Success & Service: DMC’s Brown honored by Tenet

Jeff Brown, a registered nurse at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, has been chosen as one of eight Tenet heroes within a company that employs more than 100,000 people nationally.

He was nominated not only for his work in dialysis, but also for his commitment to helping disadvantaged children. When a young mother realized she could not care for her twins born at 27 weeks, one with health issues that would have limited foster care options, Brown and wife Kim – also a nurse at DMC – became guardians of the ailing child and provided the kind of care she needed. She is now nearing her second birthday.

In the dialysis unit, he takes on the most complex cases. He was part of the Dialysis Department that earned Extra Mile Club and Daisy awards for commitment to patients.

Senior award winners announced

The Stanislaus County Commission on Aging named its 2015 Senior Award Winners. They are Belmiro Goulart of Riverbank in Supervisorial District 1; Myrna Wachs of Turlock, District 2; Jim Cairns of Modesto, District 3; Richard Anderson of Modesto, District 4; and James Coverick of Ceres, District 5.

All were nominated for their volunteer work in any of the following areas: community service, humanitarianism, leadership, political advocacy or being a good neighbor. They will be recognized during the Board of Supervisors’ meeting May 19 at 6:30 p.m. at 1010 10th Street Place, Modesto.

MJC honors disabled student

Modesto Junior College recognized Harriet Caines as the school’s disability services student of the year during the Disability Services graduation on Friday.

In 1997, Caines suffered a stroke that impaired her ability to speak and limited her ability to walk. She utilizes a motorized chair for mobility. In the midst of these challenges she chose to rehabilitate herself, and now lives in her apartment and does not rely on caregivers.

Last fall, she earned an Associate of Arts degree in social and behavioral science at MJC, and is a couple of classes shy of transferring to California State University, Stanislaus, to study psychology and ultimately become a marriage and family counselor.

Caines has lived in the Modesto area for more than 15 years. Prior to moving here, she lived in Puerto Rico for 10 years and worked as a facility training coordinator at a military hospital. She is the mother of three sons and grandmother of seven grandchildren.

Soroptimists present awards

Soroptimist International of Modesto awarded $6,500 in scholarships and awards for the 2014-15 school year. Three receiving $1,000 each are Amisha Barbour, to study marine biology at UC Santa Barbara; Miranda Herrera, to study social work at either California State University, Long Beach, or the University of Oregon; and Jacqueline Rodriguez, to study psychology at UC Berkeley.

Caitlyn Wherry received the $1,000 Violet Richardson Award, named after the organization’s first president, for Wherry’s project titled “SOS” (Students Opposing Starvation) that is now helping 1,000 children each week.

Sarah Bun, a Modesto Junior College student planning to attend the California Institute of the Arts, received the Shirley Elke Scholarship of $500.

And Melissa T. Tuss and California Leder each received Live Your Dream awards of $1,000 each, given to women who are heads of their households while in or accepted into a vocational/skills training program or undergraduate program.

Modestan serving aboard destroyer in Vietnam

Ensign Timothy Vasconcellos of Modesto gave media tours of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald during Naval Engagement Activity Vietnam 2015 in Da Nang. In its sixth year, the event is designed to foster mutual understanding, build confidence in the maritime domain and strengthen relationships between the U.S. Navy, Vietnam People’s Navy and the local community.

Pitman High leaders are state champs

Pitman High School’s Future Business Leaders of America won the state championship in computer game and simulation programming on April 11, beating Lynbrook High in Santa Clara. The Pitman team is Dustin Halsey, Bryse Rochester and Colin Van Winkle. They will compete for the national title June 29 in Chicago. The team is guided by Shane Arnold and Anna Eshoo.

Modestan among college dairy challenge champs

Modesto’s Anthony Alamo was among the four California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, students who took first place at the 14th annual North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge last weekend in Liverpool, N.Y. The Dairy Challenge is a two-day competition for students representing dairy science programs. Alamo, a senior, attended Central Catholic High.

This story was originally published April 18, 2015 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Success & Service: DMC’s Brown honored by Tenet."