Holy Cross Hospital named Fort Lauderdale resident Nestor Megano as its Associate of the Year. Megano serves as a cardiovascular perfusionist at the non-profit hospital.
“The Associate of the Year is a very special individual who consistently lives our core values and exudes our behaviors of excellence," said Holy Cross Hospital President and CEO Patrick A. Taylor, M.D. "Nestor is thoroughly respected and admired by patients, peers, and physicians. A true patient advocate, he shows compassion to patients, is always smiling and regularly lifts the spirits of others.”
In his role as a cardiovascular perfusionist, Megano is responsible for the selection, setup and operation of a mechanical device known as heart-lung machine, which is an artificial blood pump that propels oxygenated blood to a patient's tissues while a surgeon operates on the heart. A specialized healthcare professional, a perfusionist must have a thorough understanding of both the respiratory and circulatory system to manage the physiological and metabolic demands of patients.
In addition to the operation of the heart-lung machine during open-heart surgery, perfusionists often function in supportive roles for other medical specialties in operating mechanical devices to assist in the conservation of blood during surgery. They also provide extended, long-term support of the patient's circulation outside of the operating room environment in areas such as the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU).
Megano was born in the Philippines, where he received his bachelor degree in medical technology, and worked as a perfusionist at the Philippine Heart Center for Asia. In 1980, he moved to the United States to practice perfusion at the Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Ill. In 1982, Megano moved to Fort Lauderdale to work for Holy Cross Hospital, where he has served for the past 34 years.
A member of the American Society of Extracorporeal Technology and the Florida Perfusion Society, Megano supports the American Heart Association and is active in the Filipino Catholic Ministry at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Boca Raton. Married to Lucrecia Megano for 30 years, he has two daughters who are both pharmacists.
About Holy Cross Hospital
A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale, FL-based Holy Cross Hospital is a full-service, non-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. In 2016, U.S. News and World Report named Holy Cross Hospital among the top three hospitals in South Florida and one of only 63 in the nation to achieve “high performing” in all nine medical conditions surveyed. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as our community’s trusted health partner for life. To learn more about Holy Cross Hospital, visit holy-cross.com. Connect @holycrossfl.
