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Celebration held for Queens nurse retiring after 40 years

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Sunday, May 30, 2021

Celebration held for Queens nurse retiring after 40 years

There was a celebration on Friday night as someone left LIJ Forest Hills Hospital, but in this case, it was not a COVID patient.

FOREST HILLS, Queens (WABC) -- There was a celebration on Friday night as someone left LIJ Forest Hills Hospital, but in this case, it was not a COVID patient.

Sylvana Fontana Rega retired after 40 years of working at the medical center.

When Rega started, it was LaGuardia Hospital. She says the name is not the only thing that changed over the years - so has the job, which used to be about following the doctor's orders.

"Now you're part of a team, and you discuss patients, the situations, treatment. You're a whole team that takes care of the patient," Rega said.

Rega says even with all her experience, nothing prepared her for COVID, so the past year was extremely tough.

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