July 27, 2005
For immediate release
Contact: Brian Costa/503-681-1654

Garside Honored by Hispanic Nurses Group

The Portland Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) recently presented Leda Garside, RN, ¡Salud! Services clinical nurse manager for Tuality Healthcare, with the group's first chapter leadership award, the Medina Valor Award.

Garside, who is a former chapter president, received the recognition for her "efforts and leadership over the past several years."

The award is named in honor of Carlos Perez Medina of the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic (YVFWC), who passed away in 2004. "(He) was a mentor and a man who has dedicated his entire life to improving the health care of the underserved communities," wrote Juan Carlos Olivares, executive director, YVFWC. "Particularly, he was the strongest advocate for ensuring that migrant and seasonal farm workers throughout this country received health care."

Lupita Salazar Letscher, RN, MS, president, NAHN Portland Chapter, said that Garside's work carries on the traditions of the award's namesake. "Please join me in applauding Leda's efforts in honor of Carlos Perez Medina," she said.

A program of the Tuality Healthcare Foundation, ¡Salud! is a cooperative outreach effort between Tuality healthcare professionals and Oregon winemakers to help bring medical services and education to the seasonal workers and their families who are critical to the success of the state’s wine industry.