We’re celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to honor the histories, cultures and contributions of our employees from Central and South America, Mexico and Spain. At Children’s of Alabama, we are united in our mission and dedication in providing the finest pediatric healthcare to all children. Each of the employees featured here contribute to our core values of trust, teamwork, compassion, innovation and commitment. We thank them for sharing their stories of inspiration and impact.
Itala Milan
Language Services Manager
What led you to a career in healthcare?
I was the child who always wanted to help others. The medical field has allowed me to explore different career paths over the years. I eventually landed within an area about which I am passionate.
Who are some Latinos or Latinas that have inspired you?
I will have to say my father was a great inspiration, he was kind and made an impact on everyone who knew him. He taught me that education and knowledge of languages were two vital tools I would need in my life (He was right!).
On the famous side, Ellen Ochoa, who was the first Latina to go to space and the second female to be the director of the Johnson Space Center. She broke through many barriers and used her drive to accomplish so much. I always find inspiration from one of her quotes: ““Don’t be afraid to reach for the stars. I believe a good education can take you anywhere on Earth and beyond.”
What kind of impact do you hope to have? How do you hope to inspire others?
I hope I can have an impact on increasing awareness of the value of communication access, the use of technology available and communication going beyond the spoken word. If this eventually leads to our families at COA – to have a more positive patient experience – I will feel accomplished. I hope to inspire others by my actions: to motivate them to work hard and help build them up to have integrity, practice gratitude and stay true to who they are.
Evelyn Inestroza, RN
Emergency Department and CV Periop Nurse
What led you to a career in healthcare?
I chose to pursue healthcare/a career in nursing because of my mother and my sister. My mother is a nurse and growing up, I heard about her time as a nurse during the War in Nicaragua. I also watched how she cared for those in need in our community back in Honduras and then again when we moved to Alabama. The way she nurtured those in need with love and compassion are some of the qualities I knew came from her calling as a nurse.
I knew growing up I wanted to be in healthcare, but didn’t quite know what role I wanted to pursue. I remember choosing nursing as a career after my sister was given the devastating news that she could no longer pursue nursing due to her health issues. I chose to become a nurse to honor my sister’s dream.
Who are some Latinos or Latinas that have inspired you?
I consider my family to be my inspiration. My grandparents came from very little, yet they worked hard to give my parents an opportunity for a better life. My parents are my constant inspiration to want to do more; they are examples of hard work, loyalty, courage, determination, dedication and selflessness. Together they have managed to provide education not only for my siblings and I, but also for many others in Honduras and Nicaragua. My parents overcame many obstacles in their lives in order to provide for us and those in need, and I can say without a doubt that their efforts have paid off.
What kind of impact do you hope to have? How do you hope to inspire others?
I hope to impact the lives of those I encounter in or outside the hospital by setting an example of hard work, determination, compassion and show the endless possibilities you can accomplish as a nurse in someone’s life, including your own. I hope to remind parents that the hard work they are putting in now for the future of their children will one day also pay off as it did for me and my parents.
My hope is to inspire the younger generation to go after their dreams, to reach high and work hard, to take advantage of the opportunities they are given and use them for good. I hope to encourage our generation to use their talents, such as being bilingual to communicate effectively with those/and for those who struggle due to language barriers and help meet their health needs.
Amado Santos
Director of Patient Relations and Language services
What led you to a career in healthcare?
I chose healthcare because it gave me the opportunity to serve others. Since my early childhood in the west mountains of Honduras, I saw my mom and dad always being eager to serve others unconditionally. When I moved to the United States in 1989, my adoptive family in Alabama displayed the exact same spirit of servitude toward others. I always thought that I had to return to Honduras to be able to make a difference in my community; however, my career at Children’s has given me the opportunity to honor my parents (in both countries) by serving others as they did.
Who are some Latinos or Latinas that have inspired you?
