I wrote this obit for Barry my dear friend and colleague
Barry worked his way through college graduating with an AA in Nursing in 1977. After graduation he worked at various bay area hospitals before completing his education at SFSU and UCSF obtaining his MSN, NP from UCSF in 1984. In graduate school he structured a post graduate program of independent study around AIDs care and with this area of expertise was hired as the first CNS for HIV/AIDS care at Alameda County Medical center then known as Highland Hospital. Here he was an active participant in the first AIDs task force. During that time he had a major impact on the nursing care of people with AIDs. He educated staff, consulted on patient care and published in the nursing journals. He moved on to use his NP skills for case managing HIV positive patients at the new adult immunology clinic at Fairmont Hospital Alameda County. At this point he started a home visit program for HIV patients. He taught extensively on the topic and was recognized as a pioneer in HIV/AIDs care and received a caregiver of the year award. Barry took his expertise in a different direction at Kaiser Oakland both as a direct care provider and a trainer for new NPs. His last assignment at Kaiser Oakland was as a member of the new palliative care team. In this he was able to apply all the experience in home care, SNF, and HIV/AIDs care to a larger demographic. He had to retire in 2011 due to ALS. Barry will be remembered by countless nurses and patients in the bay area that benefited for his ability to teach and to provide care. RIP my dear Barry
I was very good friends with Barry for a very long time. He chose me as his friend, and in no time I was hooked. He was a very loving, kind friendly friend, those are hard to come by. I will never for a moment forget my friend Barry. Many delightful meals, conversation, and of course there was always the sharing of art between us. Barry was my art buddy. My heart hurts at his passing. He was also one of my staunchest supporters, he supported my art by collecting it. He supported me the artist, and I supported him too, as only true friends can. I love you Barry! RIP
At Barry's celebration of life memorial on 9/21/2013
Barry Ress was my friend. Before we were friends we were professional colleagues.
Barry went to graduate school at UCSF in the mid 80s. HIV/AIDS was beginning to roar through the bay area and Barry wanted to fight in the war. He developed his own program of independent study in AIDS care (no HIV/AIDs then) at UCSF and graduated with two advanced practice roles NP and CNS
In 1988 we needed help with AIDS care at Highland where I was an ADN. Barry joined the team as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. HGH was not SF General. The patient population and the staff were culturally very different from the City plus the city had been ahead of the curve for AIDS care. The nursing staff at HGH was scared and very resistant to most everything we wanted to do.
If you know Barry you know he persevered and. His educational efforts and moral support for the staff helped overcome their fears and improve the overall care. One nursing unit was developed to specialize care and the HGH AIDs task force was born
We became friends in spite of the drama in our professional relationship when one day Barry walked up to me in the cafeteria and said Marilyn says hello . Marilyn who how do you know Marilyn he told me that his extended family included Bob (Chip’s brother) and Marilyn(an early mentor of mine). Bob and Marilyn took care of my kids when I was in the hospital many years before and were two of the nicest people I every met.
Our professional and personal relationship continued even though I was no longer working for Alameda county. In the late 90s we co-authored an article for Critical Care Nurse on ethics and practice of organ transplantation in patients with HIV. Barry taught extensively on HIV care throughout the bay area as well as traveling to Washington DC several times to do presentations
I moved on to graduate school and went through a number of life changes. As a newly single woman Barry showed me how to have fun again There was this rolling stones concert… first one since 1969
Barry was hired by Fairmont in 1996 as a Nurse Practitioner. When working at the Adult immunology clinic at Fairmont Barry treated triply diagnosed patients (mental health issues, drug addiction and HIV). This group was probably the most underserved of all of the HIV patients and very challenging to care for. Barry was both realistic and compassionate. He walked the walk and talked the talk of social justice. I wasn’t the only one that recognized this he received the caregiver of the year award in recognition of this dedication.
In the early 2000s Barry’s interest shifted to palliative care and I was teaching clinical nursing for SFSU and had students at both Fairmont and Kaiser facilities. Barry was my go to guest speaker. He spoke to them about HIV care, palliative car, the advanced practice nursing roles and men in nursing.
Barry used words to educate, console, encourage, and also to chastise when necessary. He worked until he couldn’t talk. He While he could talk he would say it is what it is. When he could no longer talk he typed on his ipad.
Well it is what it is Barry and I will always miss you.
