Backus nurse named ‘Healthcare Hero’
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As an Army nurse stationed in Germany, Bosnia and Hungary, Gillian Mosier, RN, always worked in emergency rooms. Even when dealing with injured soldiers during her rotations abroad, she always found time to help organize festivals for children and events in the community.
Some things never change.
Years later, Ms. Mosier is Trauma Program Manager at The William W. Backus Hospital, seeing first-hand how unsafe behaviors can result in life-changing consequences. And she continues her selfless quest to modify those behaviors to make eastern Connecticut a safer place.
And now she is being recognized for it, being named one of 10 Healthcare Heroes in the state by the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA). She and Backus Director of Communications Shawn Mawhiney, who wrote the essay nominating her, were honored at CHA’s annual meeting June 17.
“This recognition is not about me, it’s about a community-minded organization that encourages its employees to go beyond the walls of the hospital to improve the health of residents in eastern Connecticut,” Ms. Mosier said.
Ms. Mosier runs the hospital’s Be Aware program, which is designed to educate teens about the consequences of driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol and other risky behaviors such as driving too fast and inattention.
The program, which continues to grow under her leadership, uses an in-your-face approach that resonates with teens. Students experience exactly what happens to crash victims when they come to the hospital, from arrival in the Emergency Department to the Critical Care Unit — and even the morgue.
Partly because of Be Aware, Ms. Mosier was recently appointed to Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s Teen Driving Task Force, which is seeking ways to decrease the number of teen driving fatalities in the state. The group spearheaded tougher teen driving legislation that was recently signed into law.
Her efforts to improve the health of the community don’t end with teen driving. Ms. Mosier also organizes an annual Safety Camp, held on the grounds of Backus Hospital each May. The interactive event emphasizes summer safety, including the importance of bicycle helmets, water safety, sun safety and much more, as well as the distribution of hundreds of free bicycle helmets, which Ms. Mosier obtains through donations.
She also helped organize a car seat clinic, which is held the first and third Friday of each month. The clinic helps parents ensure that their child car seats are installed properly — an astounding 98% of attendees have improperly installed seats — and distributes free car seats for those who need them. The clinic serves approximately 192 families per year.
“Gillian’s enthusiasm and willingness to help others exemplify what our organization is all about,” said Mark Santamaria, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Backus Hospital is grateful to have employees like her, and we offer our congratulations for all the good work she does.”