Members of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing – Phi Gamma Chapter held an intimate get-together and recognition event on 25 August 2023 at the Quezon Hall, Seda Vertis North to laud the long-standing legacy of the society towards global nursing excellence.
The gathering had preceded the intensive international conference of Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) on 26 August 2023 at the RISE Tower.
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Among the attendees were some of the past and present board of directors and members including current Phi Gamma Vice President Mary Kristine Amboy, Phi Gamma Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rita Munley Gallagher, and Phi Gamma Past President and OLFU’s Research Development and Innovation Center (RDIC) Director Dr. Michael Joseph Dino.
The delegation from Thailand’s Rangsit University School of Nursing also headlined the assemblage comprising Dr. Vatcharin Wuthironarith, head of the Bachelor of Nursing Program (Bilingual) and International Coordinator; Dr. Nuttapol Yuwanich, program head for School of Nursing; Dr. Kheamnareenee Rueanrudipirom, instructor for Community Health Nursing; Sasipin Supamonthree Baouphol, instructor for Child and Adolescent Nursing; Jarutsi Atthayasai, instructor for Fundamental and Supportive Nursing; Paparwarin Wangdi, instructor for Maternal Child Nursing and Midwifery.
In a video statement, current Phi Gamma President Irving Ong welcomed the invitees followed by a virtual message by Sigma Theta Tau International President, also a Virginia Henderson and Billye Brown Fellow, Kenneth Dion, who delivered a special message encouraging his members to emulate the vestiges of Sigma founders, specifically in taking bold actions to position the society for another successful century.
Officially chartered in June 2010, the Phi Gamma Chapter has approximately 500 active members from over 35 countries today. In solidifying this legacy, the affair went on acknowledging its pillars as well as its up-and-coming leaders who have inscribed their valuable contributions to the revered society over the years.
Phi Gamma conferred on Former Sigma Theta Tau International President (2009-2011) Karen Morin, the Past President Service Excellence Award who in return, conveyed her admiration of the influential works of Sigma in decades.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to have been recognized for something that I love to do,” said Morin as she described Sigma as “an incredible organization [that] provides wonderful opportunities, and enables the influence of people of all walks of life.”
“I have learned so much about leadership from Sigma, from my colleagues with whom I interact. One does not become a leader without tremendous input from other people so I thank the chapter, the leadership, and the members for this incredible opportunity,” she added.
The chapter also named Dr. Daryl Jeremiah Rivera and Dr. Janice Joy Tambanillo as its latest Academic Achievement Awardees.
For paying back to the communities – one of the society’s instinctive thrusts – Phi Gamma Chapter also acknowledged the stellar works of its members including Dr. Rabla Khalaila, for developing a cognitive training intervention among low educated older Arab adults living in Israel; Haether Abrahim, for examining the psychological distress of Filipino-American registered nurses in the United States during the pandemic; and Dame Elysabeth Tuty Arna Uly Tarihoran, for instituting a study on a prototype model of stroke recovery health program for young women stroke survivors.
In terms of professional development, Phi Gamma takes pride in its quest to support members toiling on their higher academic pursuit. The chapter’s latest financial grantee Jeriko Pablo is now pursuing his Doctor of Healthcare Administration Program – thanks to the tuition support and the deliberate will of the society to invest in education.
To commend their indelible marks, Past President Service Medallion was bestowed on Dino, Amboy, Gallagher, and Alexander Levantino Jr., Phi Gamma Leadership Succession Chair. An appreciation certificate was also awarded to OLFU, a belated gesture of Phi Gamma to recognize the institution’s successful Synergizing Partnerships in Advancing Research, Knowledge, and Service (SPARKS) International Conference, held in November 2022.
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To close the intimate convention, the chapter laid out its determined route to deliver global nursing excellence through collaboration to execute key economic concepts, utilizing beneficial positive technology, sponsoring education, and sustaining existing projects, among others.
After the brief program, the in-person attendees indulged in a scrumptious buffet, all while enjoying the company, catching up with the members of Phi Gamma Chapter. — Raymond Lumagsao
