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As part of Duke Appreciation, Duke pays special tribute to faculty and staff celebrating career service
milestones of 10 years or more at the Night of Duke Stars, an invitation-only event. There are more
than 2,000 employees celebrating a special milestone this year, including two people who have worked
at Duke for 50 years. The following are examples from those celebrating this year of the many roles
and contributions that help make Duke the special place it is today. Additional examples
can be found online.
"Being a part of a health system that promotes pride...is one of the many reasons I chose to work at Duke Raleigh Hospital."
Maria Tucker
At 17, Maria Tucker dreamed of working in America. Now 47, she could be in one of the ads for American universities that she saw while studying for a food and nutrition degree in the Philippines. "I always said that if I ever got to the U.S., I wanted to work in the hospitals," Tucker said. "I found the opportunities for advanced learning to be on the cutting edge of nutrition care, and greater than what I had in the Philippines." Tucker's interest in Duke increased as she heard more about it from her sister, who lived in Miami and later became a Duke nurse. But when Tucker moved to Miami in 1987, she encountered a few obstacles before finding her way to Duke. "I didn't know how to use a microwave, didn't drive, and had to get used to speaking English," Tucker said. She learned English in school, but Tagalog was her primary language. Growing up, her father encouraged speaking English at home — watching American TV shows and reading English newspapers. In 1989, Tucker moved to North Carolina and later pursued a master's in public health at the University of North Carolina. During that time, she visited what's now Duke Raleigh Hospital because her aunt Isabel Riego worked there, and is currently in Neuro Diagnostics there. "The people I first met at Duke Raleigh were so friendly. They made me feel at home," Tucker said. "I felt that since it's not such a big hospital, it would be a great place to work. I would get to know most everybody and they would get to know me." Soon after, Tucker got her break and began working at Duke Raleigh Hospital as a dietitian. After 11 years she was promoted to manager of the Diabetes Center where patient volume has increased nearly 10 percent since last fiscal year. Tucker said she thrives on the busy environment. She oversees daily administrative operations and provides diabetes education to patients, instructing them on using a glucose meter and recognizing signs and symptoms of high and low blood sugar. Under Tucker's leadership, the Diabetes Center received the Abbott Diabetes Care Provider of the Year Award in 2007. This honor recognizes education programs that exceed national standards for providing patient care through excellence in caring for diabetics. While Tucker thrives on the challenges involved, she said the hardest part is dealing with patients who are not ready to accept their disease. "That's hard for me to deal with sometimes because I hate seeing people hurting. But being able to help them accept it and learn to manage the disease — that's rewarding," Tucker said. Along with her personal drive, the department's dedication also motivates Tucker. "The staff I have is very professional, and they serve with passion," Tucker said. "I am thankful
for them and the support from our senior leaders. Being a part of a health system that promotes
pride in your work while committing to excellent care and service to patients and the community is
one of the many reasons I chose to work at Duke Raleigh Hospital."
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