Meet Your Winning MVPs

“I always wanted to be in the healthcare industry because it is so interesting to me,” says Julie Spallino, CAN, CRCST, GTS. “Even when I was young, I knew it. Working in the ICU back home for 15 years, and being able to help the patients with procedures at the bedside, is what I found most interesting and that is what I decided to stay with.”

Spallino is a New Yorker at heart, born and raised in Niagara Falls. “I stayed there until I moved with my late husband Joseph to Las Vegas in 1994,” she recalls. “I have four sisters, all living in various cities around this country, and my parents live in Texas.”

Patient safety is Spallino’s key focus, and stems from her past ICU experience and her 13 years at Kindred Hospital. Her personal mission of healthcare is tied into her faith. “I feel that the Lord has placed me in this position as the best way I can serve Him and help people at the same time,” she observes.

She relishes her life in Nevada, where residents can be outdoors for much of the year. “In my off-time, I enjoy being involved in my community of Boulder City and fundraising for medical causes,” she says. “I also enjoy getting together with friends, golfing when I can, and celebrations around the city.” Spallino can’t resist grand openings of any kind, whether they be for casinos, stores, or even a new road. “It is the excitement of being fresh and new, as well as the giveaways and the crowds of people having fun,” she explains.

Spallino is now focusing on learning to speak Italian, in preparation for an upcoming trip to Italy and Sicily. “I am only second-generation American, and many of my relatives — whom I have never met — are still in Italy,” she says.

Although she splits her work time among three separate Kindred Healthcare hospitals in the Las Vegas area, she does not feel that she has to juggle her schedule. “My work is such a huge part of my life that I just know where I have to be and when, and really have no problems handling the three different locations. I like the variety, also,” she explains.

As if she isn’t already busy enough, Spallino has chaired the hospital’s holiday party for several years. She handles the choice of location, the event planning, the menu, and room blocks for employees who wish to stay overnight.

Spallino rounds out her career involvement with membership in IAHCSMM, APIC, and SGNA, and was president of the Nevada SGNA in 2005.

In July 2005, Kindred Hospitals, Las Vegas had its JCAHO tri-annual visit. At the exit conference, the nurse surveyor, who was very tough, raved about what a treasure Spallino was to the organization, according to the hospital’s chief clinical officer, Jeanne Hartrey, RN. “She was extremely impressed with the general appearance of the department and the condition of the equipment. She also commented on how complete the required documentation was, which was apparently a first for her. Lastly, she made multiple comments on Julie’s professional manner and demeanor. Julie was able to field all of her inquires with no hesitation at all. The management team is very proud to have Julie on our team, and we look forward to many more years of working with her,” Hartrey says.

“I have been a registered nurse for 28 years,” says Debbie Luteran, RN, CGRN. “I started out in med-surg, did seven years in pediatrics, 13 years in ICU and have been in endoscopy for almost seven years. I earned my CGRN last year.”

Luteran is the clinical coordinator of digestive health at Huron Hospital, part of the Cleveland Clinic Health System. Along with running the GI lab, her position involves orientation of new staff, troubleshooting and evaluating equipment, ordering supplies, juggling the schedule to try to accommodate each physician’s needs, keeping up with current modalities, doing pre-calls for outpatients, and doing procedures all day. In addition, she has done community programs on digestive health issues.

“Every day you work hard and hope that you have somehow made a difference, whether it be in calming the anxieties of nervous patients awaiting procedures, helping a nurse learn all she can about the GI lab, or just lending a hand where it is needed,” she says. “Nursing gives you that chance to make a difference every day.

“I truly love my job,” she continues. “I really enjoy teaching and trying to pass on my passion for GI. I also enjoy making each patient comfortable and relaxed. I believe Versed is God’s gift to endoscopy. I advocate for adequate, if not generous, sedation (as long as vital signs cooperate). A patient who has had a good experience in the GI lab is more apt to follow up as needed and to encourage family and friends who may need procedures.”

