Excelling in the field of health care administration for over 30 years, Elena J. Russo retired from her full-time salaried position with NYC Health + Hospitals in 2018. She subsequently founded and opened her own consulting firm, EJ Russo, Inc. in New York City, where she serves as the chief executive officer. Her specialty is regulatory work in the health care industry, and she has worked with hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities with a 100% approval track record for her regulatory applications. She greatly enjoys the freedom that consulting work provides, as it allows her to set her own hours and organize her work day in a way that is best for her.
Prior to founding her own firm, Ms. Russo was active with NYC Health + Hospitals for 13 years, preparing regulatory applications for the system’s various facilities. She had previously spent 18 years with the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare Network where she served the Weill Cornell Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. In addition, she has longstanding professional relationships with a number of local and state regulatory agencies, including the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Office of Mental Health.
Having accomplished much over the course of her career, Ms. Russo attributes much of her success to her eagerness to always be learning new things as well as to her perseverance. Furthermore, she is very organized and detail oriented and excels at planning. These things, combined with her focus and drive, have helped to shape her into a well-rounded person who stands out in her field for her years of diverse work experiences. She has worked in both the public and private sector, which allows her to provide expertise from multiple angles.
Coming to her career path almost by accident, Ms. Russo was first inspired to work in the health care industry after she got a job at a local hospital while studying toward her undergraduate degree at New York University. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in health services planning and policy, summa cum laude, in 1995, she continued to learn and grow in her hospital position and eventual moved up into roles of increasing leadership.
Looking toward the future, Ms. Russo intends to increase the volume of her business before she eventually retires. She hopes to leave a legacy as someone who was a team player and always honest. In addition, she would advise young and aspiring professions to have patience; your career will not happen overnight and you need to give it time.