Without a doubt my parents in Honduras. Regardless of the enormous challenges they faced due to lack of resources, they always found a way to keep food on the table for all of us (11 kids). To be humble, honest and work hard were expectations they had from me and my siblings. Most importantly they taught me to always treat others with kindness, dignity and respect.
What kind of impact do you hope to have? How do you hope to inspire others?
I hope to have a positive impact for those around me by staying truthful to my personal and professional core values and principles. I seek to inspire others by being a more genuine, kind, honest and compassionate human being.
Cristina Cruz, RN
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner
What led you to a career in healthcare?
Coming from a border town and noticing the health disparities in underserved populations led me to want to help people in their most vulnerable times.
Who are some Latinos or Latinas that have inspired you?
I don’t have one or two Hispanic individuals that inspire me, I have thousands. I’m inspired by every single immigrant family out there that despite the stigma, having to learn another language and working long and odd hours to keep their family going, they wake up every morning and give it their all. Who could be more inspiring than them?
What kind of impact do you hope to have? How do you hope to inspire others?
I hope that as a nurse I can help educate the Hispanic people living in the South. It would be a dream to close the gap in health disparities in this underserved population. The fact that English is not your first language shouldn’t hinder you from being able to get the healthcare you need.
Representation is important. I hope by being on the front line, I can inspire the next generation of Hispanic healthcare workers! We need more of us that can relate to and educate our people.
Jeannette Elizondo
Certified Medical Interpreter
What led you to a career in healthcare?
I have always loved the healthcare field because you are constantly learning and will always have an opportunity to help someone in need.
Who are some Latinos or Latinas that have inspired you?
Honestly, the people that inspire me the most are my parents. They have always taught me to strive for the best, never give up, stay humble and always be kind because you never know what people are going through. They both have worked so hard for our family and I would never want to do anything to disappoint them. Both of my parents have had businesses of their own and didn’t let anyone or anything stop them. They have showed me to go for what you want and never give up.
What kind of impact do you hope to have? How do you hope to inspire others?
I hope to provide the best interpretation services to all children and parents that walk through this hospital. The best way I plan to make the most significant impact is to think of Children’s of Alabama mission, and that is to ensure I provide the finest and most accurate interpretation to all of our families. I hope to inspire others to always advocate for every child or patient that comes through our doors by making them feel welcomed, safe and educated. I love Children’s of Alabama and I think we do a great job at showing everyone that we love being here!
Carolina Chacon, RN
7 Dearth MedSurg Nurse
What led you to a career in healthcare?
I was always drawn to the healthcare field. After a few clinical rotations in high school, I decided nursing was the career for me. Nursing is a very rewarding field, you learn something new every shift. In this field, one is responsible for advocating and delivering the proper care to patients of all ethnic backgrounds and cultures.
Who are some Latinos or Latinas that have inspired you?
My parents are my biggest inspiration. They left their home country, came to the U.S., learned a different language and worked in laborious jobs just to provide their children opportunities they never had. That to me is a huge sacrifice and the most inspiring thing anyone can do.
What kind of impact do you hope to have? How do you hope to inspire others?
I hope to impact other Latinos who are seeking careers in healthcare. Representation matters. I remember growing up thinking none of these people looked like me. Latinos are everywhere, being a minority is not a barrier. We can be anything we want to be and we can achieve all the things we put our minds to. Whether it’s being a nurse at Children’s of Alabama or being an astronaut at NASA. We are all capable of doing great things.
CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA
LANGUAGE SERVICES
Children’s of Alabama believes in the importance of effective communication in order to deliver the best possible family-centered pediatric care to all our patients and families. Language Services’ goal and commitment are to ensure that all language needs within our hospital are met in a timely and effective manner.
Our staff Spanish interpreters are trained medical interpreters who are cognizant of the importance of culturally-competent care. These services are provided free of charge to all our families and patients who need them.
Above are some of our Language Services team who bridge the communication gap for patients and families every day. Pictured left to right: Dahlia Smith, Irsia Quevedo, Jeanette Elizondo, Amado Sandos, Veronica Ramirez, Itala Milan, Areli Torres.