Moon Township, PA (September 7, 2010) — Heritage Valley Health System is pleased to announce the 2010 recipients of the Cameos of Caring Awards Program. The Cameos of Caring Award honors exceptional bedside nurses who work in acute care hospitals. This year’s winners from Heritage Valley are Renea Esoldo, RN, Open Heart Critical Care Unit (CCU) at Heritage Valley Beaver and Bob Messick, RN, Orthopedic Unit, 5 South at Heritage Valley Sewickley. They will be honored at the 12th Annual Cameos of Caring Awards Gala on November 6, 2010 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

Cameos of Caring recipients must demonstrate a commitment to consistent, evidenced based clinical decision-making and excellence in nursing care; serve as an effective advocate for patients and their families; encourage and motivate others and be recognized as a role model for the profession of nursing; practice nursing involving direct patient care; be a licensed RN and a direct employee of the hospital.

A resident of Bridgewater, Renea has been a nurse for 26 years and is currently a full time RN in the Open Heart Critical Care Unit at Heritage Valley Beaver. She is a 1984 graduate of the Sewickley School of Nursing . She started working at The Medical Center in July 1984 on the Drug and Alcohol Unit. Renea then became interested in Critical Care Nursing and transferred to CCU where after several years of experience she transferred to the Open Heart Unit.

Providing comfort to her patients and family during the most difficult time in a person’t life . . . when they feel the least in control and are trusting others with their life is the most satisfying part of Renea’s career. Her patients and their families love her, frequently asking to have Renea back as their nurse or asking "Is Renea working today?" The caring and giving required of a nurse comes naturally for Renea. Coming from a first generation Italian family, her family had to depend on each other to survive. They had to help each other through the hardships of a new country. Renea recalls “I was raised and nurtured in a close family enviroment and as the eldest of six children, I helped my mother care for my younger sisters and brother.”

Renea takes pride in being a critical care nurse and appreciates the chance to pass on her knowledge and exerience to the next generation of nurses. She has precepted many of our new staff nurses and serves as an example. Her 26 years as a nurse is a true testament to her basic belief that the most important part of her job begins and ends with providing the best possible care at the patient’s bedside.

Renea has been a Deputy Coroner for Beaver County for over 20 years. She was one of the first responders to the USAir Flight 427 crash site in Beaver County in September 1994. She coordinated the recovery and the identification of remains at the crash site climbing into the woods and hills looking for any sign of survivors. She spent long painful weeks at this site, feeling it was her duty as a member of the community knowing many had lost relatives or friends here. Renea has been asked to speak at various organizations regarding her role in this horrible tragedy and received a commendation from US Airways for her service.

In 2009 Renea was blindsided with a tragedy of her own. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Because of her experience as a patient, whe has gained a better appreciation of how important the nursing profession is to the well being of patients and families. Renea has become active in raising money and awareness for the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. Renea states, “my goal is to establish a fund to provide medication and support for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer who are unable to afford the type of care that I received.”

The thing she missed the most while she was sick, she recalls, was taking care of patients and interacting with them and their families. “I love my job, going to work, and being a NURSE," states Renea. Renea Esoldo is not

A resident of New Brighton, Bob Messick, R.N. has been a nurse for 19 years and is currently a full time registered nurse on the 5 South Orthopedic Unit at Heritage Valley Sewickley. He is a 1991 graduate of Community College of Beaver County. Bob became a nurse after losing his job at a steel mill in 1988.

“I was too young to retire, so a good friend of mine said ‘Why don’t you become a nurse,’” Bob recalls. “I took some courses at CCBC and did very well. I decided to give the nursing program a try. Two years later I graduated with honors!”

The most satisfying part of Bob’s career is his interactions between the patient and families. He finds it very satisfying to care and treat a patient admitted to the hospital for total joint surgery and witness them leave without pain. Bob is a nurse educator for the total joint replacement pre-admission education classes held weekly on the nursing unit.

Patient satisfaction is the hallmark of his practice. Bob feels the satisfaction of being a nurse when a patient reports that “5 South did an excellent job” in taking care of his or her needs. Bob’s legacy will be one of genuine kindness and caring, by listening to his patients and making them feel as if they are the most important patient on the unit.

Bob is a nurse preceptor for nursing students at Heritage Valley Sewickley. He teaches by example the importance of the patient-nurse interaction and his enthusiasm has led to numerous accolades about his teaching style and leadership.

“I always encourage the students to ask questions. I want to help guide them through the bumps in the road,” states Bob. “Nursing has been a great profession for me and I am privileged to have been called to be a nurse.”