For several years, Luteran has been involved in the Colon Cancer Coalition of Greater Cleveland. The coalition is composed of healthcare workers, colon cancer survivors, and other members of the community, including the health department. The coalition’s goal is to decrease the mortality of colorectal cancer by increasing awareness.

Linda Assad, LPN, was Luteran’s first coworker in endoscopy, and nominated her for the MVP award. “Linda shared her knowledge so generously and truly ignited my passion for GI nursing,” Luteran recalls. “She has always encouraged me to do more than I ever thought I was capable of doing. I would not be where I am today without her.”

When Luteran first joined the endoscopy team, Assad encouraged her to join SGNA. Joining the North Coast Ohio Regional chapter, which has a strong commitment to quality education, was instrumental for her. “My knowledge in this new field increased so much faster, not only because of the programs I was attending, but because of the networking with other people in endoscopy,” she recalls. “I was so grateful for that knowledge and when the opportunity to join the board of directors of the regional society came up, I took it and became president. I not only wanted to give something back to the organization that had made such an impact on my career, but I had also hoped to impact other new endoscopy nurses and help them to find their passion.”

Luteran is grateful to all the people who have supported her throughout her endoscopy career. “I would like to thank everyone who supported me during this award process. It was heartwarming to receive such an enthusiastic show of support. Thanks especially to my dear friend Linda for nominating me. The day EndoNurse called about the nomination, I was awestruck that she had taken the time and effort to honor me in this way.”

And, she adds, “I could not have accomplished any of the above without the loving support of my family, including my wonderful husband of 27 years, John, who has a very demanding job and was also president of his professional organization; my son, John, who is in his final semester of law school; my daughter, Laura, who is a kindergarten teacher; and our labradoodle Brodie. They are my inspiration and my motivation, and I wish I had more free time to spend with them, but for now, they endure my hours of call, interruptions when a patient calls for colon prep instructions, and my many projects.”

Finally, she says, “My mom, Carole, deserves the credit for instilling in me a sense of ‘giving of yourself’. I have never seen anyone do for others like my mom. All of my life she has worked hard to help wherever she could to make things easier for someone else, never worrying about what’s in it for her. This MVP award couldn’t have been possible without her example in my life. Thanks, Mom!

“Thanks again for this honor. Please, if you have a passion for endoscopy, pass it on.”

“My interest in nursing came from my brother, who is a CRNA,” says Howard Thacker, RN, charge nurse and “jack-of-all-trades” for the endoscopy and bronchoscopy department at Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth, Ohio. “My plan was to become a CRNA and join my brother for a career in anesthesia. This plan changed after I began working as a nurse at Ohio State University Medical Center. I found that I enjoyed what I was doing, especially after I began working in the endoscopy department. GI nursing was a perfect fit, and I knew this would be my career.”

Thacker has found that it’s not just the work he likes — it’s also his peers. “I’m very lucky to have a great group of co-workers,” he says. “They all work independently with little input from me. This makes my job much easier and provides me with the time to wear many hats” — which include scheduling, training, budgeting, equipment checks, updates, and troubleshooting.

Thacker and his wife, Toni, have three children, Eric, Michael and Natalie. They fill their down-time with community involvement, church involvement, and family time. “We are a very close and devoted Christian family,” he says. “I love spending time with my family, fishing, and collecting fishing lures. I was very fortunate to join 75 men from my church, Christ Community, on a trip to New Orleans this past spring. We spent a week not only working on homes, but bringing some much-needed hope to some wonderful people. This was truly a life-changing event for me!”

That spirit of service extends to the GI lab as well — which Thacker hopes will grow in both size and volume. “I wish to express to the people of our community that the GI lab staff of SOMC is committed to providing the best care and the latest technology for them. This allows people to remain close to their homes and families, which benefits everyone,” he says.

And finally, he says, “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the staff of the GI lab, surgery department, and to all of the employees of Southern Ohio Medical Center, for voting for me. This means more to me than an award or recognition I might receive.”