CLIMB — Monday Motivational Meditation #387 — Nursing Heart welcomes Jade Parker-Manderson! — 2019-01-07

About the Photographer
Dale Swartos is a Senior Speech and Language Pathologist at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore. Recently, Dale earned Certified Neonatal Therapist status. He and his husband, Rich, are busy with their extended family and working at their new home in Baltimore. Rich has just finished his tenure on the Board of Nursing Heart.
Dale writes, “I’ve noticed that a lot of photos I’ve taken lately are of doors, widows, stairs. I find myself curious about what is behind that door, where does that stair lead, who may be inside that window? It’s not unlike the questions Rich and I ask each other as we get older; ‘What’s around the next corner, what’s the next adventure?'”
It also seems an appropriate time for Nursing Heart to ask these questions especially in light of the transition we are entering. One step at a time is a good philosophy. We will see what’s waiting at the top of these “Steps” which is the name of this series as we start the New Year.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
Nursing Heart Friends,
It is my pleasure, on behalf of our Board of Directors to introduce you to Jade Parker-Manderson, the Executive Director-designate who will be working with our team through the next months and assume full duties July 1, 2019. Welcome Jade, we are so pleased you can join and lead our work in Guatemala. Thank you for sharing the following personal thoughts with our NHI family.
My calling has always been to help and all I ever wanted to be was a nurse (the best job in the world). I graduated from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Western Australia with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, in 2005. I quickly found my passion for working with children and specialized in Pediatric emergency nursing. Wanting to share this passion and knowledge with others, I discovered I could combine all of these interests and I became an Undergraduate Nursing Lecturer, with the school of nursing at ECU until I decided to set off and explore the world.
The last 7 years I have found myself traveling around the world, experiencing new cultures and seeking opportunities to serve where I can. Using my medical, teaching and public health knowledge I have been able to provide medical care in London, Tanzania, Peru and Guatemala, to name a few. I first arrived in Guatemala over 4 years ago and instantly fell in love with the people, the culture and of course the beautiful landscapes. I then decided I wanted to stay for 12 months, learn spanish and volunteer at a medical clinic for a large NGO at lake atitlan. Anyone who has experienced Guatemala’s energetic pull, will understand that my 1 year easily turned into 4 and looking forward.
What has left an impression on me, is that over 70% of the population here live in poverty and are without access to basic health care. A government that provides a mere 6% (2014) of GDP to healthcare means there is a huge underserved population in Guatemala.Providing adequate, experienced healthcare with a preventative medical approach is so important and I am impressed by Nursing Heart’s mission and core values, being a community focused and driven organization.
I am absolutely delighted to be joining the team and taking on the position as the new Executive Director for Nursing Heart Inc. in 2019. It is a position of extreme importance and it would be an honor to take over from Ron, the founder. Whilst it will be big shoes to fill, I am lucky to have the same passions and interests as Ron and the desire to use this leadership role to a bring fresh perspective with knowledge of international and local health systems to further support and grow Nursing Heart Inc. and the communities for which we will serve.
This won’t just be a position of employment for me, it will be a passion project that I will have the honor to be an advocate, leader, mentor and support for all involved. I look forward to being a part of such a strong community and having you alongside me on this journey.
Jade xx
All of us feel very fortunate that you are willing to bring your passion to our work here in Guatemala.
Peace,

We are thrilled to welcome back to Guatemala our friends from the School of Nursing at Johns Hopkins University. Please follow the week’s exciting work on Facebook and at our website nursingheart.org.