Maira Zuniga-Chavez, RN
Compassion Exemplifies Giving at Oklahoma Center for Orthopedic & Multi-Specialty. Surgery, LLC
story and photo by James Coburn, Staff Writer
Being there for someone to help them feel better is what Maira Zuniga-Chavez cherishes about her nursing career at OCOM North (Oklahoma Center for Orthopedic & Multi-Specialty Surgery, LLC). She came to OCOM about two years ago during the pandemic and has never strayed.
Angela Beddor, RN, said Chavez’s compassion exemplifies giving by the way she serves people. Chavez came to OCOM from an ICU setting. She is bilingual and does a lot of volunteer work in the community including a Big Brother Big Sister program for underserved schools. And she volunteers her time at Tulakes Clinic, which is a part of the Tulakes Neighborhood Ministries, consisting of the clinic, a food resource center, and a community church. It is located in an area of Warr Acres where she grew up. The food pantry gives people the feeling they are shopping for groceries, Chavez said. The clinic is run by clinic director Kim Bryan, a nurse practitioner, who has been in the field for 25 years. (story continues below)
“They offer care to people in underserved communities,” Chavez said. “It’s a small area with lots and lots of apartment complexes. Most of the people there are of low income in single family homes.”
Zuniga immigrated to the United States from Mexico and didn’t have access to health care and things many people in Oklahoma take for granted.
“I actually found out about this free clinic from a friend and started volunteering there,” Chavez said. “It was like a full circle where I could connect.”
She also does a mentorship program called Emerge at Tulakes Church that helps children growing up in the Tulakes area to see that life has so much more to offer. She volunteers with her 5th grade teacher. It’s a blessing for Chavez to know what a big difference her teacher made in her life. Chavez wanted to play the role of Big Sister for somebody, too.
“It may seem like you’re in a bad situation, problems at home or you don’t have money. It seems like life is tough and rough. I grew up with that and I came out of that, so I like to volunteer with the kids and set an example, like I was in the same shoes you are, and I didn’t let life determine that’s all there is to offer,” Chavez said.
Chavez’s childhood gave impetus to her nursing career. She is a 2020 graduate of nursing school at Northern Oklahoma College, located in Enid. She began her journey to nursing school at age 16 as a CNA. She worked in a nursing home for two years and earned her CMA certification. And she worked as a nurse tech while in college.
She learned about OCOM from a coworker while working in the ICU of another facility. Chavez had worked in the ICU for three years but felt the burnout associated with working in a sad environment. Her work had been enriching, but she needed a change.
“We know that we were making a difference in the ICU because we cared for some really sick patients, but the outcomes weren’t always what we hoped for,” Chavez said. “And here it’s really refreshing having that good outcome. Patients are leaving here happier, feeling better, and they’re going to get better.”
She loves being around the nursing staff. They are all funny with great personalities, she said. It’s always nice for her to have a great boss and great coworkers to make the day better and fun, she explained.
Nurses don’t have a lot of idle time at OCOM North where an average of 50-75 surgery cases happen weekly. About 13-15 nurses care for patients at any given time. Three operating rooms at OCOM North run Monday-Friday for outpatient procedures. OCOM South has inpatient beds for total joint replacements that are not provided at OCOM North. The medical team at the 11,000-square-foot OCOM North facility specializes in outpatient oral surgery, GYN, orthopedics, general surgery, ophthalmology, podiatry, pain management, plastic surgery, and urology. Zuniga said that OCOM performs a lot of outpatient surgeries.
“They are all just really happy to get their problem fixed,” Chavez said. “We get a lot of young sports teams. And so they’re like, ‘I’m just ready to get back to playing.’ And we’re ready to get this done.”
Being a nurse has added a fresh perspective to her life.
“You may think you’re going through something, but someone else is going through something worse,” she said.
Some of her patients have had chronic joint pain for many years. So, she is thankful for her health.
“It makes me feel grateful for what I have. And, it makes me feel grateful that I’m able to help people,” Chavez said.
For more information about Oklahoma Center for Orthopedic & Multi-Specialty Surgery, LLC visit https://ocomhospital.com/
