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Monticello Certified Nursing Assistant Wins Statewide Award

Tiwana Mutch-Miller, CNA at Brynwood Health and Rehabilitation Center writes winning submission for statewide CNA Essay Contest

 

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida Health Care Association is pleased to recognize Tiwana Mutch-Miller, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at Brynwood Health and Rehabilitation Center in Monticello, Fla., as the 2019 winner of FHCA’s CNA Essay Contest, earning her a $500 cash prize. This annual program helps raise awareness about the important role of Certified Nursing Assistants and their contributions to high-quality care and quality of life for Florida’s more than 72,000 long term care residents. Ms. Mutch-Miller authored the winning entry in the statewide association’s CNA Essay Contest, drawing from her personal experiences working with nursing center residents for 11 years. Read her essay here.

FHCA’s 2019 CNA Essay Contest asked Certified Nursing Assistants working in the Association’s 600+ member skilled nursing centers and assisted living facilities to submit up to 500 words about their personal experiences. The essays surrounded a designated theme, “CNAs: A Caring Touch That Means So Much.” Participants were given six topics around which to craft their essay - Dignity, Respect, Compassion, Listening, Communication or Standards of Care - and write about how these words translated into their daily practice of delivering a caring touch to residents.

Ms. Mutch-Miller has been a CNA at Brynwood in the rural North Florida town of Monticello for 11 years. She learned at an early age that to be successful in whatever role you carry out, you must be caring and passionate. In her essay she wrote that as a CNA, “you must go overboard in this chosen line of work…by all means there's no limit in providing the type of care for all residents…Anyone can be a Certified Nursing Assistant, but only the ones with passion and good morals, exceptional work ethic, will respect the role they are in.”

Administrator Rhod Fenelus noted that Tiwana’s essay exemplified the respect she shows to her residents in the everyday care she delivers. “Tiwana always puts the residents’ needs and preferences first. Her concerns about what residents’ think and want in how they receive care make her an excellent role model for her peers, all of whom are striving to deliver the most person-centered care,” said Fenelus. “I am very proud to be associated with such a fine person who always goes above and beyond for our residents.”

“Ms. Mutch-Miller is an excellent example of what successful long term care nursing assistants contribute to the high-quality care delivered to the residents in our FHCA member centers. We are proud to honor her for her dedication and commitment to the profession,” said FHCA Executive Director Emmett Reed.

Additional winners of FHCA’s 2019 contest included second-place winner Diana Barr of Chatsworth at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens and third-place winner Laura Munoz of Centre Pointe Health & Rehabilitation in Tallahassee.  For more information about FHCA’s CNA Essay Contest and to read excerpts of the top three entries, visit the FHCA website at www.fhca.org.

CONTACT

Kristen Knapp, APR
850-701-3530 or kknapp@fhca.org

ABOUT THE FLORIDA HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION

The Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) is a federation which serves nearly 1,000 members and represents over 500 long term care facilities that provide skilled nursing, post-acute and sub-acute care, short-term rehab, assisted living and other services to the frail elderly and individuals with disabilities in Florida. The mission of FHCA is to advance the quality of services, image, professional development and financial stability of its members. As Florida's first and largest advocacy organization for long term care providers and the elderly they serve, the Association has worked diligently since 1954 to assist its members with continuously improving quality of care and quality of life for the state’s growing elder care population. For more information about the Florida Health Care Association, visit www.fhca.org.

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