Nigerian-American Taiwo Adeniji wins New York Excellence Award in Nursing

Culled from ThisDay

This is some positive news coming from Nigerians in the diaspora and such news gladens my heart.

For too long, our community has gotten used to reading negative stories about our compatriots in America mainstream media. We have been so negatively stereotyped, called all manner of names simply because a few of our nationals- a tiny percentage have engaged their energies in activities and deeds that are unsavory, and the reputations of otherwise hard working Nigerians who are adding value to the American essence become collateral damage. In place of celebrating our nationals who have done well in America, we are instead, called scammers and agents of get-rich-quick fix schemes.

Two weeks ago, the poker-faced Canadian born Tea Party apparachick- Senator Ted Cruz seizing on this unsanitized narrative about our community had in a moment of crazed partisanship told his equally unhinged constituents that the Obamacare web site which experienced some technical difficulties may have been run and managed by Nigerian Internet scammers. We, have thus, been unfortunately accustomed to being defined downward, our motivations sometimes questioned in spite of the spectacular professional achievements of our compatriots, whose exploits are located in virtually all aspects of the American economy or social platforms.

It was thus a thing of pride and excitement when one of us- a member of our community- someone who has given her all, in American heath-care delivery-Ms. Taiwo Adeniji was recently selected after rigorous screening exercise to be one of the six candidates out of over thirty who was honored by the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC- the largest health and hospital corporation in the United States) during its 2013 Nursing Excellence Awards ceremony. Ms. Adeniji who holds both bachelor and masters degree in nursing was given the award for “Excellence in Volunteerism and Service.”

According to Alan D. Aviles- the President of HHC, Taiwo Adeniji and her fellow winners have” gone beyond their daily routines to be positive leaders and mentors for other nurses, implement programs and processes to improve patients care, and volunteer their personal time to provide medical services to communities in New York City and abroad. These nurses are an example of the skill and compassion we see and appreciate from them each day.”

In the citation that was read before she was given her award, Ms. Adeniji was applauded for her selfless dedication to ensuring that easily preventable diseases in her community, her country of birth-Nigeria are detected early, through the numerous health fairs and medical missions she has participated over the years. ” Since 2003, Ms. Taiwo Adeniji, in collaboration with other Associations and Healthcare Professionals has been using her money, her annual vacation, donated money and equipment, -Nigerian Nurses Association, USA (NNAUSA) Membership Fee to achieve NNAUSA’s mission.

This has earned her six community awards. She participates in the following activities annually: Free Health Fairs in NY area (screening Client’s BP, FS, Cholesterol and providing free Mammography for the uninsured Nigerians women 40 years and above , partnership with American Cancer Society. Performing Medical Missions to Nigeria and other African countries using her annual vacation time, paying for her flight tickets, security, food and accommodations. When they go to rural area they sometimes go on treacherous roads, stay in uncompleted building without electricity, toilet facility and water. They share food with local people, who hardly have enough to eat. “We accepted fruits and vegetables from the local people as offering of thanks for the services that we provided, but really my hearts breaks because I know that they don’t have enough to eat not to talk of giving out. When we look at the abject poverty of the people we just take the shirt off our back and the shoes off our feet and give to whoever needs it! We go to Nigeria with full suit cases and we returned with empty ones, because we give everything away. It’s truly a trip of “compassion” and “giving back” to the community.”

In 2010 she went on two-week Medical Mission to Lagos State with Eko Club International (ECI), tagged “The Mission of Hope” 87 Healthcare Professionals from USA, Europe, Canada and 150 staff of Lagos State Ministry of Health participated. They delivered the much needed Health Care Services to twenty thousand residents of Lagos State, this include giving medications, conducting Health Education, making referrals to “on site” Clinicians at local Hospital and Clinics for follow-up care and donations of much needed equipment to Hospitals and individuals. The State Governor Babatunde Fashola provided them with transportation within the state and some accommodations.

In 2011, she went with other health professionals on a two-week Medical Mission to Cross Rivers and Delta States in collaboration with African Women Cancer Awareness Association and two other Associations, where ten thousand clients were assessed, diagnosed and treated.

In 2012, she went on a one-week Medical Mission to Ogun State of Nigeria (in July), and another one week Mission to Lagos State (in October), about fifteen thousand people were attended to in both states.

She participates in Health Literacy Campaign Program (Health Education), addressing current healthcare issues in Nigeria: Genital Mutilation, Communicable Diseases, HIV/AIDs, Women’s, and Mental, Gerontology and Rural Healthcare issues.

She helped organize and participated in Evidence Based Educational Seminars (Latest ones conducted in 2010 at York College and in 2011 at NY Hospital Queens).Participated in Fund Raising for other organizations such as American Cancer Society, has been participating and collecting donations for the Breast and Prostate Cancer Walk.

Believing that nurses are the integral part at the heart of Healthcare System, mentoring other Nurses and Nursing Students about their Professional growth.

Ms. Adeniji believes that success is dependent on efforts to influence others for a change. She stated “Improving healthcare worldwide starts with improving healthcare of one patient, as one person that is saved touches thousand lives, because each of these lives has family and friends. All these experience is very rewarding, as the Governor of Cross Rivers State Senator Liyel Imoke summarized our experience (at a reception to thank the participants), and I quote “The people you have treated here today might not remember your faces in the years to come, but they will never forget the changes you made in their lives, it becomes part of their history.”

As a proud Nigerian Diaspora, who remains emotionally invested in Nigeria, and who believes that our Diaspora population has a huge role to play in our national reengineering processes and mechanics, here is wishing the Abeokuta- Ogun state born, Ms. Adeniji, a huge congratulations. I hope Governor Amosun is reading this, the likes of Ms. Taiwo Adeniji should be important resource material in your health care processes, as well as national. The fact that Ms. Adeniji was the only Nigerian and indeed African selected in a corporation that has over eight thousand medical practitioners is absolutely worthy of commendation.

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