Carol Latona
May 2018
Carol
Latona
,
RN, MBA, NEA-BC
Patient Care Services
Mercy Hospital of Buffalo
Buffalo
,
NY
United States

 

 

 

Nurses Week is the special event that it is at Mercy, because of Carol. Many years ago, when funding was tight, Carol talked Joy, Elaine and I into cooking a spaghetti dinner for 600. Our first themed Nurses Week was an Italian Bistro. Each year since has been a bigger and better display of our appreciation for the nursing staff at Mercy which started with Carol's suggestion and willingness to think outside the box.All the great fun and celebration: Mexican Fiestas, Hawaiian Luaus, The Love Boat, Super Heroes and Hollywood Movies had their start with Carol. Ice Cream is fun is her famous line synonymous with the real meaning that it is truly fun, and an honor, to serve those who care for our patients.
Carol's career began at Buffalo General in a variety of units. She brought a calming influence to the critical care units helping them to grow and achieve their first level of recognition as a top performing ICU in the US by Soluscient.Quietly dynamic, she developed the teams in those units.Carol participated in many teams during the reconfiguration and merging of OLV and Mercy, a time of change and re-organization.Carol was promoted to the position of Director and has held several titles in the ensuing 19 years.
In all those years, Carol has worked tirelessly, every day to support the profession of Nursing as best she could. Her goal has always been to provide as much support as possible to the nurse at the bedside.From ordering new mattresses to establishing and sitting on numerous committees, along with other countlessprojects. Carol has done all of this for one goal…making it better for the nurse on the floor to provide care for his or her patient.
Carol, thank you for all that you have done for us!