Theodora (Dee) Morabe, RN, (left) and Catherine (Cat) Mercado, unit clerk

Leadership at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) recently received a letter of thanks from a patient’s daughter, who said: “I wanted to let you know about the outstanding care my mom received today during her eye surgery. Her nurse, Theodora Morabe, RN, and unit clerk, Catherine Mercado, went above and beyond in their care for her. I, unfortunately, could not be with her today, and they put me at ease. My mom felt like she was important and not just a patient. Please commend them on such great patient care. It is hard to find such dedication and professionalism these days.”

Catherine, known as “Cat,” is an invaluable part of the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), says Samantha Bisaya, MSN, RN, Nurse Manager, Perioperative Service at NYEE. “Cat greets everyone who enters the unit with warmth and empathy. Her welcoming smile puts everyone at ease, especially our patients who are waiting for surgery. Cat started her career at NYEE in 2018 as a unit clerk in PACU. She also serves as the patient flow coordinator during the evenings to maintain clear and concise communication between doctors and the patient’s family. She plays a vital role, especially when addressing situations that require immediate assistance,” Samantha says. “Countless times, her co-workers have relied on her ability to troubleshoot and resolve unit issues. She also has established a good relationship with other disciplines through hard work and dedication. She exceeds the expectations of patients and coworkers alike.”

Theodora, known as “Dee,” is equally praised by her supervisor, Esther Cruz. “Dee has been with NYEE since November 1989. She is seen as a role model and leader in our unit,” Esther says. “She is always enthusiastic when selected to precept new staff. She is patient, informative, and supportive. Dee treats every patient like family. Her smile and warm and caring nature puts them at ease. She takes patient safety very seriously and prides herself in making sure all of our patients go down to the OR safely. She is a big supporter of new projects and initiatives, and gives feedback on how to continue exceeding patients’ expectations and delivering quality care. Dee is a valued team member of our team.”

Cat and Dee have a shared focus on the patient experience. Cat says, “Patient experience is about removing the uneasiness that comes with dealing with health concerns, and providing encouragement so patients want to return to us for future health matters.” Dee sees excellent patient experience as her primary goal: “It is the measure of the safest and highest quality care.”

Maria Vezina, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

To leave an impactful legacy in an organization or field, a person must intentionally create meaningful experiences for others. These experiences can range from the simplest to the most complex, but people in the organization need to believe they matter.

Maria Vezina, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, is a nurse whose many decades of work in nursing leadership and education/professional practice are building a significant legacy at Mount Sinai Health System. “I believe the goals and mission of my role are to ensure that the profession of nursing is practiced in accordance with the core values of the nursing discipline, evidence-based practice, and regulations,” says Dr. Vezina.

Dr. Vezina is Vice President and Chief of Nursing Practice, Education, Advanced Practice Nursing Credentialing, and Nursing Labor Relations Partnerships for the Mount Sinai Health System. Her myriad responsibilities and multifaceted roles are difficult to summarize. But among other things, they include oversight of the various dimensions of professional practice of Mount Sinai’s registered nurses and advanced practice nurses.

“Even though I have responsibility for two levels of practice, my work with nursing education and professional practice is really a seamless approach because the standards of care we develop are based on the evidence and best practice,” says Dr. Vezina. “The work of nursing is foremost interdisciplinary, so we need to always work with our fellow administrators, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, social workers, and other team members to come together with standard work that is logical, measurable, and delivers on our mission of quality care and patient safety. It is when the scope of nursing practice is jeopardized, or contracts require clinical interpretation, that my labor relations partnership becomes critical so as to analyze fairly and thoroughly what the next steps need to be in these challenging situations.”

Dr. Vezina received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hartwick College, Oneonta, New York, where she currently serves on the Board of Trustees. She received a Master of Arts in Nursing Education and Adult Health from New York University, and a Master of Education in Communications and Instructional Technology and a Doctorate of Education in Nursing from Teachers College at Columbia University. Dr. Vezina is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the New York Academy of Medicine, where she holds a leadership appointment on the Nursing Section Committee. Appointed to the New York State Board of Nursing in 2015, she participates in moral standing/discipline hearings and peer assistance programs for New York State nurses. She is also board certified as an ANCC Advanced Nurse Executive.

Dr. Vezina oversees nursing education and professional practice for Mount Sinai nurses across all sites. “There is a consistent flow of information from an executive level to a bedside level each and every day,” she says. “Always clarifying the role and scope of nursing with other health care disciplines is a critical part of what I do.” She adds, “I believe my primary obligation is to instill accountability and provide expertise about the practice of nursing, which naturally flows into all the domains I am responsible for.”

Dr. Vezina is committed to the profession of nursing and finds herself constantly participating in the field’s advancement. “I belong to many nursing organizations, so I spend a great deal of time learning and listening to thought leaders,” she says. “I allocate time for professional memberships, service commitments, and liaisons with colleges of nursing. I rely on my strong external involvement in the health care/academic world to keep me knowledgeable and current in my role. I am also a veracious reader of professional journals and leadership philosophies but my true north is to ensure I listen to those who do the work.”

Dr. Vezina, who arrived at Mount Sinai 40 years ago, equipped with past experiences as a staff RN, undergraduate faculty member, and nurse practitioner, frequently comes across processes and policies she developed years ago. “It is nice to see your legacy still alive in pockets of the system,” she says. “It is very gratifying for me and is a very satisfying experience.”

Dr. Vezina was Senior Director of Nursing at The Mount Sinai Hospital from 2006 until 2014, when she became Chief Nursing Officer at Mount Sinai Morningside. She served in that role until 2021, when Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, Senior Vice President, Cardiac Services, and Chief Nurse Executive at Mount Sinai Health System, offered her a newly created position to lead the development of a framework for system nursing practice.

“I want to share my expertise so we can learn together to design the highest standards for nursing practice and deliver exceptional care for our patients and the families we serve,” she says. “I also strive to provide nurses with the tools they need that allow them to deliver care that gives them pride and joy in work.”

Dr. Vezina is committed to strong first impressions and strives to ensure new nurses at Mount Sinai feel welcome and special from day one of their arrival in the work world of nursing. “We don’t get a second chance to give a first impression,” she says. “We have a system centralized nursing orientation and following the completion of orientation, new graduate nurses follow into a Nurse Residency Program.” She adds, “Mount Sinai has also developed new graduate nursing fellowship programs with goals to insert more simulation opportunities for new graduates across all sites.” This commitment to refining that “first impression” is a work in progress.

Transferring knowledge and expertise define Dr. Vezina’s nursing presence. Her decades of service and leadership at Mount Sinai in professional nursing, patient experience initiatives, labor management collaboration, safety and regulatory compliance, financial stewardship, and performance improvement are unrivaled. “What I enjoy more than anything through all my experiences is to just give back from what I have learned—share it with others,” she says. “I will always advocate for nursing practice and look after the Mount Sinai community of nursing at all levels.”

Dr. Vezina comes from a French Canadian family whose relatives also include Georges Vézina, an early-20th-century goalie for whom the National Hockey League’s Vezina Trophy is named. The trophy is awarded annually to the league’s best goaltender. “Although I never played hockey, I often compare my role in nursing with that of a goalie, always protecting and defending the discipline of nursing (the goal line) and advocating for my team to win and achieve success,” Dr. Vezina says.

With her legacy of protecting and advocating for Mount Sinai Health System nurses, Dr. Vezina has achieved a very satisfying and rewarding place within her own professional career of nursing. “Giving back is what is most important to me today!” she says. “As the writer and minister Alan Loy McGinnis said, ‘There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being – to help someone to succeed.”