Hispanic Heritage Month – Ana Russo

I have worked at Jackson for 14 years, and I’ve learned that a traumatic injury can happen to anyone – regardless of age, gender, culture or heritage. The injuries can be debilitating and dramatic. They can have incapacitating, life-long consequences that disable the patient. Yet among all the difficulties they face, I have always witnessed families and friends coming together to help rehabilitate their loved one.

Growing up in a large Cuban family, my family taught me that we should take care of each other – always. It’s the same ideology of teamwork and unity that I carry over to my workday, always helping my team the best I can. After all, they are my Jackson family. Communication during a difficult time is key, and a simple “buenos dias” can go a long way in helping the patient and family feel comfortable and at ease. As a Hispanic healthcare provider, I want all my patients to feel they have my support – the very same way my family cared for me in times of need.

We use every tool possible to ensure our patients are aware and informed of the continuum of care – by means of interpretive services or by personally communicating in their native language. We work tirelessly to ensure our patients can go home, and enjoy their families and loved ones one more time. It is a promise that is cemented into the Jackson mission, a promise the Miami-Dade community has entrusted us to carry forward. A promise we made honorably, and the reason why our doors never close and our clocks never stop.

Ana Russo, ARNP
Nurse Practitioner, Trauma
Jackson South Medical Center