Adventist Health Ukiah Valley

IvaJo has loved working as a medical-surgical RN for the past 13 years and caring for patients and their loved ones. At the same time, she also realized how disheartening the work can be when one understands how much of the suffering that happens in a hospital is largely preventable. Through her work teaching medical assistants, she became acquainted with the diabetes education team, lovingly known as “the queens of beans and greens”. When the opportunity arose in 2021, she joined the team and has been working to spread the “secret” to diabetes prevention and management ever since. She works mostly with Spanish-speaking clients in the community, which she considers an amazing privilege and fantastic challenge for her not-so-perfect Spanish!