Camille Almada

Camille Almada is the recipient of the Liesel M. Hiemenz Scholarship which is awarded to students interested in public health. She currently attends Pace University’s Family Nurse Practitioner Master’s Program. Her first undergraduate degree was a BA degree from Long Island University in Global Studies focused on international environmental sustainability. In 2013 she earned a BSN degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Camille started her nursing career working as an RN on an inpatient adult medical-surgical unit in a New York City hospital. She then transitioned to working as a primary care pediatric nurse. In her role as a pediatric nurse she guides families on the healthy growth and development of children. She also participates in various quality improvement projects for her department aimed at improving health outcomes and access to care. Her experience working with adults and children inspired her to pursue higher education in family medicine. She aims to promote healthy lifestyles, facilitate continuity of care and reduce hospitalizations by improving access to primary health care. With her degree she will continue to provide holistic care for each patient, family and the community at large.

Ms Almada came to nursing after her mother, Paulette, passed away from anal cancer. She and her siblings established the HPV and Anal Cancer Foundation that aims to end HPV and the cancers it causes. Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes 5% of the world’s cancers including anal, cervical and head and neck cancers. The organization supports patients, promotes screening and prevention, and invests in groundbreaking research to bring new and effective drugs to the market. Key accomplishments include starting the first peer-matching program with over 200 patients and caregivers enrolled. The Foundation also seeded the first anal cancer medical society and invests in innovative immuno-therapies that hold strong promise for the future of cancer treatment.

Camille returned to school for her advanced degree to develop new skills in research, health promotion and clinical expertise. She plans on applying these skills in the care of her patients and is determined to continue her advocacy work to improve health outcomes for all.

In addition to promoting public health, she enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends.

Update December 2021

I am very grateful for the NEF Scholarship program and am happy to support other scholars.

In 2021 I gave birth to a baby girl named Nora!

Currently I am working as a Nurse Practitioner at Mount Sinai and also studying for my Master’s Degree in Public Health in Epidemiology at Mount Sinai. My charity, the Anal Cancer Foundation, is doing well too! We hosted a virtual conference with over 200 patients. The pandemic also allowed us to reach more participants.