CCH Honors Beloved Nurse
By Roberta Cannon
Staff on Mugar 4 and South 2 raised money for the Cape Cod women’s cancer early detection fund in memory of co-worker and young nurse Patricia DiMaggio.
On June 10, 2024, the staff of Mugar 4 at Cape Cod Hospital lost a friend and co-worker to breast cancer. Patricia Lavern DiMaggio had been a member of the Cape Cod Healthcare family for seven years, first as a certified nursing assistant, next as a unit secretary and finally as a registered nurse.
Her loss continues to be palpable. Vicki Casto, RN, nurse manager of Mugar 4 and South 2, and Michele Mills-Nunes, RN, clinical leader on Mugar 4, talked recently about the compassion and caring DiMaggio brought to her patients as well as her quiet presence on their unit.
“It was a blessing to work with her and watch her grow as she transitioned through each position to expand on her experience,” said Casto. “She worked as a unit secretary while going through nursing school so she could learn more about how the unit worked. She graduated from Cape Cod Community College with an ASN (Associate in Science in Nursing). As a novice nurse, she worked the evening shift and for a novice nurse, it was a very busy time when everyone comes and goes. Nursing was her passion and she was happy doing it every day.”
DiMaggio didn’t stop with her ASN. As she was going through treatment for her cancer and at the urging of her mother, Jacqueline Jackson, she completed the Bachelor’s in Science nursing program through UMASS Boston and graduated with her BSN just before she passed away, said Casto.
DiMaggio spent most of her nursing career on Mugar 4, which is a 30-bed medical surgical, oncology and palliative care unit, and she also worked on Mugar 5 as a unit secretary and was a part of the float pool.
The staff on South 2 at Cape Cod Hospital (above) and the Mugar 4 team (pictured at top of the story) held a 50/50 raffle in October and raised $500 for the Cape Cod Women's Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Fund.
Raising Money to Benefit Others
Casto and Mills-Nunes are both very aware of the challenges cancer patients and their families face while going through diagnosis and treatments.
“Most of the nurses that work on this unit have had cancer touch them personally in some way, whether they have had cancer or someone in their family has had it,” said Mills-Nunes. “Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, we decided with loss of Patricia, it would be good to raise money in her memory.”
The Mugar 4 staff held a 50/50 raffle and each ticket cost $1. They were joined by the staff on South 2 of the hospital, who wanted to help support DiMaggio’s family, and the raffle raised $500. The money was donated to the Cape Cod Women’s Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Fund, a program that provides assistance covering the cost of diagnostic testing that is not covered by insurance.
Adrianna Pierce, RN, a nurse on Mugar 4 won half the amount raised and decided to donate her share back to the fund.
The staff members on Mugar 4 and South 2 also held another successful raffle following DiMaggio’s passing to help her family, financially, so they can take her remains back to Jamaica for burial. Two raffles that included a lottery ticket wreath and a huge basket of care and comfort items raised $3,000 for the family.
Remembering DiMaggio in a Special Way
On a Tuesday evening after DiMaggio died, the staff at Cape Cod Hospital and other departments came together in the parking lot to remember a fellow caregiver and say goodbye. More than 100 people held battery-operated candles as many spoke about how they knew her and what she meant to them, while others sang hymns.
“It was beautiful,” said Casto. “There were people from the labs, staff from various units, managers and supervisors. It helped a lot with healing and brought us all together as a Cape Cod Healthcare family.”
DiMaggio is survived by her mother, Jacqueline Arruda, and stepfather, Clifford Shay, who both work as certified nursing assistants on Mugar 6.
