As we all know, May is National Nurses month and May 6 to 12 is National Nurses Week. On May 25,
evening Dr Renee Mehrra of Reenbow Media and Indian American Forum Organized a webinar in the
Honor of national Nurses Week, Celebrations. Mrs. Indu Jaiswal RDN Chair of IAF together with Dr
Urmilesh Arya Co-Chair of the event, presented the program at the ZOOM at 8.00PM . Dr Renee
Mehrra in her welcome remarks spoke about the importance of Health Care workers and to recognize
for their services. Co Host of the evening Dr Bhavani Srinivasan spoke about the importance of Nurses
in providing Quality care to [patients all over the world.
Indu Jaiswal RDN introduced Honorable Deputy Supervisor from Town of Hempstead MS Dorothy
Goosby Goosby also congratulated all Honorees and thanked Nurses and health care employees for
their Valuable services. Also present was Nassau County Legislature Rosemarie Walker again thanked
the nurses and Congratulated all Honorees.
MS Tara Shajan, RN , NAINA Treasure and Director of Nursing from Lincoln Hospital spoke about the
History of Nursing profession, how Nurses are advancing in the Medical Field and Paid tributes to
Florence Nightingale, Lady with lamp.
Ms Anuradha Khanna started the program with Ganesh Vandana.
Five nurses were recognized, Honored and presented with Citations from Nassau County Executive
Bruce Blakeman and Nassau County Legislature Rosemarie Walker
MS Suda Sharma Born in Nairobi, studied in London and worked in USA as Registered Nurse. Along
with Nursing, she is the founder of Three Community projects that started 19 years ago. She started
the Annual Food Drive for Long Island Soup Kitchens and Homeless Shelters., Penny project for Foster
Children, and Fundraiser for Safe Home. Suda is very active in all community activities.
MS Jaya Bahadkar studied Nursing in Bombay and has worked in Nursing in the USA for more than 25
years. She is also a Pillar of Indian American Community, very active in IALI, IAF, India Home and
several other organizations’ is was recognized by Assembly woman Michele Solages Office Woman of
Distinction Award in 2019.
MS Tara Shajan RN was born in Pondicherry, India graduated in Nursing. She has her private pilot
license. In 2004 migrated to USA and worked as RN, progressing into leadership experience in Health
care services, She is currently Treasurer for NAINA, Director of Nursing in Lincoln Hospital Tara is also
very active in community services in USA and has received several awards.
Ms Suja Madhu Studied Nursing in India and is a nurse for more than 40 years. Migrated in the USA in
1987 and started working as an assistant nurse manager in 1992 in Northwell. In 2008 transferred to
Zucker Hillside Hospital and continues to work there still. She has been recognized as the Nurse of the
Year award 2023for Northwell Health…
Grace Alexander was commissioned from Secunderabad as Lieutenant and midwifery from INHS
ASVINI. After few years of work in Medical surgical floors, she worked at University Hospital in Saudi
Arabia for 15 years and migrated to US in 2006. She has 20 years of experience as a med-surgical nurse
and 15 years in OR. She is a Life member of NAINA and AORN. Currently she serves as Awards and
scholarship chair in INANY 2021-2022 and member of scholarship committee.
Several distinguished members joined and praised the efforts of Nurses and their profession.
Dr Rajiv Jauhar, Chief of Cardiology at North shore University hospital also commented on the
importance of Nursing staff and their contributions in patient care in the Hospitals.
Dr Jagdish Gupta: As the past President of the biggest County Medical Society in the State of New
York and serving Brooklyn Community as a Physician for 50 years, I truly believe that Nurses are an
integral part of our healthcare team, and they play the most significant role in the care of our patients
while in the hospital during the most critical period. Physicians, no doubt as leader of the team, are
very important but, with time constraints, are only able to spend limited time. Servicing and caring
are left to nurses, so much so, that it has become part of the fabric of their DNA to serve since
Florence Nightingale time. Their compassion, dedication and expertise make a remarkable difference
in the lives of countless patients every day. As a community leader and President of AIA(NY) Chapter, I
am grateful for their unwavering commitment to providing exceptional care and making a positive
impact on the World. During this “National Nurses Appreciation week”, we honor and celebrate you
as you are true heroes in every sense, today and every day.
Jagdish K. Gupta, MD, FACP, FACG,
President, AIA-NY Chapter,
Past President, Kings County Medical Society, NY
Mr Gobind Munjal: President National AIA
I am Gobind Munjal and I am National President of The Association of Indians in
America (AIA).
May 6 is National Nurses Day, an annual opportunity to appreciate the nurses in our
lives and remind ourselves of the innumerable ways they contribute to our health and
the well-being of those we love. People have celebrated nurses for decades, but it
wasn’t until the 1980s that the United States honored these integral healthcare
professionals with their own day of recognition. National Nurses Day is the first day of
National Nurses Week, which takes place from May 6-12 each year and concludes on
International Nurses Day, the birthday of Florence Nightingale.
The 2023 Nurses Week theme “Nurses Make a Difference: Anytime, anywhere –
Always”
Nurses work every day to ensure patients get the care they need — and the
comfort and compassion they deserve. The complex nature of nursing continues
to be physically and emotionally draining, yet nurses carry on providing quality
patient care and moving the profession forward, which reinforces the importance
of nurse appreciation.
“Nurses need to be emotionally, psychologically, and morally refueled regularly to
enable them to resist burnout and its many negative impacts such as moral
distress,” said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, Co-Founder of the DAISY Foundation, in a
Nurse.com blog. One way to do this is through expressions of gratitude.“Nurses
are refueled when they know they have made a difference in the life of a patient or
family member, especially when they were unaware of the difference they made,”
said Barnes.
This is why nurse appreciation events are so important. Nurses’ contributions are
celebrated and recognized each year — as they should be — through special
nurse appreciation days, weeks, and months set aside to honor nurses and their
specialties.
Thanks to the Honorees and all nurses. We do appreciate the work that they do.
Happy Nurses week to all the nurses present here.
The webinar was well attended and some of the Community members present were Mrs. Neelam
Modi, MS Nalini DAS RD, Sandy Bhatia, Dr Usha Bansal, Mr Amba Sharma, Dr Sollymol Kuruvilla RN
PHD, Dr Shyla Roshin RN DNP,Mr Paul Panakal RN MSN, Dr Esther Devadas RN DNP the webinar was
successful with the cooperation of Mrs. Flora Parekh Mrs. Beena Kothari, Anju Sharma, Sanju Sharma,
Dr Renee Mehrra, Dr Bhavani Srinivasan and Dr Urmilesh Arya. For further details check Website
www.indianamericanforum.org.