May 5, 2021
Hani Jacobson, RN, Community Health Specialist
I was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. We had a normal, middle-class life and then a civil war broke out in 1991. We literally ran out of our house with nothing but the clothes on our backs. I was seven. It took six months to reach a refugee camp in Kenya and then in 1993, my parents’ dream came true and we were able to come to America, settling in Clarkston, Georgia. It was very challenging not knowing the language and culture. My Mom – who’s my hero – took it upon herself to figure it out, raising children in a world that was completely unfamiliar to her. And she also took care of others whenever someone needed help.
We moved to Minnesota in 2005 and I picked up a part-time job as an interpreter. I saw the challenges people were facing – they were the same challenges my family faced over a decade earlier. So I thought, wow, here’s an opportunity for us to do what our mother taught us and take care of people. That’s why I became a nurse. I worked as a clinic RN during the day and spent my evenings getting involved in advocacy as a community organizer, speaking up for people who couldn’t do it themselves. Now, I’m a community health nurse, which is the perfect position for me because it’s a combination of clinical work and advocacy. And I’m able to build relationships with our communities of color.
Trust is the foundation of every relationship and if our communities don’t trust us with their health, it’s detrimental to them and to us. We can change all the policies we want, but to really make a difference and build trust with people, our personal touch and our heart has to be in it.
This is a beautiful story. Your mother was very brave and it’s beautiful to see the impact she had on you.
Thank you all so much. I am grateful for the opportunity to do this work!
Hani – thank you for sharing your inspiring story! I admire that you took difficult circumstances and selflessly turned your focus outwards to ease the paths of others by sharing your gifts. Thank you for being a member of the CentraCare team!
Thank you Hani! Thank your mom too for shadowing such strength. You are an invaluable addition to the quilt that is CentraCare. I am grateful for your commitment to community, health and advocacy.
Hello Hani! I love seeing your face pop up here and there and am so impressed with your commitment to community nursing. You are making such a difference!
I love your story. We are so fortunate to benefit from your expertise here in central MN. Willmar has so many similar stories. I continue to marvel at how turmoil and wars around the world bring beautiful people to our communities every year. We are lucky for that. Thank you for helping people feel the love and support they need from all of us and all of CentraCare.
Hani, as always I am honored to know and have worked with you. You are an amazing woman that has done so much for everyone you come in contact with. Your story just shows how truly amazing you are.
Thank you for sharing your amazing story! You are doing a phenomenal job and our community is very fortunate to have you!
I love reading these stories about the amazing people we get to work with.
Thank you so much Hani for sharing your story. Your work makes such a huge difference in the community and is much appreciated. You obviously learned some great skills from your mother who sounds like a wonderful and strong woman. I am so proud to work for an organization that has amazing employees like yourself.
Thanks for sharing your story and making a difference in people’s lives!