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EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
The Emergency Department (ED) – which treats trauma, stroke and cardiac patients among others -- is a fast-paced and dynamic unit with a wide range of patients.
In addition to a nursing degree, ED nurses at Henry Mayo must hold certifications in pediatrics, advance cardiac life support, management of assaultive behavior and take several trauma courses. Many of the ED nurses are also trained as mobile intensive care nurses, or MICNs, who give orders by radio or phone to paramedics to treat patients in the field before they arrive at the hospital.
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In 2022, the ED gained several new graduate and transition nurses. The department also continued updates to the physician and nursing stations. Future plans include a lobby redesign to enhance patient flow, security and patient privacy.
Ray Spaid, BSN, RN, CCRN, Emergency Department, has been a longtime fixture at Henry Mayo. The trauma nurse, who has worked in healthcare long before there was hospital in the Santa Clarita Valley, recently celebrated his 48th year of service to the community.
Known for his compassion and calm presence, Spaid, a Canyon High graduate, became a nurses’ aide in 1974 after graduating from the first class of the new Regional Occupational Program. He had a stint in the military and went to school to advance his education before becoming a Med-Evac nurse.
Spaid was among the first employees to work at Hillside Hospital, which eventually became Henry Mayo. He has watched the Emergency Department grow (not to mention witnessing the area’s transition from a sleepy suburb to the third-largest city in Los Angeles County) from four beds to its current 36 beds and saw the hospital become a Level II Trauma Center.
“Ray is known for his pillow therapy – ensuring his patients are as comfortable as possible during their hospital stays,” says Henry Mayo Director of Development Joe Greene, DNP, RN.
“Many patients in the valley have been cared for with his pillow therapy, and many more have been impacted by his compassion,” he says, noting Spaid has also imparted his knowledge and wisdom to new nurses as a preceptor. Spaid has said on more than one occasion that the most important thing to is to make sure “I’m doing what I am called to do.” With his passion for nursing, he has left his mark on the Emergency Department and Henry Mayo.
