Miss America 2014 Visits AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center

COURT HOUSE – Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri visited AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Atlantic City Campus to meet with patients, staff and physicians. She toured the hospital’s regional Trauma Center – getting a view of the city where she was crowned from atop the helipad. She met with patients and families, as well as the CHOP Newborn & Pediatric Care at AtlantiCare team at The Stanley M. Grossman Pediatric Center; and visited Emergency, Trauma and Medical Surgical patients. Davuluri also met with AtlantiCare’s Diversity & Inclusion Council’s Employee Resource groups (ERGs) to discuss their shared focus on diversity and cultural competency. To view a video of Miss America’s visit, click here.
“We care for patients from all over the world,” Margaret Belfield, chief operating officer, ARMC, told Davuluri as she met with the ERGs. “Some are visitors to Atlantic City. Others live and work in our community and represent many cultures. We are pleased you could be with us to share your important message, and to make this a special day for patients and staff.”
Patricia Marrandino, of Brigantine, a former volunteer hostess for the Miss America Organization, was thrilled to meet Davuluri. “My granddaughters will be so excited,” she said, not containing her own excitement about the visit. Davuluri gave “Miss America Princess” sashes to Marrandino for her granddaughters, and to pediatric patients Sydirah Walden and Tazmeen Hussain.
Over the course of her services as Miss America 2014, Davuluri has been travelling the country addressing an array of audiences on her platform: Celebrating Diversity through Cultural Competency. As part of her consciousness-raising efforts on behalf of diversity, she has also launched a social media campaign, Circles of Unity, to encourage constructive and civil dialogue on diversity issues. Through her social media channels, Davuluri asks people to share “representative thoughts and stories about their experiences on how we as a nation can advance cultural awareness.”
“Miss America’s platform leads us to the need to help people grow with cultural diversity and to understand how it affects us,” said Cydney Savage, LPC, director, Adult Outpatient Services, AtlantiCare Behavioral Health and AtlantiCare LGBT Employee Resource Group co-chair. “She is a great person to bring this important message to the masses and to our communities. It was an honor to have her with us.”
“Miss America’s message was one of ensuring equality for all and creating a culture of awareness for healthcare issues in particular that we’re dealing with,” said Anthony Macchiavelli, MD, medical director, AtlantiCare hospitalist program and executive sponsor, AtlantiCare Military Employee Support Group. He added her visit highlighted the importance of AtlantiCare’s continuing to identify and eliminate healthcare disparities.
Davuluri has also been advocating for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,and Mathematics) initiatives and serving as the National Goodwill Ambassador for the Miss America Organization’s national platform partner, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Together, the two organizations share a commitment in raising awareness for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as well as the Miss America Scholarship Program.