Jews in the D
26 | AUGUST 27 • 2020
I
t takes a special person
to be an obstetric nurse.
The profession demands
dedication, compassion — in
short, someone whose caring
commitment literally brings
new life into the world.
If that someone is also an
advocate for social action
by helping hospital patients
exercise their right to vote,
then she represents some-
one whose career path has
brought both challenges and
rewards.
Lisa Schavrien, RN, BSN,
46, of Manhattan is just such
a person. The former West
Bloomfielder, who attended
Temple Israel and graduated
from University of Detroit’
s
McCauley School of Nursing,
today works at Lenox Hill
Hospital, where she’
s served
as an OB nurse, advanced to
assistant nurse manager of
labor and delivery and, in
2014, created the obstetric
nurse navigation program,
which streamlines and per-
sonalizes patients’
needs.
It is Schavrien’
s continu-
ing commitment to help-
ing patients that led her to
realize the importance of
being able to participate in
an activity that defines the
American democratic system
— voting.
“In 2016, a patient was
admitted after her water
broke prematurely,” she said.
“She felt very strongly about
voting, and since I’
m about
‘
finding the yes,’
I was com-
mitted to finding a way to
obtain her absentee ballot.
While working to accomplish
this, I was shocked to learn
there’
s no process in most
states for a person to vote
who’
s unable to get to a poll-
ing station due to unexpect-
ed circumstances.
“My colleague Erin Smith
suggested we formalize what
I did for that patient and
institute a hospital initiative
for the 2018 midterm elec-
tion. Despite the barriers we
had to overcome, we finally
got the Albany board of elec-
tions to grant us the ability
to make obtaining absentee
ballots possible.”
Schavrien personally saw
how important voting was
to patients, which was the
impetus for her action to
assist the sometimes-for-
gotten population of those
unexpectedly hospitalized
who still want to vote. A
patient was in the hospital
on Election Day, Nov. 6, and
wanted to vote, but didn’
t
think it would be possible.
“He told me he had voted
in every election since
Carter, and he wasn’
t about
to stop,” she said.
The following excerpts are
from a letter of commenda-
tion he wrote:
“I found out it was too
late to get an absentee ballot
… the deadline was the day
before and I was having a
surgical procedure that day.
I thought I would miss the
opportunity to vote until I
met Nurse Lisa Schavrien.
She offered to drive to
Queens, to the Board of
Elections to get the form …
to obtain an absentee ballot.
“I was so grateful for
her willingness to do this.
I signed the form and she
drove back to Queens and
went before a judge to lobby
on my behalf in order for me
to vote. The judge granted
me an absentee ballot. She
drove back to the hospital,
and I filled out the form and
she drove back to Queens
and dropped off the ballot.
“I was able to vote, some-
thing I very much wanted to
do.”
What started with
Schavrien and Smith has
grown into a team of hospital
volunteers and friends who
are passionate about voting
advocacy.
“Our campaign has been
well received, and we won
the president’
s award from
Northwell Health for our
region. We’
re now working
This Nurse
Delivers … In More
Ways Than One
Former West Bloomfi
elder ensures
those in the hospital can still vote.
JUDY GREENWALD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
continued on page 28
LISA SCHAVRIEN
Together with nursing
colleague Erin Smith, Lisa
Schavrien (left) promotes the
importance of voting.