In celebration of National Nurses Week, we spoke with a few members of our nursing staff who are each in a different stage of their career–from a new LPN to nurse supervisors to an RN with 20 years of experience at Neighborhood.

While their paths to nursing vary widely, they have one thing in common: their commitment to kind and personalized patient care.

Carlos Carrasquillo, Licensed Practical Nurse

Carlo’s path in life somehow always finds its way to Neighborhood Health Mattina. His parents brought him to Mattina for pediatric care, and when he grew up, he worked there as a medical assistant for eight years.

Carlos' interest in medicine started when he was a small boy in Puerto Rico and saw that many people weren’t able to access healthcare due to lack of resources or low income. “It always inspired me to be a person that will help make a change in the community. This is part of why I love Neighborhood Health Center; Neighborhood helps our community and low income people.”

Being a medical assistant was a good start, he says, “But, I wanted to give more, be more face- to-face with the patients, from coming to the appointment to leaving. It makes me happy… knowing that they're very taken care of, and they have all the resources that they need for them and their family and their loved ones.”

He decided to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. “I failed,” he shares. “I tried and I failed three times, but I never gave up. The fourth time, I actually made it.” His goal is to eventually become a nurse practitioner. 

Patients come in, and they just desperately need somebody to help them, he says. “It's rewarding seeing them leave happy knowing that they won't feel sick anymore.”

Jessica Roman, new Registered Nurse

Jessica graduated with a BS in Nursing from St. John Fisher in May 2025–but already exemplifies Neighborhood Health Center values and commitment to her team.

Jessica started working at Neighborhood in September. Her career path led her from a medical assistant at Oshei Children's Hospital to her current role as a new pediatric nurse at Neighborhood Health Center Blasdell.

Jessica chose to work at Neighborhood in part because of the work-life balance. “I personally did not want to work overnights. At Neighborhood, we offer normal working hours throughout the week, so I really like that.”

She also likes traveling among Neighborhood’s six sites. “It's a change of environment, and it's cool to see everyone else on the team,” she says.

What advice would she give to people considering a career in nursing? “Just do it. Of course, there's a lot of work, and it's very complex, but as long as you have the right mindset and you're willing to make that commitment to providing for the community in all circumstances. Nursing is not just a one way street. There are so many departments, there are so many directions to go. And by just saying yes to nursing, I think it's super rewarding. It can be physically, mentally draining, but the reward is, it just surpasses everything else.”

Jada Carmichael, Nurse Supervisor, Blasdell

Jada Carmichael is continuing her education while learning to lead at Neighborhood Health Center. Prior to coming to Neighborhood, she worked as a licensed practical nurse in a nursing home and then at Child and Family Services mental health clinic. After three years, she needed a change. When a friend encouraged her to apply for a LPN nurse supervisor role at Neighborhood, she was dubious. “I didn't have much leadership experience–at the nursing home, we oversaw the CNAs..so it was a little bit. But I just came and interviewed; I was honest about that, and it seemed to be a good fit.”

Jada credits her RN manager, Latisha, with helping to guide and mold her to be a good supervisor. “We have one-on-one meetings, and she gives me little tidbits of information that help me to be a better leader for the medical assistants and for the company. I work closely with the providers to make sure that the MAs are doing what they need to. I'm also in a nurse role, so I do triage. Sometimes when the patients come in, if an RN is not available, I'll do that. I work our care management boxes just to make sure patients’ needs are being met.”

In addition to working and being a busy mom, Jada is also attending Genesee Community College to become a registered nurse. Jada participates in the SUNY Reconnect program, which provides free tuition, fees, books, and supplies for New York residents aged 25–55 with no college degree to earn an associate degree at SUNY community colleges.

Once Jada becomes an RN, she hopes to do outreach with the community. She enjoys working on Neighborhood’s Health in Motion Mobile Unit, a bus that operates as a mini health center that visits Buffalo public schools and charter schools to provide well child checks and vaccines. “I would like to advocate for women, especially women of color, in health care. Just to let them know what's out there, what's available for them, the help that they need, that they're able to come to us for direction or care or anything.”

