Forget the telephone. It seems that the newest way to contact your home health nurse is by texting her. At least that what 8 year old Salina Bona of Kersey thought when she wanted to reach her nurse, Stacy Assalone, R.N.Stacy, a Pediatric Nurse for Community Nurses, Inc., recently received a text to confirm the date and time of her next visit with Salina. Thinking the text message was from Salina’s mother, Stacy texted her back to verify that the information was correct. To her surprise, she soon discovered that it was Salina she was exchanging texts with. According to Salina, “I missed Stacy and wanted to check on when she would be coming for my next visit. She’s really nice and she makes me laugh. I was doing my homework and texting at the same time.”
Salina, now a second grader at Fox Township Elementary School, was born with Spina Bifada. Her mother, Jenn, explained that “Salina has been with Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh since two hours after she was born. She’s had surgery there every six months since she was four years old to lengthen growth rods that were inserted along her spine to help control severe scoliosis. There were never any problems until an infection developed following her last surgery.”
Jenn credits the “power of being young” and the expertise of Community Nurses Stacy Assalone, Pediatric Nurse, and Bonnie Gausman, Certified Wound Care Nurse, with the successful healing of the infected area. Jenn stated that “Salina was able to come home from the hospital sooner because of home health. To have a pediatric nurse who is experienced in drawing blood and working with children is great. Stacy is so gentle with Selina. She can get her blood draw on the first try, something that doesn’t happen very often in our experience. And Bonnie was excellent with wound care. The wound vac was amazing. The infected area is cleared up and Salina just loves ‘her’ nurses.”
Salina’s favorite activities are working on the computer, her DSI game, April School of Dance, and of course, texting. She is looking forward to being on the Fox Township softball team this spring. She has two brothers, Shea, 9, and Grayson, 6, and lives in Kersey with mom, Jenn, and dad, Mike.
Community Nurses, Inc. is a non-profit home health agency that provides home health, hospice, and home support services for patients of all ages.