Hartford Business Journal

HCH.4 Hartford Business Journal • December 8, 2014 www.HartfordBusiness.com HealtH Care Heroes 2014 Teaching, caring for others is Aries' lifelong mission John A. Lahtinen Special to the Hartford Business Journal A fter more than 30 years as a nurse, it's no surprise Kathy Aries is so passionate about her work. A labor and delivery nurse at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford for the past 18 years, Aries said she strongly believes in sharing the knowledge she has gained, particularly with nurses she helps mentor. Aries is responsible for training new staff including nurse graduates, new hires, and nurse interns for the first several months of their employment. In her role, she says she not only has the opportunity to teach others, but learn from them as well. "I am amazed at how smart these young nurses are," Aries said. "I feel I have a wealth of information and tips to share with them. I want to make sure all that I have learned doesn't die with me. I feel compelled to share what I've learned on this earth with those who will take over when I am gone." Aries was born in Barranquilla, Colombia and lived there until she was 13 when her family moved to Stamford. Her South American roots have helped her career and her ability to make a difference beyond Connecticut's borders. Fulfilling a lifelong goal, Aries joined the hospital's Inter- national Medical Missions Team eight years ago at the request of Dr. Michael Bourque, a St. Francis OB/GYN and physician who leads a mission team that provides free health care to citizens in impoverished countries. He reached out to Aries when he learned of her fluency in Spanish. Aries is responsible for packing equipment and supplies prior to mission trips, helping set up the operating room once the team arrives, and supervising the nursing staff in operat- ing room areas. After 14 trips to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Bourque says the duo have become inseparable. "Kathy has a heart of gold and the wings of an angel," Bourque said. "I have served with her in environments rang- ing from small villages to inner cities, from coastal areas to mountain terrain. We have been challenged professionally, emotionally, and physically and I would not trade her calming presence and peerless skills for any other individual." Constantly thinking of ways to improve the care her team delivers, Aries said she saves many delivery room supplies that would otherwise be thrown away and makes new oper- ating room packs that are re-wrapped, re-sterilized and used in Haiti. The practice also saves St. Francis the expense of disposing of the supplies. Aries said mission trips have had a dramatic impact on her. "I felt so comfortable in my role and loved practicing my profession where the need was so great and the people so appreciative," she said. "It changed my life. I felt all my life experiences prepared me for mission work." Aries received her nursing degree from UConn in 1980, then worked at Green- wich Hospital for three years as a medical-surgical nurse. She got married in 1983 and moved to the Hartford area so her husband could attend UConn Law School. Aries worked in labor and delivery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Hartford for 12 years until the hospital closed that unit and she moved to St. Francis, where she's been ever since. Aries typically works 12-hour-plus shifts three days a week, but regularly adds another 4-8 hours to her week, when the hospital needs extra help. Her efforts and quality work have not gone unnoticed: The hospital awarded her the Caring Hearts Award in 2013, which is given to nurses who demonstrate exceptional performance, caring and compassion for patients. Kathy Aries Nurse St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center Category Winner: Nurse " " I feel compelled to share what I've learned on this earth with those who will take over when I am gone. St. Francis Hospital nurse Kathy Aries, shown above, was born in Colombia and moved to Connecticut when she was 13, but her international roots have stuck with her over the years. Aries fluency in Spanish inspired her to join the hospital's Medical Missions Team, which provides free health care to citizens in impoverished countries. In the bottom right photo, Aries is joined by her colleagues on a recent mission trip; top right photo Aries receives the hospital's Caring Hearts Award. P H O T O s | C O n T r i b u T e d

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