A Baker, a Cyclist, a Pilot and an Ordained Minister—and All VNSNY Nurses!
VNSNY’s nurses are known for their clinical skills, but they have a wide range of interests outside the workplace as well. As part of Frontline VNSNY’s National Nurses Week coverage, here are profiles of four nurses with “hidden talents” that may just surprise you.
Beverly Wade: Baking from Scratch
“Baking is a science,” says Beverly Wade, a VNSNY home care nurse in the Bronx. “If you don’t follow the recipe, you might not like the results.” Beverly, who has been with VNSNY for close to 30 years, learned to bake in her high school home economics class and hasn’t stopped since. “I can follow any recipe—cakes, cookies, bread, pies,” she notes, “and except for bread, I make everything from scratch.”
Beverly’s two adult sons have been taking over most of the cooking duties at home lately, she adds, leaving her with plenty of free time to bake. Her baked goods have developed quite a following, too: Besides baking for get-togethers involving family and friends, Beverly has also supplied cakes for VNSNY retirements and other parties. (Her fans include her husband, who very generously offers each year to eat the British fruitcake she bakes at Christmas entirely by himself.) Since taking a cake-decorating class, Beverly has also become an expert at finishing her cakes with rosettes and other delicious details—something that’s now her favorite part of the baking process. “It’s helpful to have something outside of that work you love to do,” she says.
Eileen Baez: Two for the Road
If you happen to find yourself at Bear Mountain this May 20th, you might see Staten Island Home Care nurse Eileen Baez rounding the mid-point of the Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York bicycle race—a 100-mile circuit that starts and ends at the George Washington Bridge. Eileen began cycling in 2005 to support her husband, who was recuperating from a knee injury at the time. Today, the couple has a standard weekend routine: They get in their car and drive from their home in Staten Island to upper New Jersey, where they then go on a five-hour ride. In winter months, they keep up their fitness by pedaling stationary bikes at Orangetheory Fitness, an exercise studio near their home.
A veteran field nurse who has been with VNSNY 25 years, Eileen finds that cycling is the perfect release for her. “It really helps me to unwind and get rid of my stress,” she says. Eileen’s favorite long-distance event is the LaVueltaPR endurance bike ride in Puerto Rico, a three-day, 375-mile race that she and her husband have participated in for the past few years. Although this year’s race was cancelled due to hurricane damage, Eileen says they’re looking forward to making a repeat appearance there soon.
Gregory Fargas: Weekend Pilot
Weather permitting, the weekends find Gregory Fargas, a VNSNY public health nurse in Brooklyn, at the controls of a plane thousands of feet in the air. Two years ago, after taking flying lessons for a number of years, Gregory completed the required ground training and flight training and was awarded his single-engine pilot’s license. “Flying is like being in another world—it’s an indescribable thrill,” he says.
As a member of the Richmond Pilots Flying Club, based out of Linden, New Jersey, Gregory has access to two Cessna 172 single-engine planes, which have enough room to accommodate his wife and two children. In fact, he smiles, “My eight-year-old daughter sits up front as my ‘co-pilot.’” So far, Gregory’s flights have all been single-day round trips. He’s flown as far as Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and a family trip to Lake George is in the works. His favorite excursion is along the Hudson Corridor, a route that involves flying over New York Harbor and up the Hudson River, including an aerial pass over lower Manhattan and Central Park. Says Gregory: “When you make that trip at night, the view of the city is breathtaking.”
Vincent Brigande: Caring for Parishioners
“When we give of ourselves to help one another, we grow into the person we’re meant to be,” says Vincent Brigande, a public health nurse in VNSNY’s Staten Island office. Vincent has spent his working life taking care of people in need, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. In the mid-1980s, six months after earning his nurse’s degree, Vincent joined the New York Police Department. In 1997, while still on the police force, he became VNSNY’s first Staten-Island based home care nurse, working on his days off and after hours. Following his retirement from the NYPD in 2006, he continued to serve as a per diem VNSNY nurse. Then in 2014, Vincent added yet another vocation to his resumé when, capping off four years of study, he received a Masters of Theology degree from Seton Hall University and was ordained a deacon in the Catholic Church.
Vincent is currently assigned to the St. Helena parish in New Jersey’s Metuchen diocese, where he serves parishioners by preaching the gospel, performing baptisms, witnessing marriages, and providing guidance. “Being married and having raised a daughter and a son,” he says, “I feel I’m in a good position to help parishioners address the challenges of family life.”
Do you have a special talent you’d like to share with the rest of the organization? Frontline would like to hear from you! While this week we spotlighted VNSNY’s nurses, we’ll be featuring hidden talents from all staff in the weeks and months to come. To let us know, please contact Michael Delaney at [email protected].
