Please tell us a little about your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in healthcare.

I have been a Licensed Vocational Nurse for almost 7 years, 6 years were in Administrative Nursing which I enjoyed. I am set to graduate this month with my Associate degree in Nursing. I am currently also in my fourth year of the Bachelor of Healthcare Management program at Brazosport College. My end goal is to obtain my master’s in healthcare administration as I would love to make an even greater impact on underserved communities. What inspired me to become a Nurse was when I was pregnant with my twins and I vividly remember this one Nurse of how kind she was to me, she made me realize that I want to help people and make a positive impact during their stay. I feel strongly about making patients feel as if they were my loved one and treat them with dignity and respect.

What sorts of things do you like to do in your free time?

During my free time, I enjoy going to my children’s soccer games in school and outside of school. My oldest son plays competitive soccer which involves weekends spent mostly in the Houston area. I love seeing the evolving process of what hard work and determination have brought about in his playing techniques. Spending time with my husband and kids is one thing that I value as I believe that is the foundation of a strong family. I also enjoy listening to entrepreneurial Nursing podcasts, when I can, as I envision owning my own company one day.

What is your favorite ACHE memory or activity?

I enjoyed a networking event I attended a couple of months ago where I was awarded an undergraduate scholarship which was the first-time undergrads were awarded scholarships. I also enjoy being a part of the Diversity and Inclusion committee as I believe healthcare is built upon these values as we serve a diverse population. ACHE has brought so many opportunities to me and has allowed me to become more confident in myself as an aspiring leader in healthcare.

How do you envision healthcare in the next 10 years?

I envision healthcare being driven even further by technology as we can see now that processes are becoming more and more automated. As we saw during the height of the pandemic how important it was to have processes such as telehealth in place which I believe is important for the underserved community that may not be able to get to their appointment otherwise. Another area that will be of great concern is the affordability to the patient which is monumental when patients are not able to afford preventative treatments that would ensure their longevity of life. I greatly hope that the healthcare system will turn a greater focus to more preventative treatment that could decline areas that are on the rise such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

-Interview by Keyiara Ridyolph