Rita Alza
November 2023
Rita
Alza
,
MSN, RN, CNN
Chronic Dialysis
UF Health Shands
Gainesville
,
FL
United States

 

 

 

When Rita heard about the story, she reached out to physicians she knew in the past to ask for help. Even if this was not a patient under her care, she went the extra mile to find their phone number.
A pediatric dialysis patient received a gift from the Make-a-Wish Foundation to go to Legoland, Florida. Due to short notice, the staff at the pediatric outpatient dialysis unit could not get the patient a clinic close to Legoland for his dialysis sessions for that week so they would have to travel back and forth from Winter Haven to Gainesville. They have reached out to multiple clinics, and all have declined. When Rita heard about the story, she reached out to physicians she knew in the past to ask for help. Even if this was not a patient under her care, she went the extra mile to find their phone number. With the help of our pediatric medical director and other staff in the adult outpatient dialysis clinic, we were able to get the patient a dialysis treatment in a clinic in Orlando, Florida, that had originally declined to take the patient. The family was very appreciative as it saved them another trip to Gainesville. It was Rita's determination to help the patient and the family that made a huge difference.