brought them close. “The emotions run high in the pods,” Kristine says. “We laugh and cry with each other and the people coming in for vaccinations, but they are tears of joy, of course.”
Those receiving vaccinations are treated like family, as well. “We have people coming in for vaccines as old as 102 and have to be mindful of their frailty and mental capacity,“ Kristine explains. Patients are grateful for their care; many days Kristine and her team are awash in Dunkin Donuts and coffee. But, she says, so many staff offer to volunteer—the clergy, nurses from the OR, physicians—that there are many colleagues with whom to share these tokens of appreciation.
One such appreciative patient is Barbra Naccash. In March 2020, Barbra’s mother fell in her apartment in an assisted living community. When she was transferred to Mount Sinai Brooklyn, it was noted she had symptoms of COVID-19. Barbra called every day, and Kristine would get on the phone and update her on her mother’s condition. Kristine also helped Barbra and her mother do FaceTime visits. “I looked at her like a surrogate daughter to my mother,” Barbra says. “She was an angel. Combing my mother’s hair and holding her hand when I could not do those things for her.”
Sadly, Barbra’s mother passed away from complications of the virus. Kristine and Barbra kept in touch by phone, learning about each other’s families and getting to know one another. During one call in February 2021, Kristine inquired about Barbra’s vaccination status. When Barbra and her husband were eligible for COVID-19 vaccine, Kristine helped with scheduling and eventually gave them the shots herself. Barbra and Kristine had never met, so they arranged to meet outside of the hospital that day. The tears flowed during a social distanced “hug.”
“This was a full-circle family experience,” Kristine says. “Although I could not save her mother’s life, by giving Barbra the COVID-19 vaccine, perhaps I saved hers.”
Mount Sinai Brooklyn vaccine pod team members, from left: Kadesia Henry, Desshanai Gumbs, Jacqueline Thomas, Dominique Bostic, and Madelyn Gonzalez.