Jada has been with Neighborhood for two years now. “The people are great. I love my manager here. The onboarding was great. I never felt rushed, or felt like I couldn't ask questions. They’re so supportive, and still to this day, they're very supportive and helpful. And they're very flexible when it comes to school.”

“I enjoy working here. I plan on staying until they kick me out.”

Not a chance. We love having you at Neighborhood, Jada!

Gabrielle Tartick, Nurse Supervisor, Northwest

Like many nurses, Gabrielle Tartick’s first job in healthcare was as a certified nursing assistant at a residential care facility. She then attended Erie 1 BOCES for her LPN and is currently a nurse supervisor at Neighborhood Health Center Northwest while enrolled in the LPN to RN transition program at Genesee Community College.

But Gabby’s initial experience with the medical profession started much earlier. “Both of my parents had kidney disease, so I've been exposed to the health field for my whole life.” Her parents had dialysis at home, and she had to be aware of that process as well as their medications.

Gabby experiences some challenges balancing work, school, and personal life, but is grateful for her supervisors and colleagues. “If I didn't have the support of the people who are directly surrounding me, I don't know that I'd be able to do it all.”

That support goes both ways. Some of the empathy and determination Gabby exhibits was inspired by the nurse who cared for her father at the end of his life. “I'll never forget her, because she spent a lot of time with me and my brother and my uncle, and when my dad passed away, she made sure that the other nurses were okay, and then she came out and took care of me.”

Throughout the experience of her parents being in and out of doctor's offices and hospitals, she encountered people who were kind and welcoming and cared about her family and their care. And she wanted to be that kind of caregiver. “I don't really know what else I would do in my life.”

What keeps Gabby coming back to Neighborhood day after day?

“Honestly, I just really like being here. I know there are challenges every day, but I like the population that we serve. I like the reason that we're doing it. We take care of people, we're giving back to a community that really needs it, and we're looking at the patients as a whole, versus worrying about if they can pay us or what insurance they have. We put that completely aside to be able to focus on the patient and what we can do to support them, not only medically, but we realize how many outside factors contribute to somebody's overall health, and we care about all of that. And I like being a part of that.”

Thank you for treating patients with kindness and care, Gabby. We’re glad you’re at Neighborhood.

Lucia Gullo, Nurse Manager

We’ve spent the past week highlighting nursing professionals at Neighborhood who have moved forward in their careers, in part, because of the support they’ve received from Neighborhood Health Center. Today, we’re focusing on one source of that support, nurse manager Lucia Gullo.

Lucia will celebrate her 20th anniversary of working at Neighborhood in June. Her journey started at Canisius University where she earned a bachelor's degree in science and biology. She then applied and was accepted to medical school, attending for two and a half years before taking the first of three parts of board exams. After several attempts, she pivoted to working as a student aide at the Center for Handicapped Children. While there, she decided that her path would be to become a registered nurse. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at D'Youville, graduating in 2004. She applied at Neighborhood and started working here in 2006.

Neighborhood was much smaller then. “It was literally one little site, the Northwest Buffalo Community Healthcare Center. We had maybe 30 employees at the time. The growth that we’ve had is so great for the community, with all these new people and new positions. We have over 400 people now. It’s just amazing how it exploded. We're serving so many more people.”

With more employees came more responsibility to train nursing staff. Lucia embraced the opportunity to help develop the nursing program and support staff. “I feel like a proud mom sometimes. Really seeing them wanting it for themselves. I've told everyone who’s going to school and trying to work full time, I give you guys so much credit. They still have kids, they still have homes to take care of, and they're coming here and working and progressing in their career.”

Being a nurse manager is rewarding, but there are times when Lucia craves patient interaction. “I do miss the hands on. Sometimes, if we don't have a triage nurse here, when I get the walk-ins, I'm like, ‘Oh, I really miss this.’” She appreciates the break from her manager responsibilities that occasionally working the care management boxes provides. “It relaxes me a little bit, it makes me happy. And that patient contact lifts my spirits. And I'm like, alright, this is why I came here. This is why I do this.’”

Lucia’s legacy of putting patients first and treating them, and everyone, with kindness and respect is evident in the nurses who’ve come after her. Thank you for setting such a good, caring example, Lucia. And congratulations on 20 years at Neighborhood!