Submitted by Congregation Etz Chaim
Congregation Etz Chaim is extremely proud to announce that our Program Director, Chava Vidal, has won the Torch of Excellence Nursing Award, one of the highest awards a nurse can achieve, for her work and dedication to her job as a nurse at Hospice of Cincinnati. On May 11 at a special banquet hosted by the U.C. College of Nursing, Chava was among seven other recipients chosen by their peers as outstanding nurses who go above and beyond to provide exceptional patient care. She has been recognized as a compassionate and respectful caregiver, skilled not only at providing direct care, but willing to spend time talking with patients’ families to ease their anxieties.
As a leader among her peers, she developed a journal club for hospice caregivers to help them cope and learn. Chava has stated that this award is a credit to her entire team, saying, “I am incredibly honored, humbled, and proud, as this award really speaks to the incredible work that Hospice of Cincinnati provides for our patients and community.” One of her Hospice colleagues honored her with this statement, ”If a family member of mine needed to receive care, I would want it to be from Chava.”
Chava posted this message to congregants, “It has never felt like a job. The hours are long, but the sense of fulfillment far exceeds the feelings of tiredness. Between my work at Hospice and my work for the Synagogue, I feel that I am finally living my most authentic version of myself and utilizing my strange skill set for the betterment of those around me. If you know me, you know I’d much rather plan the event than be part of the event, yet here we are and I am humbled.”
Members of Etz Chaim are so very excited for her and so pleased that others now see her dedication and extreme efforts in any endeavor she undertakes. One congregant posted this note to Chava: “Those of us who know you, know that when you set your mind to do something, you give it 120%. Excellence is what you strive for and more often than not, it’s what you achieve. Congratulations and thank you for all that you do for us and for the many people whose lives you’ve touched.”
