While there are numerous reasons to consider a career in healthcare, many practitioners can recall a specific aha moment – when all those reasons seemed to click into place and reveal a clear vision of the future.
For Dr. Beth Russo ’98, that moment came at age 16, when she was out shopping for groceries with her mother, a licensed practical nurse. A family approached, embraced her mother, and tearfully thanked her for the extraordinary care she had provided to their father during his hospital stay.
“That’s when I made up my mind,” said Dr. Russo. “I wanted to make an impact that profound.”
Dr. Russo entered the practical nursing program at Geneva General Hospital. Several of her instructors were Keuka College grads, and they encouraged her to further her studies at their alma mater. So began her long and distinguished affiliation with KC – as a student, adjunct, on-campus provider, and now as Professor of Nursing and Chair of the Division of Nursing.
During her senior year at Keuka College, Dr. Russo was again inspired by a faculty mentor to take her education to the next level. This instructor happened to be a nurse practitioner – an advanced practice role that was still in its formative years, with fewer than 60,000 providers nationwide.
By 2000, Dr. Russo was a newly minted NP working in the Veterans Administration.
“My father is a retired first sergeant in the United States Air Force,” she said, “so it was a great honor to serve local veterans in that capacity.”
A few years in, Dr. Linda R. Rossi, her former chair at Keuka College, asked her to return to the College to teach.
“I absolutely loved being in the classroom, I knew that’s where I wanted to land – getting to work with students.”
Committed to keeping her clinical skills fresh, she would continue to practice at the VA, and later at the College’s Health & Counseling Center.
In 2013, Dr. Russo earned her Ph.D. in Nursing, authoring a dissertation on the life experiences of upstate New York residents living with implanted heartbeat devices. Her findings form part of a global synthesis of evidence that is helping clinicians better support these patients from a whole-person perspective.
The following year would also be a banner one for Dr. Russo and the future of Nursing at Keuka College. Prompted by growing healthcare provider shortages in the Finger Lakes region and beyond, the College welcomed its very first cohort of student nurse practitioners.
In the years since Dr. Russo became an NP, the profession has truly come into its own, with an expanded scope of practice in New York state and enhanced credibility among medical colleagues and the public.
“At that point, the evidence was clear,” noted Dr. Russo. “When NPs provide care, patient outcomes are good, and patient satisfaction is high.”
Keuka College’s Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) program has kept the institution at the vanguard of healthcare education.
Today, NPs enjoy full practice authority in New York state, and they play an increasingly vital role in the ever-changing healthcare ecosystem.
“That’s why I’m excited that we’re expanding our AGPCNP program in 2025,” said Dr. Russo. “With an aging population, the demand for skilled practitioners is more pressing than ever. That’s true nationwide, but especially in areas like Yates and Seneca counties, which are federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas for primary care.”
She added, “Keuka College is also doing its part by relaunching our hybrid RN to BSN program, so working nurses can fulfill the state’s ‘BSN in 10’ law without leaving their posts.”
"No matter where students are in their nursing journey. Keuka College has something special to offer.”
Through many periods of growth and change, she feels that the College has stayed true to its core values: learning by doing, and striving to “Believe in What We Can Do Together.”
“All our full-time faculty are advanced practice nurses with recent clinical experience, so our skills are current and we’re able to facilitate meaningful field placements in the community,” she said. “And we’re small on purpose, with a student-to-faculty ratio that allows for close collaboration and plenty of personal support.”
Though Dr. Russo prefers to stay out of the limelight, her colleagues credit her as a driving force behind these enduring successes.
“Dr. Russo exemplifies Keuka College’s vision of integrating academic achievement, professional practice, and good citizenship. As a mentor and provider, she has always embraced the whole-person philosophy at the heart of the nursing model. Her impact has been immeasurable."
“We’re very proud that she has shared 30 years with the College – from student to faculty member – and that we’re able to celebrate with her as she marks 20 years on our faculty,” Dr. Maldonado added. “She has become one of our most accomplished faculty members during her career.”
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