Milton Resident and Nurse on the Front Line of Opioid Epidemic Honored by Local College

As Laboure College educates the next generation of nurses and healthcare workers, we hold the 2017 winners of the Massachusetts Care Awards up as beacons of compassionate patient care. This year’s winners show us that a career in healthcare and safety is not simply a job, but a vocation- a calling to serve the sick, the poor, and the voiceless. The honorees this year are: Donna Morrissey, American Red Cross; Detective Chris Dumont, Massachusetts State Police; Sean O’Leary, Chief Radiation Therapist at Tufts Medical Center; and Catherine O’Connor, founder of the Health in Motion van and clinical instructor at Northeastern University. Nurses, healthcare workers, and first responders have both the distinct privilege and responsibility for keeping us safe and healthy. It is our privilege to shine a light on each of these compassionate caregivers- let us introduce you to Catherine O'Connor.

Catherine O’Connor, RN, MSN, ACRN has dedicated her life to providing high-quality care to underserved communities. Described by nominators Mary Therese Flanagan and Ann Hill as, "kind, compassionate, and a fun loving person who is full of integrity and energy; she is a nurse of substance," and "a beacon of hope for those marginalized in our society," Labouré College is thrilled to honor Catherine O'Connor with a 2017 Massachusetts Care Award. Catherine and her team from Northeastern University partnered with AHOPE, a needle exchange program that is part of the Boston Public Health Commission. The Health in Motion van would follow the needle exchange van and offer vaccinations to intravenous drug users. After that, they expanded their services to include Tuberculosis and Hepatitis screening, vein care, and overdose prevention and education. The van was so successful that it became an integral part of Catherine's public health course. “We are able to expose students to the most vulnerable members of our community. It is an amazing opportunity for them. The van is their clinical rotation for the public health course,” said Catherine.
As the need continues to grow, Catherine is constantly looking for new places to serve. “Right now we’re expanding the van program into marginalized communities across the state. We choose the areas to go to based off of epidemiological assessments and identified need. We look at areas that don’t have a lot of resources for people at risk for HIV or places that already have high case rates of HIV, STDs, Hepatitis C, drug overdoses, teen pregnancy, incarceration, or homelessness,” said Catherine. The mobile health clinic provides much more than just one-time services. “We go out and spend time in the community. We meet with key informants about where we should site the van; build relationships with local health centers, domestic abuse providers, homeless services, and mental health providers. We have to know where to send people after the van leaves,” said Catherine.

Catherine wanted to live long enough to see the end of HIV and, “thanks be to God, it’s harder to find HIV and substance abusers because of needle exchange programs which are now present all over the state. But now the overdose epidemic is the new challenge we’re all facing as providers. We’re being decimated by overdose. Along with the prevention services we provide, we’re also able to provide Narcan™ and to teach patients how to recognize the signs of overdose,” said Catherine.

According to Catherine, in the early years of the HIV epidemic, it became clear very quickly that there was a powerful role for nurses in community health. “Before we had cutting edge medications, we as nurses worked to teach people lifestyle modifications, how to improve their diet, and why it was important to reduce their substance abuse as we worked to improve quality of life. Beyond that, we also wanted to provide patients with HIV and AIDS a dignified death. The trajectory of my journey changed as I became aware of how patients could take baby steps toward a healthier life and I knew we needed to put all of our eggs in the prevention basket,” said Catherine. Reflecting back on a 40 year career in nursing, Catherine said, “I want my students to know that even 40 years later, I would do this all again in a heartbeat. It is a privilege to be with people at the best and worst moments in their lives.”

Catherine and her fellow winners will be celebrated at the Massachusetts Care Awards held on Thursday, June 8, 2017 beginning at 5:30 PM at Labouré College in Milton. The event will include a comedy performance by Lenny Clarke, great food and wine, and the presentation of the awards to each winner. The celebration is open to the general public and ticket information can be found at http://www.laboure.edu/massachusetts-care-award.