North Riverside resident Miriam Ramirez, nurse trauma coordinator at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, was inducted into the Tenet Heroes Hall of Fame, Tenet Healthcare Corporation’s highest honor for employees, at a ceremony in Dallas on April 4.
Ramirez spearheaded the hospital’s domestic violence committee and created partnerships with external organizations including Arab American Family Shelter, Pillars, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Sarah’s Inn, South Suburban Family Shelter, and the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network.
The group works to educate patients and caregivers about preventable trauma and injury. She has educated the hospital staff on how to better identify domestic violence victims and has helped improve victims’ quality of care by moving the patients to a private, dedicated, annex area for screening within the ER.
“Miriam’s compassion and dedication is an inspiration to everyone at MacNeal,” said M.E. Cleary, chief executive officer for MacNeal Hospital, in a press release. “Miriam is passionate and gives so much to others, but still she talks about how much more needs to be done.”
Tenet Heroes are nominated by their hospital’s leadership team and selected based on their dedication to their patients, colleagues and communities. Ramirez is one of only six individuals who were inducted into the Tenet Heroes Hall of Fame. This year’s recipients were chosen from more than 130 submissions.
Garden Club planter a show-stopper
The Brookfield Garden Club came home from the Chicago Flower and Garden Show at Navy Pier a big winner in the window box competition, sponsored annual by Garden Clubs of Illinois.
A dozen window boxes were on display this year and each entry was asked to include culturally compatible rooted plates suitable for sun or shade – no cut flowers of silk plants allowed.
Dorothy Ball, who took the project lead for the Brookfield Garden Club, with the help from other club members tied in Brookfield’s BNSF connection to the city and created a planting scheme around “Brookfield Garden Club Express to Chicago’s Blooming.”
At the garden show, Brookfield’s entry took in 31.6 percent of the vote, making them the winners.
Hauser fundraiser hopes to raise $5,000
Hauser Junior High School in Riverside has announced that its 2017 eighth-grade charity fundraiser this year will benefit the All in for Ethan Foundation, which was created several years ago in the name of current Hauser student Ethan Tkalec. The foundations provides funds to research and support children and families affected by giant axonal neuropathy, or GAN, a rare condition that affects the central nervous system.
Hauser eighth-grader Annaliese Cinkay submitted the winning essay and video entry, school’s goal is to raise $5,000. Checks can be made payable to All in for Ethan and can be mailed to Hauser Junior High School, c/o Laura Mendralla, 65 Woodside Road, Riverside, Illinois 60546.
Ride-along
Joe Duffy and Jack Duffy were the winners of the “Ride to School” courtesy of the Riverside Police Department in March. The two Central School students, whose parents won the prize in a school raffle, were picked up at their home by Officer Josh Teune on March 21 and traveled to school in the back seat of a squad car, with lights and sirens marking their arrival.
On campus
Brookfield residents Colleen Brown and Kelly Wallner, Riverside residents Moira Dunn and Anne Mitchell and North Riverside residents Monica Fiala and Alissa Rojas were all named to the inter term dean’s list at Augustana College in Rock Island.
Students named to the dean’s lists earned a grade-point average of at least 3.5 on a 4-Point scale during the term.
Several local students were named to the honor rolls at Trinity High School in River Forest for the third quarter of the 2016-17 school year including the following:
Named First Honors (3.75 GPA+) students were Brookfield resident Megan Kazmierowicz and Riverside residents Emma Alm, Sarah Austin, Grace Brick, Andrea Ramirez, Liucija Siliunas, Sara LaMantia, Daniela Pope, Francesca LaMantia, Cassandra Llapa-Gonzalez, Bridget O’Bryan, Kathleen Burns, Valeria Fuentes and Emily Kowal.
Named Second Honors (3.3-3.74 GPA) were Riverside residents Katherine Cawley and Maeve Cawley.
