As a Tri-County TB Nurse Case Manager and Program Coordinator with the Florida Department of Health, Vanessa provides support for both rural and urban, underserved communities in Northeast Florida. With a background in critical care nursing, including service in high-acuity units such as thoracic vascular, and post op transplant at UF Health Shands Hospital, post-surgical cardiac critical care units, and various float nursing unit contract roles, during the covid pandemic- she brings clinical expertise grounded in public health principles, from all over south, central, west and north Florida.
Her journey began in a small, low-resource community shaped by strong faith-based roots and upbringing, family values, and resilience. Overcoming poverty, she pursued a Bachelor’s degree program in Health Science (Public Health) from the University of Florida, followed by studies in nursing to later become a Registered Nurse in Orlando, Florida. Her diverse experience spans community health outreach, emergency medical support, 911 dispatch, interim Epidemiology department program management and bilingual engagement in multicultural settings.
She now leads tuberculosis case management across multiple counties, navigating complex socio-economic and cultural dynamics. Her passion lies in advancing health equity through systems-level change and collaborative, community-informed approaches.
Outside of work, she cherishes life with her husband, their young son, along with another on the way—supported by a close-knit extended family and community.
For more about her work, visit:
[https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/tuberculosis/index.html]