My name's Jorge W. Corona, but most of my transplant patients just call me "The Blood Guy" and, honestly, I love that.
As a Patient Care Technician and Phlebotomist at NYP/Weill Cornell's Kidney Transplant Clinic, my everyday goal is to use my knowledge of phlebotomy and other skills I've developed to deliver the highest quality service and care to my patients, ensuring that their blood and any other specimens make it to the right labs and research centers in the safest, most painless and efficient way possible.
Our clinic operates in two parts, seeing both preoperative patients as well as postoperative patients. While each team does have their differences, the phlebotomists all remain the same.
What that means is that I get to be a part of a team that has the wonderful privilege of watching a vast majority of our patients come into our clinic at their worst, receive their transplant and continue to be there to help them grow stronger until, eventually, they're healthy enough move on with their improved quality of life.
At the end of the day, that's our goal and being a part of that process is something I truly love.
That said, I've decided to help raise awareness and funds for kidney transplant patients by participating in a Kidney Walk with the National Kidney Foundation on Sunday, November 10th.
There is no fee to participate in the Kidney Walk and everyone is welcome to join us and/or donate.
Why is this important?
Kidney Walks are a vital source of support as they provide real-time assistance for those patients and families in need. More than 80 cents of every dollar donated goes to research, patient services, professional education, public health education, and community services.
How does this benefit the community?
1. Ensuring that 37 million Americans living with chronic kidney disease get diagnosed, treated and supported early.
2. Providing the public, patients, and healthcare professionals with tools to promote kidney health.
3. Advocating for change on Capitol Hill and support life-saving research.
Every cent counts and can help make a monumental difference in an individual's life.
After all, we all want the same thing:
To live a happier, healthier, higher quality life.
Comments