Last modified: Monday, March 10, 2008 12:17 AM EDT Barbara Vitale of North Attleboro (Submitted) Nurse, actress, yoga instructor: North's Vitale is vital 'dabbler' By James A. Merolla Sun Chronicle Staff NORTH ATTLEBORO - Barbara Vitale's name pretty much says it all: the North Attleboro resident is as vital as they come, a 57-year-old force. A nurse with Boston Health Care for the Homeless, Vitale, or "Babs" to friends, provides medical care to the men and women who stay at the Long Island Shelter, a homeless shelter on the Boston Harbor island of the same name. Her group runs a clinic there, one of more than 80 sites where the non-profit delivers care. During a typical shift, Vitale might treat a cold, strain or sprain, refer someone to psychiatric care, take a medical history for a resident hoping to get into a work program, or simply lend a sympathetic ear. "At times, all a patient needs is someone they can sit down with and let it all out; a little handholding," says Vitale. During her off hours, Vitale is a sometime actress, a tap dancer and now, a yoga entrepreneur. She recently published a kid's yoga book and CD, a collaboration that included students at a school for the disabled, a former female convict, neighborhood kids, her niece and a nurse friend whose drumming is featured on the CD. "Babs and Lolly's Incredible Yoga Adventure for Kids" is aimed at 6-10-year-olds. Lushly illustrated, it combines instruction on yoga poses with a discussion of the philosophy of yoga and hands-on activities like creating a chant or yoga pose. Much of the art for the book and CD was done by Vitale's niece Lolly, as well as students at the Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton, where Vitale used to work as an aide. An artist friend who works in prisons hooked her up with a former inmate who designed the cover. "I tried to make this an inclusive project by using alternative sources," says Vitale. "The project took on a life of its own." SUN CHRONICLE: What's it like treating the homeless in Boston? BARBARA VITALE: (It's) a gift. At times, it makes me incredibly sad to see the suffering caused by inequities of money, opportunity, experience and lack of choices; and yes, sometimes by poor choices made by the individual. But I meet many incredible individuals who are resilient, compassionate and spiritual. They share their stories with me. I am always enriched more that I enrich. SC: Are their numbers or general conditions better or worse than the media or public perception? VITALE: I occasionally read a story that gets the facts and scope correct. What is usually missing is a true representation of the struggle of each of these individuals and the numbers of people who are living without basic human needs and with loss of dignity. People without the problems I see may say, 'If only he/she would ....that would solve their problem,' but it is always more difficult than that. For instance: You get a specialty medical appointment and never hear about it because you have no phone and the mailed notice never gets to you. They drop you for not showing up. Or you may finally get a Section 8 apartment, but how will you get furniture and food? SC: What's the worst thing you've seen? VITALE: Severely mentally ill people, also with medical problems, without connection with a person whom they trust, without hope, living in a delusional world of fear and pain. Come into a shelter and see the occasional psychotic person talking to himself, unclean and even unable to find his way to the food service offered without assistance, which usually will come in the form of another homeless person. We closed down the 'mental institutions,' remember? And replaced them with community services - too few and inadequate. SC: In an ideal world, shouldn't ALL health care be like this? The old door to door, the personal? Will we ever see that again? VITALE: We will see it only if we demand it, and assist in making it happen. Let's just start (or return) to treating people as individuals. We've lost the fine art of listening. Everyone needs to be heard. My work at BHCHP revolves around my trying to really hear my clients without assumption or judgment. I often get upset with facilities I use. It amazes me how impatient auxiliary personnel and, sometimes, providers can be. At one appointment, I had a person taking my vital signs. She never once looked at me or spoke to me other than to give me an instruction. (That) staff (was) obviously disconnected and stressed. They should have a recreational drumming group during lunch break. It relieves stress and creates community. SC: You've been described as a 'sometimes actress, a tap dancer.' Tell me about that. VITALE: I am a cast member in Dillstar Productions interactive dinner theater in "Joey and Maria's Comedy Italian Wedding." I usually play Mamanonna Cavatelli, the grandmother. It is always a blast. It is a miracle how this happened. I had seen it 7 years earlier and thought, 'I want to be the grandmother in that show!' Of course, I had no professional acting experience. Seven years later, I'm in the show. I like saying, 'When the train pulls into the station, climb on board!' I've been in the show 5 years now - a good balance to the other work I do. I do tap dance. My group is in the recital, after the 3-year-old ballerinas! I hope, pretty soon, to have Mamanonna tap dancing in the show. SC: Does nursing involve more acting than one might think? VITALE: Nursing is acting in some respects. I may take it to an extreme. I get playfully dramatic over some of my clients issues in order to make a point. Sometimes, it even works. I also have dressed up as a dancing/singing heart and the Statue of Liberty at work-related health fairs and I know people have responded by making health-related changes. I also have a salad costume and an intestinal polyp costume I made. I'm in the process of creating a lung costume. Then, I'll take the show on the road. SC: You put a very diverse group of people together to produce that kid's yoga book and CD. How did that all come about? VITALE: Okay, here's where I have to confess my initial motivation was to make some money off what I knew well - children's yoga and children's activities. Then, it took on a life of it's own as I sought out people who could do what I couldn't do. Before I knew it, the Mass Hospital School, my neighborhood kids and my younger relatives, a participant in ART for Incarcerated Women, and The Upper Cape Regional Vocational School were involved. What a great learning experience it has all been. It took me 7 years from the start of the idea to the finished product of the book and CD. I created my own publishing company to publish it: Jolly Mudra Publishing (www.jollymudra.com). Now I'm marketing director, and that's a whole new ballgame! SC: Is that what you do best? Bring people together over or to something better than what was there before? VITALE: I love how you put that. I'll accept that as my mission statement. I love variety. I love creativity. I love humor. I love the ZONE of total immersion in a project. My favorite Girl Scout badge was 'The Dabbler.' I'm still a dabbler.