Gemma Rama-Banaag, a chief nursing officer of Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, was selected “Administrator of the Year” by the Philippines Nurses Association of San Diego (PNASD) on Sept. 15. The award is part of the association’s annual Nursing Excellence Awards.
Rama-Banaag has extensive experience in nursing leadership, beginning with her role as a nurse manager at the South Bay Rehabilitation Center at Paradise Valley where she managed a 22-bed acute rehabilitation unit. She then was director of nursing for Promise Hospital, managing a five-bed ICU and 52-bed long-term acute unit—where she initiated a new grad nursing program. Rama-Banaag was promoted to director of clinical services at Promise, where she assisted in clinical operational planning and implementation.
Currently, Rama-Banaag is the chief nursing officer at Paradise Valley Hospital, where she is in charge of all clinical operations for 301-bed acute care, award-winning hospital. She has been instrumental in working to improve the hospital’s service excellence programs and improve patient satisfaction. The hospital has recently won many national awards, including being named as part of the “Top 15 Health Systems” in the nation by Thomson Reuters, an “A” for patient safety by The Leapfrog Group, and a “Top Performer” by The Joint Commission.
“Gemma has always had a passion for creating and implementing special programs designed to engage the staff and improve quality in the clinical and professional areas,” said Marita Ferrer, RN, PNASD past president and current member of the board of directors. “I know this multi-talented lady to be a true professional as well as passionate about the Filipino values inherent to our culture and heritage.”
“The staff and physicians at Paradise Valley Hospital are able to see every day what a difference Gemma makes to our patients—and we are thrilled that the community now knows as well,” added Neerav Jadeja, administrator, Paradise Valley Hospital.
Rama-Banaag, RN, received her master’s in nursing science and MBA in healthcare management from the University of Phoenix. The Philippine Nurses Association Of San Diego County is a non-profit organization of nursing professionals dedicated to the medical community for the past 30 years.