Many refer to their units, departments or hospital as “one big family.” Maybe it’s because we spend so much time together, or because some invite relatives to apply because it’s a great place to work. This section is about those connections. We want to hear your story. Email susan.mcdonald@hhchealth.org.
Brothers Make Their Mark — One with Patients, One with Numbers
By Laura Benys
One loves numbers. One loves nursing. One planned his career since he was a kid. One made a leap on sheer instinct.
Now, they both work at Hartford HealthCare. And they’re both fiercely proud of each other.
My brother is an inspiration. Even though I’m older, I find him to be the trailblazer,” says Esvin Tuesta, who has his MBA.
“My brother has always been the role model. He’s always shown me the right path,” says Christian Tuesta, APRN, ACNP-BC.
Esvin, older by two years, is a senior financial analyst who works in budget and financial planning. There, he keeps patients healthy by keeping the organization healthy.
Christian is an advanced practice nurse down the road, in the Hartford Hospital cardiology unit. He spent his first six years of nursing here, then returned in a leadership role after earning an advanced degree. Now, he manages the cardiac intensive care unit and cares for patients with critical heart conditions.
Family and heritage are major theme for both. Their parents emigrated to the U.S. from Peru in the ‘80s, seeking a better life as they started their family. Now, the brothers are determined to make their parents’ sacrifices worth it, and be leaders in the community.
For Christian, this is front and center in his interactions with Spanish-speaking patients, which often includes tough conversations.
“It means a lot to these patients that there’s a Spanish-speaking nurse practitioner who can understand them and tell them what’s going on,” he says.
For Esvin, it’s why he engaged with the HHC Hispanic/Latinx Community Resource Group.
“As a first-generation American, I’ve seen firsthand how lack of cultural competency can affect the patient experience and which hospital they end up choosing for their care,” he says. “I want to bring that voice and perspective to our finance organization and ground us when we are dug deep into the numbers.”
Lately, the brothers’ roots have also inspired a new project outside of work: Living near their parents, they’re currently on a mission to perfect their mom’s Peruvian recipes. First on the menu: tallarin verde con bistec.