Heart of public health
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 01:48 p.m., October 23, 2007
Updated 01:49 p.m., October 23, 2007
A registered nurse in Emporia has been chosen to receive a “Nursing: The Heart of Healthcare” award given by the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City.
Lori Torres of the Flint Hills Community Health Center and Lyon County Health Department is one of 10 nurses statewide who will be honored on Nov. 2 at an awards dinner in Kansas City. Torres was chosen from among more than 300 people nominated for the award.
Torres is tuberculosis coordinator for the health department, where she has worked for three and a half years.
“I don’t know a whole lot about the award,” Torres said on Monday. “I’m still in shock myself.”
A crew from Kansas University was at the health department Monday morning to film Torres for a documentary about this year’s award-winners.
Torres’ nomination for the award came from a colleague at the health center, Sandra Rees, who wrote about Torres’ work with refugees, immigrants and international students since taking over as TB coordinator.
“The initial caseload of 30 patients has increased to approximately 300,” Rees wrote in the nomination letter submitted in late August. “Mrs. Torres performs refugee physicals, TB screenings and vaccinations as well as the transfer of medical records between Lyon County and other state health departments. She serves as the liaison to Tyson Foods locally, where many foreign-born (workers) are employed.”
Torres is responsible for following up on clients taking medications for latent or active TB, for handling serious side-effects from medication and fordealing with non-compliance.
“She assists the nurses at Emporia State University with TB consultation and with foreign students who are diagnosed with latent TB,” Rees wrote.
Torres was chosen to present an incident summary at the World TB Day Conference in Kansas City, and was speaker at the Kansas Public Health Association conference this fall. She will represent the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to attend the National TB Controller conference in Atlanta, Ga. Torres also is involved in her church’s annual blood drive and health fair, Rees wrote to the nominations committee at KU.
Torres was a little unsure about when she had been notified that she had won.
“Let’s see. What was the day I almost fainted?” she asked, laughing. “I think it was around the 10th or 11th.”
Torres said her job in public health encompasses her favorite type of nursing. While nursing individuals in a hospital setting is good, dealing with entire populations in public health is especially satisfying for her.
“If you could just get more emphasis on public health — health promotion, prevention, and protection,” she said, “It’s a lot easier to fix an illness before it happens.”
Torres also enjoys the opportunity to learn about other cultures and make friends along the way. Some days, none of her patients speak English, so she uses the services of the center’s in-house Spanish and Somali interpreters.
“I’ve definitely gotten to meet a lot of new people,” she said. “I try to help them with what they need” beyond health care, by recommending the Emporia Public Library and the school district’s Learning Center to the Somalis who want to expand their educations.
“They’re very friendly, very open,” she said. “They definitely have a hunger to learn as much as possible because they know that’s what they need to succeed in America.”
Torres also is part of the Emporia Refugee Resettlement Alliance, which helps the refugees adjust to the new community and become educated in its customs.
On Monday, she was a little embarrassed about taking time from work to be filmed, photographed and interviewed.
“I’m not used to this attention,” she said. “I’m just used to doing my thing, taking care of my people.”
Torres, who is married to the center’s primary care clinic manager, Chuck Torres, received her bachelor of nursing degree from Pittsburg State University. She received her certification in public health from the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments, KU, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
JJEMMS (anonymous) says...
Hello,
I have known Chuck and Lori for years and years. Chuck especially. We grew up together. I could not think of a nicer guy. Lori is just as nice and I am very happy for her receiving such a wonderful award. I am sure she put her whole heart into it. I am also a nurse but have put it up and retired :o). Congratulations Lori. Please tell Chuck the Pillsbury Dough Boy said hello.
Jim Dunn
August 14, 2008 at 9:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )