Whether is cooking 1,000 meals a day, tending to patients’ medical and emotional needs or registering patients in the emergency room, these five healthcare professionals who work behind the scenes at Memorial Hospital Pembroke in Pembroke Pines have one thing in common – they all deeply care and love what they do.

Carmen Nelson Carmen Nelson has been working for the past three years in the Biomed Engineering Department, fixing all sorts of medical equipment. A puzzle aficionado, Nelson graduated from Devry Institute of Technology in the 1970s when technology was a highly male-dominated field.

Larry Cavari Larry Cavari graduated from Culinary Institute of America. During his years as chef, he has created culinary delights for various hotels, restaurants and now a community hospital, which keeps him busy roasting, steaming and broiling about 1,000 meals a day for patients and employees of the hospital.

Annette Berry Annette Berry has worked in the hospital since 1983, with her current post being emergency room registration. What she enjoys most about her job is tending to people’s needs. “The emergency care is something special here,” she says.

George Collie George Collie has been with the hospital since 1999, working in Environmental Services. His supervisors say he is “always willing to lend a helping hand.” Although his job pertains to keeping patient rooms and other areas of the hospital clean, he goes the extra mile when he visits patients and relays their concerns to the nursing staff for follow through.

Maria Llanes Maria Llanes is a clinical resource manager. She is proud to be in Memorial’s winner’s circle as the August 2004 recipient of the Life Saver Award, which recognizes a heroic act that positively impacts a patient’s life.