I wrote this obit for Barry my dear friend and colleague
ReplyDeleteBarry worked his way through college graduating with an AA in Nursing in 1977. After graduation he worked at various bay area hospitals before completing his education at SFSU and UCSF obtaining his MSN, NP from UCSF in 1984.
In graduate school he structured a post graduate program of independent study around AIDs care and with this area of expertise was hired as the first CNS for HIV/AIDS care at Alameda County Medical center then known as Highland Hospital. Here he was an active participant in the first AIDs task force. During that time he had a major impact on the nursing care of people with AIDs. He educated staff, consulted on patient care and published in the nursing journals. He moved on to use his NP skills for case managing HIV positive patients at the new adult immunology clinic at Fairmont Hospital Alameda County. At this point he started a home visit program for HIV patients. He taught extensively on the topic and was recognized as a pioneer in HIV/AIDs care and received a caregiver of the year award.
Barry took his expertise in a different direction at Kaiser Oakland both as a direct care provider and a trainer for new NPs. His last assignment at Kaiser Oakland was as a member of the new palliative care team. In this he was able to apply all the experience in home care, SNF, and HIV/AIDs care to a larger demographic.
He had to retire in 2011 due to ALS. Barry will be remembered by countless nurses and patients in the bay area that benefited for his ability to teach and to provide care.
RIP my dear Barry
I was very good friends with Barry for a very long time. He chose me as his friend, and in no time I was hooked. He was a very loving, kind friendly friend, those are hard to come by. I will never for a moment forget my friend Barry. Many delightful meals, conversation, and of course there was always the sharing of art between us. Barry was my art buddy. My heart hurts at his passing. He was also one of my staunchest supporters, he supported my art by collecting it. He supported me the artist, and I supported him too, as only true friends can. I love you Barry! RIP
ReplyDeleteHaving tech troubles here, the above is from Chandra Garsson. Love to you Barry!
DeleteAt Barry's celebration of life memorial on 9/21/2013
ReplyDeleteBarry Ress was my friend. Before we were friends we were professional colleagues.
Barry went to graduate school at UCSF in the mid 80s. HIV/AIDS was beginning to roar through the bay area and Barry wanted to fight in the war. He developed his own program of independent study in AIDS care (no HIV/AIDs then) at UCSF and graduated with two advanced practice roles NP and CNS
In 1988 we needed help with AIDS care at Highland where I was an ADN. Barry joined the team as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. HGH was not SF General. The patient population and the staff were culturally very different from the City plus the city had been ahead of the curve for AIDS care. The nursing staff at HGH was scared and very resistant to most everything we wanted to do.
If you know Barry you know he persevered and. His educational efforts and moral support for the staff helped overcome their fears and improve the overall care. One nursing unit was developed to specialize care and the HGH AIDs task force was born
We became friends in spite of the drama in our professional relationship when one day Barry walked up to me in the cafeteria and said Marilyn says hello . Marilyn who how do you know Marilyn
he told me that his extended family included Bob (Chip’s brother) and Marilyn(an early mentor of mine). Bob and Marilyn took care of my kids when I was in the hospital many years before and were two of the nicest people I every met.
Our professional and personal relationship continued even though I was no longer working for Alameda county. In the late 90s we co-authored an article for Critical Care Nurse on ethics and practice of organ transplantation in patients with HIV. Barry taught extensively on HIV care throughout the bay area as well as traveling to Washington DC several times to do presentations
I moved on to graduate school and went through a number of life changes. As a newly single woman Barry showed me how to have fun again There was this rolling stones concert… first one since 1969
Barry was hired by Fairmont in 1996 as a Nurse Practitioner. When working at the Adult immunology clinic at Fairmont Barry treated triply diagnosed patients (mental health issues, drug addiction and HIV). This group was probably the most underserved of all of the HIV patients and very challenging to care for. Barry was both realistic and compassionate. He walked the walk and talked the talk of social justice. I wasn’t the only one that recognized this he received the caregiver of the year award in recognition of this dedication.
In the early 2000s Barry’s interest shifted to palliative care and I was teaching clinical nursing for SFSU and had students at both Fairmont and Kaiser facilities. Barry was my go to guest speaker. He spoke to them about HIV care, palliative car, the advanced practice nursing roles and men in nursing.
Barry used words to educate, console, encourage, and also to chastise when necessary. He worked until he couldn’t talk. He While he could talk he would say it is what it is. When he could no longer talk he typed on his ipad.
Well it is what it is Barry and I will always miss you.