Born February 22, 1959: "When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced; live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice." (Cherokee expression) http://www.infoplease.com/spot/native-american-proverbs-wisdom.html
Died July 30, 2013: "We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." (Author Marian Wright Edelman) http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/marian_wright_edelman.html
The trauma world lost a dedicated, energetic, creative, and inspirational nurse leader in July with the passing of Connie Gagliardo. Her bright spirit and presence has been a part of the Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) and the American College of Surgeons' (ACS) Trauma Programs for over 3 decades. Connie's work in trauma prevention, legislation, nurse education and preparation, program management, and trauma center designation efforts represents a career dedicated to improving trauma systems and care.
Connie's interest in trauma grew out of her clinical experiences at the University of California Irvine Medical Center and Mission Hospital. At Mission, Connie served as a nurse leader in the trauma intensive care unit (1984-1991), Trauma Program Manager (1991-2006), and Executive Director of Trauma/Critical Care (2006-2013). She focused on improving the quality of trauma care to residents of our community in Orange County as well as those in every region in our country. She believed every community should have an organized trauma system to provide the best care available to trauma victims.
To accomplish this goal, Connie dedicated her life to various aspects of providing trauma care to communities. At Mission, she worked collaboratively with physicians and care providers to ensure that care was at the highest level possible, developing protocols and guidelines to manage trauma diagnoses and populations. An example of one specialized trauma population was the management of severe traumatic brain injury. Connie's contributions were instrumental in establishing and maintaining the integrity of the program, which was recognized by the Joint Commission with the Ernest A. Codman Award in 2000. She assisted 35 other trauma programs across the country to evaluate and rebuild traumatic brain injury systems as part of the Adam Williams Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative from 2004 to 2013.
She established a trauma nurse training program at Mission Hospital to ensure that nurses caring for these patients had the right knowledge to provide care to the most critical patients. Her collaboration with key leaders in STN helped expand the Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) program, an advanced course designed to train nurses in the management of multiple trauma patients. Connie invited STN leaders to hold the first California ATCN program in 1996 (at the time it was called the Arizona Trauma Nurse Course). She became an active member of the national/international faculty for the ATCN courses. She organized and taught the first course in California and numerous courses from 1996 to 2013 at sites in Southern California. She interacted with hundreds of trauma nurses, providing education and ensuring competency in caring for trauma patients.
While serving as a Trauma Program Manager, the quality review program at the hospital was often cited by the ACS as being exceptional. She was encouraged to assist other programs outside Mission to help build processes to monitor trauma care. Connie's enthusiasm for trauma was evident when consulting for hospitals reevaluating their trauma program, or those establishing a new program. Her knowledge and expertise in trauma systems was essential in helping these centers on their journeys toward ACS accreditation.
As the Trauma Program Manager, Connie dedicated a large portion of her role to trauma prevention. After a devastating accident resulting in the deaths of five teenagers in the community in 1990, Connie strengthened the Safe Rides program held at Mission Hospital. This program, created for high school-age adolescents, ensured a ride home if in the company of a peer who had been drinking or if the student was impaired-no questions asked! The Safe Rides program led to a two-third decrease in the incidence of alcohol-related trauma in that age group. Connie assisted with the county-sponsored "mock crash" prevention program held at all local high schools. Students and parents simulated an accident at the school and acted out the crash's aftermath for the entire student body. The goal was to deter at-risk behaviors, which could lead to accidents. She also reached out to the community, identifying risk factors contributing to accidents and injuries. From her analyses, Connie helped to orchestrate prevention programs that reduced injuries in the community.
Connie was a founding member of the Trauma Managers Association of California. This organization provided a network for trauma program managers across California to come together and build effective trauma programs. The Trauma Managers Association of California's mission was to improve trauma care through the development of a state trauma registry, work collaboratively with other health-related organizations, and provide trauma education activities for care providers as well as the lay people by promoting trauma injury prevention programs. Connie was committed to legislative efforts for trauma center funding as well as those reducing the risk for injuries in our communities. She traveled to the state capital on a monthly basis, working with physicians, nurses, and legislatures to ensure that trauma initiatives were high priorities for legislators. She served on the steering committee for developing a future California statewide trauma system.
