“I really like working here. My coworkers are great. I love who I work with, and I really believe in helping other people and the mission of THI” —Jackie Ferrufino

Jackie Ferrufino has served on the THI team for 4 years, contributing significantly to the institution in a variety of departments. Ferrufino started working with THI as a summer volunteer before joining the Center for Women’s Heart & Vascular Health (Women’s Center), where she works on collaborative research and education projects with virtually every program at the Institute.

 

“Over the last four years, Jackie has been instrumental in the ongoing development and growth of THI’s Houston HeartReach programs, and she contributed significantly to the design and launch of the new HeartReach Registry protocols and its applications,” said Dr. Stephanie Coulter, Women’s Center Director.

 

In the past year, Ferrufino worked closely with the Communications department in the administrative offices to build the new Texasheart.org website, and this summer she is helping the Center for Clinical Research and the Women’s Center to develop the first Texas Heart Institute App. The tool will be available in Spanish and English to deliver lifesaving heart health information to the community through mobile devices and to encourage engagement with Texas Heart Institute’s education and research.

 

“Ferrufino displays a strong dedication to our entire institution and possesses impressive teamwork skills. She has worked with virtually every THI department over the years, and she has elevated the quality of our work with every project she touches,” said Keri Sprung, Director of Communications.

 

“I started as a volunteer helping with community events, and from there I saw how important the work we do here is,” Ferrufino says. Having been interested in medicine since age 10, she says that her experience at THI has inspired her to look more closely into cardiology as a potential medical career.

 

“I think it’s just really rewarding,” said Ferrufino. “It’s great to see people get help, and to see the change in their lives because of that.”

 

Outside of work, Ferrufino is a teacher for the Breakthrough Houston school year program that prepares students for higher education. In the future, Ferrufino hopes to be able to give back to her Houston community even more as a medical professional. “I want to be able to benefit people’s health, and part of me wants to start with my home community.”

 

Ferrufino is thankful for her experiences here at THI and is excited about continuing her education in medicine. She is a graduate of St. John’s High School and will be attending the St. Edwards University Honors Program in Austin, Texas this fall to pursue a degree in biochemistry.

 

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A special thank you to our Visual Communications Student Intern, Carlo Uribe for his help with this article.