PAUL HONORS FOUR NURSES FOR THEIR SERVICE

At this week’s meeting of the Rockland County Legislature, Legislator Aney Paul honored four women who have made positive contributions through their nursing and volunteer service.

Paul, a nurse for more than 30 years, on Tuesday honored Huguette D’Empaire of Monsey, Alphonsa J. Mathew of Congers and Jennifer Morin, who grew up in Spring Valley and currently lives in Mount Vernon. She also honored Abigail Flanagan of Sparkill, a nurse practitioner killed last year during a humanitarian mission to Honduras. Dennis Flanagan accepted in honor of his late wife.

“Each of these women were called to service thanks to their caring nature and selfless devotion to helping others,” Paul said. “They truly represent the best qualities of what our Rockland County community has to offer.”

THE HONOREES

HUGUETTE D’EMPAIRE holds a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Dominican College and is in the process of earning a master’s degree in nursing administration from Lehman College. She has worked as a Registered Nurse since 1988, including full time on the medical & surgical unit at New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, and as a part-time nursing supervisor at Nyack Hospital.

D’Empaire participated in a medical relief mission to Haiti in November, after Hurricane Matthew devastated the country, killing as many as 1,000 people and leaving 1.4 million in need of humanitarian assistance. She is a member of HANA Rockland – the Haitian American Nurses’ Association of Rockland County. When security concerns threatened to disrupt the mission, D’Empaire was able to redirect the volunteer nurses with her to another community in need. She also arranged for their safe travel to and from the location.

ALPHONSA J. MATHEW holds a doctor of nursing practice degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University since 1979. She works as a Nurse Practitioner Hospitalist at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow and at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern.

Mathew is an active volunteer, despite her hectic schedule. She volunteers at her St. Paul’s Church in Congers, and also participates in local health fairs, educating the public on health and wellness. She is active with the Indian Nurses’ Association.

JENNIFER MORIN holds a bachelor of science degree in nursing from the College of New Rochelle. She has worked as a nurse since 2006 and hopes to begin her studies toward a master’s degree in nursing practice next year. She currently manages two floors – a 43-bed long-term/palliative care unit and a 43-bed dementia unit – as a Clinical Nurse Manager at Rebekah Rehab and Extended Care Center in the Bronx.

Morin is a member of the Haitian American Nurses’ Association of Rockland County. She has participated in several missions during her time with HANA, including a medical mission to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; an educational mission to St. Kitts; an educational mission to Jeremie, Haiti, and a medical mission to Jacmel, Haiti.

ABIGAIL FLANAGAN will forever be remembered for her selflessness, as she headed to Honduras on a humanitarian mission to help poor people who lacked medical care. Tragically, she and two other volunteers were killed when their bus was involved in an accident.

Flanagan was awarded a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree from the Columbia University School of Nursing in 2015. She had worked at Columbia University Medical Center and at Neighborhood and Family/Acacia Network, as a Critical Care and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner respectively. She was a member of both the Nurse Practitioner Association and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

  Aney Paul, rockland county legislator, rockland volunteers