August 2009
The Valley’s Caretaker on Wheels
by Hal Shymkus
She is universally known as the Florence Nightingale of the Española Valley. Ramona Chavez has spent her entire life attending to those in need of health care. That was not what she originally had in mind when she tried to enlist in the Marine Corps at age 17.
Chavez remembers her father saying, “If it’s a uniform you want, be a nurse.” That was enough to spur her into the nursing field, starting with general work at the Española Hospital while taking LPN courses at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Santa Fe where she graduated with honors. Her drive and desire elevated her to the surgical nurse category at the Española Hospital.
The venerable Dr. Sam Ziegler who was one of the first physicians in the Valley, and instrumental in establishing the hospital in Española, wrote in his memoirs, “Ramona was my scrub nurse and was one of the best, most dependable scrub nurses. She is a good example of what someone can do when they set a goal for themselves.”
In 1977, Chavez was introduced to another health care challenge. Dennis Heffner, pastor of Valley View United Methodist Church in Española, approached Chavez about the possibility of her working for Amigos del Valle, a community-wide service project, to provide quality in-house personal care for seniors so they could remain independent within their homes.
Initial funding came from a grant through a cooperative group of the United Methodist Churches and is now supported by contributions, fund raising events, local businesses, and many other sources.
When Reverend Heffner, who is the administrator and advisor for Amigos del Valle, concluded his sales pitch, he said, “But we don’t have a car.” In her no-nonsense manner, Chavez replied, “I do.” And for five years she’s used her car when making visits.
At first, Chavez was called upon to give four or five blood pressure checks daily to seniors from Medanalas to Chimayo and other villages in the area. Little did Chavez realize her services would broaden and soon involve taking clients to doctors, pharmacies, hospitals, grocery stores, paying bills, contacting relatives, planting and cultivating gardens, assisting with personal care, and even cutting and delivering wood. All this and more, free of charge.
Chavez spearheaded the program from its inception, and through her dedication it now includes two other care providers covering a 20-mile radius around Española, serving 220 senior adults. Each provider has an Amigo del Valle vehicle. “I stop whenever I’m done, and I seldom know when that will be. There have been times when I’ve been called out at two and three o’clock in the morning.”
Chavez has considered retiring but whenever she talks about the possibility, her clients become upset and beg her not to leave. In 2000, Chavez was recognized by the Española Rotary Club and received a Nambe plaque commemorating her lifelong work with Amigos del Valle citing her dedicated services and devotion to her community.
Dr. Ziegler summed up Chavez’s personality when he wrote, “She is really doing a service of love and kindness, a real giving of herself.”
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