Ruth Moreno, nursing services administrative assistant at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford, uses her bilingual gifts and an instinct for problem-solving to keep things running smoothly.
A Qualified Bilingual Interpreter as well as an administrative assistant, Moreno has worked for Texas Health for 10 years — four of them at Texas Health HEB.
She serves as an interpreter in the hospital’s HELP clinic and on the nursing units when needed. Moreno also arranges screening and testing for others who want to become Qualified Bilingual Interpreters.
“Ruth is a caring and compassionate spirit and takes on whatever challenge is brought to her,” said Lori Krogman, M.S.N., R.N., NEA-BC, director, Acute Care Nursing Services. “She is resourceful and does what it takes to support our nursing staff and leaders.”
What did you want to be as a kid, and how did you ultimately choose your career?
We grew up in a humble home, and even though my parents struggled financially we would go every weekend across the border to Juarez, Mexico, to visit our grandmothers and take groceries to them. This inspired me to enjoy helping others, so my dream has always been to become a nurse. Since I was a little girl, I remember dressing up and playing nurse with my younger siblings to help them feel better. I received my certified nursing assistant certificate as a senior in high school and worked at both a nursing home and a hospital in El Paso while I went to school. But I had to stop school to work full time, so I could help my parents financially. Later, after I met my husband and married, we moved to Fort Worth, and I was a patient care technician at Cook Children’s Medical Center for 10 years. Next, I worked at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth in admissions/wound care for six years and then came to Texas Health HEB four years ago. I have three kids and can’t go back to nursing school right now, but maybe I will one day before I am too old!
What does a typical workday look like?
There is no typical day as an administrative assistant. There are many tasks to be done — it’s a matter of prioritizing, getting it done and always being the right hand to my boss and the departments I support.
What’s your favorite part of your job, and what is the biggest challenge?
I love helping people! Being available to help make sure everything runs smoothly is my priority. I want to be that “key person,” and even if I don’t know the answer, I do everything in my power to find it. I also enjoy working as a team with my Texas Health HEB co-workers.
My biggest challenge would be stopping! My mind is going 100 mph, and I want to get everything done on the same day and forget there will be a tomorrow! I even dream of my calendar and things I need to do the next day! LOL
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
People would probably be surprised to know I am a singer and have led our praise and worship team at our church for 16 years now. My husband plays keyboard, my 14-year-old son is our drummer, my 19-year-old daughter is a singer as well and my little 10-year-old also helps with media on the computer — changing displays on screen for song lyrics, Scripture and other things. We are super active in our church, and this is where we’ll stay for sure.
How do you do your life’s best work at Texas Health?
My passion is to help, so when I come to work I like to represent my title — “assistant.” I am here to do whatever I need to do to get someone to achieve what is needed and go above and beyond to make somebody’s life easier!
