RHCE nurse dedicated to improving patient safety

By Mr. Gino G Mattorano (Army Medicine)August 26, 2016

RHCE nurse dedicated to improving patient safety
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Maj. Marielos Vega is serious about patient safety. Her commitment is evident in her approach to Army nursing and especially in her role as a Patient Safety officer for Regional Health Command Europe Clinical Operations.

Vega has been taking care of people since she was a young girl growing up on a coffee plantation in Costa Rica. Shortly after finishing elementary school, her mother and two younger siblings left home and she was left to take care of her dad and two older brothers.

Vega says that farm life wasn't easy for a young girl trying to maintain a household and attend middle school. Common household features like electricity and indoor plumbing were luxuries she only dreamed about.

"I had to wake up at 4 a.m. to do housework and farm chores, before I could even think about going to school," Vega said. "It was very difficult to go to school and find time for homework, but I managed to do both for several years."

Eventually the stress was too much to handle and she was forced to drop out of school. This wasn't something uncommon for people in her country, who were only required to attend school through the sixth grade.

Even though she didn't get any external motivation to pursue her education, Vega knew she wanted more. So, when her aunt invited her to live with her in a bigger city, she gladly accepted. She spent the next five years doing housekeeping for a wealthy family, but kept her ear to the ground for other opportunities.

One summer when Vega was 19 years old, a relative invited her to visit New Jersey. Like many people, she had heard about the American dream and wanted to find out if there might be an opportunity for her to find success in the land of opportunity.

"I went to the United States with $100 in my pocket and I couldn't speak any English," Vega said. "I met a woman who spoke Spanish and gave me a job for the summer doing housework and taking care of her children."

At the end of the summer, Vega was preparing to go back to Costa Rica, but her employer and newfound friend had other plans for her. She offered to give her a place to stay and help her get an education scholarship. Vega gratefully accepted.

Despite the language barrier, Vega worked hard to complete her General Education Diploma and then enrolled in college classes, eventually completing her degree in nursing in 2000. After working a few years as a nurse in the private sector, Vega decided to go back to school and earned a master's degree in nursing. Even though she was successful with her education, she still wasn't a citizen and was running out of options to stay in the country.

"Just when I thought I was going to have to go back to Costa Rica, I happened to see a flyer for a new military program that offered citizenship in exchange for serving in the U.S. Army," Vega said. "I was so happy for the opportunity to give back to the country that had provided me so many opportunities."

Upon receiving her commission, Vega was first assigned to Brooks Army Hospital, in San Antonio, where she spent five years working as a nurse. There, she was handpicked to work in the hospital's cardiology department.

She received an assignment to come to Regional Health Command Europe in the spring of 2015, and in her current role, she helps to promote a culture of safety for the command's clinics and hospital.

"Over the past year, MAJ Vega has proven to be an outstanding resource for the Quality Management department," said Matthew W. Dias, RHCE's Assistant Chief of Staff for Quality & Safety. "Arriving as a staff officer, she assumed the duties of the Patient Safety Officer and rapidly established a collective regional safety team aimed at supporting the journey to High Reliability. Her motivation, experience, and knowledge equate to unlimited benefit to Patient Safety across Army Medicine."

Vega recently took it upon herself to become a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), and she is now one of only two people in RHCE with that certification.

COL Sara Breckenridge-Sproat, Regional Nurse Executive for RHCE, says that this is indicative of the kind of professional Vega is.

"She is one of those officers that makes you have hope for the future," Breckenridge-Sproat said. "She is forward thinking, anticipates, plans and applies common sense and keeps the patient at the core of everything we do. Often we get distracted with the business and "busy-ness" aspects of what Army Medicine does, but she keeps us focused on the right things. Her certification and recognition at the national level is an indicator of how important patient safety is, and how seriously we are about it here at RHCE."

The Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety was established by the National Patient Safety Foundation, and was created to advance, standardize, and promote patient safety knowledge competencies for health care professionals.

Vega says that the certification provides her even more tools that will help to build a stronger force for patient safety in the military health system.

"As a young girl, I never imagined the opportunities that were out there for me," Vega said. "As a nurse, I feel empowered to make a difference in the lives of patients assigned to my care and entrusted to me by their families. That's why quality and safety is so important."