alumni profiles
Sandy Summers, RN,MPH,MSN (SCSU BSN'84)
Sandy Summers is the one of the co-founders and the Executive Director of The Center for Nursing Advocacy in Baltimore, MD. The Center was founded in 2001 to help find ways to alleviate the nursing shortage facing all communities. The Center monitors the media for positive and/or negative portrayals of nurses in television, radio, and print.
Sandy received master's degrees in nursing and public health from Johns Hopkins University.
She has spent 15 years working in emergency departments and intensive care units of major trauma centers. In addition, she taught nursing teachers at the Central Nursing School in Cambodia. She has done nursing research for the International Research Development Center and Redd Barna (Norwegian Save the Children).
She is a memeber of Sigma Theta Tau and Delta Omega honor societies.
Sandy has made numerous presentations on the nursing shortage and the media's depiction of nurses. In April of 2006 she addressed SCSU and Gateway Community College nursing students on this topic.
In November of 2006 Ms. Summers was honored by SCSU as an Outstanding Alumni.
Patricia Gatcomb, RN, FNP (SCSU MSN, '00)
Patty Gatcomb is a family nurse practitioner and certified diabetes educator with the Yale Pediatric Diabetes Team. She independently provides diabetes education, management, and support for over 600 families affected by Type I and Type II diabetes in collaboration with a multidisciplinary treatment team. Patty practices in three half-day clinics and consults with house staff for both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients.
Patty precepts Yale University nursing and medical students and is on 24-hour on-call one week per month. As part of her practice, Patty initiates insulin pump treatment in appropriate clients.
Research plays a major part in Patty's practice. She serves as the co-investigator and study coordinator for the EDIC study (Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications) and carries out research responsibilities including history, physical exam, blood/urine collection, data collection, patient education and management, and communication with data coordinating center. She is currently involved in several ancillary studies and is a member of the Adherence Committee. Most recently, Patty was the principal investigator in a study entitled, "Frequency and Clinical Characteristics of Severe Hypoglycemia in Children with Diabetes," which Patty completed as part of her MSN requirements at SCSU. Patty received a commendation for her thesis.
Patty has made numerous presentations on topics related to diabetes management and complications locally, nationally, and abroad and has co-authored several articles published in journals such as Diabetes Educator, Diabetes Care, and Clinical Diabetes.
Patty received a BSN (magnum cum laude) from Salve Regina College in 1980 and a Master of Science in Nursing degree (Family Nurse Practitioner Program) from SCSU in May 2000.
Vanna Dest, RN, MSN (SCSU BSN '84)
Vanna has been an oncology nurse for the past 16 years and cannot imagine herself doing anything else! Currently, she is a clinical nurse specialist in radiation oncology at the Hospital of Saint Raphael and finds this position challenging but extremely rewarding. Vanna's role consists of patient and family education, assessment, symptom management, and psychosocial intervention. She facilitates three cancer support groups and works closely with members of HSR's multidisciplinary team. In addition, she provides education for oncology nurses, develops nursing standards, protocols, and patient education materials and participates in various clinical studies.
People will often remark to Vanna that she has a depressing job. But Vanna has a different perception. She admits that the work may be depressing at times, but the rewards are great. According to Vanna, "My patients are my rewards." Vanna finds that her patients have incredible courage and strength and give so much to others. Last year, Vanna's mother was diagnosed with colon cancer, and she was forced to see and experience things from a family member's point of view. It was an extremely difficult time for Vanna, but she says that she now has even more empathy and understanding for her patients. Vanna feels that compassionate care evolves around quality of life and instillation of hope. She believes that her mother and all of her patients are truly heroes.
Vanna received her BSN from SCSU in 1984 and a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Yale in 1992. Currently, she is enrolled in the Oncology Nurse Practitioner Post Master's Certificate Program at Yale University. Vanna is certified in advanced oncology nursing. She has been the author and co-author of several articles related to cancer published in RN and Oncology Nursing Forum. She has delivered lectures on oncology topics locally and at national conferences and has been the recipient of several awards over the past 10 years. Most recently, Vanna received the American Cancer Society's Dr. Robert Zanes Award for Excellence in Oncology Care.
Tina Tolomeo, RN, (SCSU BSN '89, MSN '94)
Tina has been a pediatric nurse for more than 11 years. She began her nursing career in 1988 as a student clinical assistant on the infant/toddler unit at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital. For the past five years, she has been the nurse coordinator for the Section of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine at Children's Hospital. Tina's job is to educate children and families about asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and other pulmonary disorders. Where asthma is concerned, Tina feels that involving children in their own care empowers them to take control of their asthma instead of allowing the asthma to control them. During her career, Tina has served on numerous committees at the hospital, state, and national levels, providing her experience and expertise. Besides being a resource to nursing staff, she is on the courtesy faculty at Yale School of Nursing, where she is a clinical preceptor for graduate nursing students and speaks regularly to health care providers on asthma and other respiratory disorders. Tina recently contributed to the development of an asthma outreach program for the Section of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine. Tina is a member of the Board of the Association of Asthma Educators and the Mu Beta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau--the International Honor Society for Nursing. She is currently enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner program at SCSU.
