Sometimes, usually when we least expect it and need it the most, we meet an individual who has a profound and positive impact on our lives; a person who truly makes the world a better place. Francis Cordima is one of those very special people.

He always went the extra mile. Arriving early and staying late to make sure that his patients were well cared for and smoothly transitioned through the shift changes, he took the time to greet us and offer a word of encouragement He intensely listened to what we said and took the time to answer our questions and to help his patient overcome the roadblocks on his road to recovery. When he was unable to sleep at night and too tired to participate in his rehabilitation program, Francis spoke to the other team members and changes were made, soon he was sleeping through the night and able to focus on recovery. Francis consistently demonstrated his vast clinical expertise and dedication to providing the extraordinary service that makes a difference in the lives of the patients and their families.

Francis was always calm and patient, and took the time to explain what he was doing and why. He worked quickly and efficiently without causing anxiety or frustration. When his patient went through a week of swearing at anyone and everyone, Francis was the one person he never swore at. When I was anxious or needed help, Francis was there for me, even when he was not assigned to us he would find a way to help us. His true compassion and natural ability to empathize are extraordinary qualities that would serve him well in any profession. As a nurse, those qualities are priceless. He gave us strength when we were exhausted, and hope when we were hopeless.

He recognized his patient’s special needs as a recent combat veteran and the impact of PTSD on his recovery. As he became increasingly aware of his surroundings he began to experience nightmares that were deeply disturbing to all he told. Francis realized that keeping a combat veteran in a restraining bed was like putting them in a cage. The patient’s fear and anxiety were detrimental to his recovery. Francis advocated for him to be moved into a regular bed and accepted the responsibility of allowing the change to occur during his shift. Improvement was swift and dramatic as he moved closer to cognition.

The patient’s recovery has been, and continues to be, phenomenal. Less than six months after the accident he returned to work and to his position in the National Guard.

From the newspaper article online:

Just a year ago, 31-year-old Vincent Simon was prone to spontaneous bouts of swearing and to counting off numbers. He didn't even recognize some of his loved ones.
On Sunday afternoon, Simon, wearing a huge grin and cracking a steady stream of jokes, was happy to say that he had returned to his job with the Army National Guard and proposed to his girlfriend only days earlier.
"I survived with a 4 percent chance of survival, then I played one scratcher (lottery ticket) and lost. I must have blown my luck," Simon said, playing for the laughs. "Had I not been in an accident, I would have been a millionaire.... I used a whole lifetime of luck all at once."
Speaking before a small crowd of loved ones, Simon had returned to Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center for the first time in 10 months to revisit the hospital where he had spent a month. Top on his to-do list was paying tribute, in the form of a "DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses," to Francis Cordima.
On June 14, 2011, Simon, driving his motorcycle home from work in Sacramento, was hit by an airborne driver who apparently had blacked out with his foot on the accelerator and careened into oncoming traffic, family said.
After pulling out of a coma and ceasing reliance on a respirator, Simon, of Antelope, was transferred to the Vallejo hospital for recovery.
There he met registered nurse Cordima, Simon's mother Lynda Dobson said during Sunday's teary tribute. While Simon's family and friends have clearer and more consistent memories of Cordima -- Simon only remembered leaving the hospital -- the two men, both the same age, greeted each other like old friends.
"Knowing that he was a service member, and being so close in age ... I kind of look at him as my own family. I try to treat all my patients with the same mindset," said Cordima, who has worked for Kaiser for 11 years. "Some days were more challenging than others, but that's nursing."
The DAISY Award recognizes Kaiser's unsung heroes -- the nurses, with monthly ceremonies.
Cordima, said Dobson, "intensely listened" to her family, was always calm, patient, quick and efficient, and regularly "went the extra mile" in her son's care.
"When Vince went through a week of swearing at anyone and everyone, he never swore at Francis. Not once," Dobson said to general laughter. "He gave us strength when we were exhausted and hope when we were hopeless."
"He recognized Vincent's special needs as a recent combat veteran and the impact of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) on his recovery," Dobson added.
Simon is still working on his anger management and short-term memory loss, and his family is protective of his tendency to speak off the cuff, with "no filter."
But he has learned to write and shoot with his left hand, prerequisites for returning to his National Guard job.
And, he has Rie Ochoa, the girlfriend-turned- fiancé who stayed by his side during his recovery, even when Simon could not remember their previous relationship. Simon said his first memory of her, post-accident, was noticing how cute she was, and being extremely happy to find out they were already dating. Ochoa called Simon her "superman."
"I know for a fact that when I'm at my absolute worst, she'll be there for me," Simon said.


Vincent Simon and his mom Lynda Dobson hug Francis Cordima, a Kaiser Permanente nurse who was given the Daisey Award for helping Simon with his recovery. Simon returned to his job at the Army National Guard after recovery from a motorcyle accident that put him in a coma. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)