From Los Angeles to Lexington, UK's Rojas Makes a Difference in Patients' Lives

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 22, 2016) – UK Health Care Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Hender Rojas began his medical career in Los Angeles working 24-hour shifts as a paramedic, an early job that he says helped prepare him for the vital role he plays today in patients' lives.

"I was able to obtain lots of experience in that position," Rojas said. "That job helped to build my confidence because I thought I was invincible, being so young."

He moved from the west coast to the east coast and became a registered nurse in Massachusetts.  After earning a bachelor's degree at Worcester State College, he decided he wanted to make more of an impact for each patient. So, he furthered his education by completing a master's degree in nursing at the University of Massachusetts, with an emphasis in acute care practice and a subspecialty in cardiology.

He then moved to the Bluegrass and in March 2008, Rojas joined the University of Kentucky Transplant Center. He works closely with the liver patients who are waiting or who have received a transplant.

"The program has evolved greatly," Rojas said. "When I first started, I was the only advanced practice provider. Now, we have a team of three nurse practitioners who rotate from the clinic to the inpatient setting."

Many transplant patients have to undergo significant health changes before a transplant can be performed. Permanent lifestyle changes can dramatically increase the success rate for the patient and make the long post-transplant recovery process easier. During his time at UK, Rojas has been able to make a major impact on patient lives through starting a weight loss and tobacco cessation program, designed with transplant patients in mind.

"I wanted to offer them a more approachable way to undergo these necessary changes before their transplant can occur," he said. "These patients are so sick, they are willing to do anything to have a better quality of life." 

Recently, Rojas' hard work ethic, positive attitude and compassion won him an award on the national level.

In January, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons presented Rojas with the 2016 Advanced Transplant Provider Award. He was selected based on nomination letters made by the team of surgeons at UK HealthCare for his incredible standards and clinical mentoring at the advanced level.

“'Dr. Hender,' as he is called by numerous patients, is an integral cog in the transplant program," said Dr. Malay Shah, surgical director of the UK Liver Transplant Program. "His hard work and dedication to patient care and education is a shining example of the impact a single healthcare provider can make. I cannot think of a single, more deserving person for this award than Hender.”

"I am very humble and very grateful that I was chosen for this award," Rojas said. "It lets me know that what I do is meaningful. I'm tremendously thankful to the entire staff of the UK Transplant Center for recommending me for this award and recognizing my work. "

Rojas believes that health care is 80 percent relationship building and maintenance with the other 20 percent being the actual surgery or medicine care aspect. For Rojas, the best part of his job is getting to walk through the process with each patient, planning long term goals and seeing them achieved.

But for every upside — like saving and improving lives — there is also a downside. Unfortunately in the health care setting, dealing with the death of a patient is difficult for any provider, and this is no different for Rojas. Some of the patients he interacts with are days away from dying unless they are able to make the necessary lifestyle changes and receive a transplant.

In those tougher cases, he says, it is part of his job to provide them care and comfort in any way he can.

"It’s a good day when you can help someone," he said. "But it is a really good day when you can even just let someone know you care."

MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Perry, (859) 323-2399 or allison.perry@uky.edu