Nurses Are: Catalysts | Rachell Dumas
6 min
From Nurse Informaticist to Health Tech Founder: A Journey Born From Medical Dismissal
Rachell Dumas, MSN, RN, is a nurse informaticist, health tech founder, and health advocate whose path into nursing began with a single anatomy class and whose journey into innovation began with nearly losing her life. After a four-year struggle through nine pregnancy losses, she finally welcomed a baby boy. Six months later, she woke up unable to see. When she arrived at the emergency department with acute vision loss and stroke symptoms, she was sent home with an antacid. As a neuro ICU nurse, she knew something was catastrophically wrong. She went to a second ED, got the CT scan, and eventually received a diagnosis: idiopathic intracranial hypertension. It took two brain surgeries to treat it. And in the space between dismissal and diagnosis, HEARD was born.
HEARD: A Patient Advocacy Platform Transforming Healthcare Communication and Safety
HEARD is a health technology platform that gives patients the language, tools, and confidence to advocate for themselves in real time: translating medical jargon, documenting incidents, facilitating better conversations with providers, and connecting users to second opinions and legal support when needed. Rachell makes the case that nurses aren't just caregivers, they are uniquely positioned to see the gaps in healthcare and to build the solutions that close them.
About See You Now Podcast
SEE YOU NOW is a podcast that shines a light on the real people changing the status quo in health: from nurses working in labor and delivery, with infectious diseases, and in hospice; to nurse allies in politics, business and tech. Created in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson and the American Nurses Association.
For more information on the podcast bundles, visit ANA's Innovation Website at https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/innovation/education.
Have questions or feedback for the SEE YOU NOW team? Future episode ideas? Contact us at hello@seeyounowpodcast.com.