These activities defined Connie's professional life, but it was her personal qualities that truly shined brightest. Connie's colleagues describe her with words such as inspirational, adventurer, innovator, mentor, relator, eternal optimist, and fun loving! Connie's nurse colleagues at Mission shared the following:
Connie had a natural ability to inspire others to be the best they can be. As a leader, she expected excellence, but instead of dictating, she provided support, challenges and responsibility. She helped those around her to think, see, and believe that anything was possible. She believed in excellence, and her passion for work (and life) naturally swept everyone right along with her. She was an inspiration for how we should all live our lives, how we treat each other, and how to enjoy each day. She had an inner sparkle that makes me smile just thinking about her. When I think back about people in my life, it was Connie that has inspired me to realize that life has endless possibilities. The quote "people will forget what you said, but people will never forget how you make them feel" must have been written just for her. Connie always made everyone around her feel special. She had an uncanny ability to make the extraordinary appear normal and normal extraordinarily fun.
When I began working at Mission in 1988, Connie was my preceptor on night shift in the ICU. Together we cared for patients while she oriented me to charting, and the culture of the unit. Late at night Connie and I would sit side-to-side and talk endlessly about hopes, dreams and plans. I recall helping Connie to make a list of everything she wanted to do for her 30th birthday. She wanted to be occupied "every second of the day with fun things to do" so that she wouldn't have time to think about the big 3-0. I remember her detailed birthday plans which began at 7 am and lasted until well after midnight. I was struck by how much she enjoyed planning activities for herself. Connie was always creating experiences that were special, memorable, sometimes unexpected, and always fun. Just being a part of Connie's work life or personal life naturally made your own life richer. Have you ever gone to a conference out of state with Connie? Chances are she rented a convertible, not the practical economy car. I actually bought Connie's original convertible Mustang many years ago. I owned a piece of Connie, and smiled every time I put the top down. What scarf would Connie wear today? I wanted her sunglasses too...if I could just view life though her lenses. Connie inspired me to continually remember to live life with the top down and the wind in my hair.
During Nurses Week 2013, Connie was selected as the recipient of the Inspirational Nurse Leader Award at Mission Hospital. Her Chief Nursing Officer shared the following:
In my opinion, it was the way she always approached others, that made the difference. Connie inspired others with her positive and optimistic spirit. She was the positive and energetic role model who inspired our new critical care and trauma nurses at Mission over the years. The nurse leader who always said "yes, we can do this"!! Her attitude and spirit conveyed caring, warmth, enthusiasm, and passion for nursing and for our patients. Working with Connie was one of the highlights of my own nursing career, and I was blessed to have her as part of the nursing leadership team. Losing Connie to this battle with cancer has been so difficult. I believe that God had a very special plan for Connie to devote her life to the profession of nursing, and the Mission Hospital team of nurses had the honor of working with her. I also believe that now God has called her home, as heaven needed an extraordinary nurse leader with that wonderful spirit, love, and compassion. Although she is not with us today, she will always be with us in our hearts.
One of Connie's friends shared a story about Connie that defined her bright light:
Connie and I attended a trauma conference in San Diego. After a long day at conference, a group of us went to dinner and then on to dance the night away. At 4:30 am, Connie announced to the group that we had to be the first to see the sunrise so we followed her up to the top of the building but it was dark and you could not see the beach or the sun. So she packed us into her Mustang convertible and drove to the beach where the sun was just peaking over the mountains. As I looked to the east, the sun came up behind Connie and she just glowed.
Connie's sense of adventure and dedication to live every second of life to its fullest defined her! Her husband and partner, Joe Gagliardo, was the love of her life and shared in her many adventures. She was proudest of her daughters Sierra, Skyla, and Sydney. She was loved by so many family and friends and will be missed. We have lost a friend and colleague but will forever be in her debt for bringing such light to our world!