Part II: Ari Permutt, RN
September is Women in Medicine Month—a time to honor and highlight the work and accomplishments of women within the healthcare industry.
To celebrate, we’re recognizing a few of the amazing women Carium has the pleasure of working with and telling their stories.
In part two of this series, we're highlighting Ari Permutt, RN from Santa Rosa Community Health System.
Ari Permutt, RN
Ari Permutt is a registered nurse and public health nurse specializing in clinical nurse leadership. She began her career at NYU Langone in New York, where she worked in neurosurgery.
She would have never guessed that she'd end up in medicine and was even more surprised that she loved it. She studied literature as an undergraduate and considers herself a book nerd at heart. However, she was drawn to work where she could help both individuals and her community at large.
She held various roles before landing in nursing, from non-profit management to the hospitality industry. During this time, she volunteered at several small community clinics and found herself inspired by the impact nurses had on individual patients and the system as a whole. This vision helped her get through the multitude of science-based requirements that she had fastidiously avoided as an undergraduate, and she's happy to say that she still sees the magnitude of nurses' impact every day.
Ari now works with the Santa Rosa Community Health System to provide data analysis for Stanford's Project ECHO and facilitate their remote monitoring program with Carium. She’s worked in healthcare for four years but spent several beforehand as a volunteer.
In her role with Carium, she ensures their program grows and reaches targets while also keeping an eye on the future. She also makes time every day to build personal relationships with each of her patients. A major component of her interest in healthcare has always been public health-related, and facilitating a program that addresses chronic health issues on an individual and community level has been incredibly fulfilling.
Are there any obstacles you had to overcome as a woman in healthcare? In your opinion, what can we do better to support gender equity in healthcare?
Medicine as a whole has made progress in this arena, but we still have a very long way to go.
Historically, medicine has been very gendered, and because of this, we need to be even more thoughtful about encouraging men and women to pursue gender non-normative careers.
Breaking down barriers for women in specialties that have been thought of as a "boy's club," supporting women's voices in positions of leadership, and encouraging men to pursue nursing and other more traditionally "female" specialties will benefit everyone.
But most importantly, it’s vital to support healthy boundaries, work-life balance, and truly care for our caregivers. When medical staff have their basic needs met, they can focus their efforts on cultural growth rather than basic survival.
Tell us a secret — what is something you love about working in healthcare that most people don’t know?
They say nursing is the most trusted profession—and for good reason. We are honored to be your confidants and do not take that trust for granted. Patients come to us in a vulnerable state, and I have always felt honored and grateful for the unique form of intimacy created by this connection.
What advice would you give to other women beginning their journey into healthcare?
Don't take the status quo as the rule of law. Speak up and find mentors who will support you. Trust your gut, and invest in the people who lift you up.
What advice did you get when you began your career that you wish you hadn’t ignored?
I'm not sure I ignored this but didn't fully understand the importance of it right away. Medicine is a tough road with many rewards, but it is without a doubt physically and emotionally challenging.
Building connections with your peers is a guiding light when times are tough. Having a support group of folks in medicine has gotten me through many hard moments.
Investing in self-care practices early and often is vital and not something to be brushed off. It can take many forms, but regardless of what it looks like, your mind and body (and patients) will thank you!
In your opinion, what could be done better to attract more women into careers within healthcare?
I think amplifying women's voices at every level of healthcare and promoting leadership training and growth opportunities is a positive step. Addressing inequality quickly and without hesitation is another piece of the puzzle. Finally, ensuring a culture of respect for everyone, no matter their role, is vital in ensuring not just equity for women but across race and socio-economic status.
What are your go-to resources, books, podcasts, or blogs for career advice?
Many, many authors have helped me grow as a nurse, among them medical professionals and patients. They are Paul Kalanithi, Suleika Jaouad, Adam Kay, Anne Fadiman, Susannah Cahalan, and especially Atul Gawande.
How are you using Carium’s platform to innovate within your organization?
For me, Carium has been a vessel for connection.
Having a patient-centric tool to address chronic conditions has given me a gateway into patients' lives and homes that is hard to come by currently.
Carium has given me hope for the future of healthcare, and I'm eager to see what other applications it can be used in to lift healthcare professionals' administrative burden and allow easier access to healthcare for all patients.
If you missed yesterday's feature, you can get to know Shannon Crotwell, RN BSN CCRN of Atrium Health. And stay tuned for tomorrow's feature of Amber Kelly, RD of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
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