Biography
Born in Haiti, the third child in a family of nine siblings, Anna Pierre immigrated to the United States in 1981 and has been a resident of South Florida ever since. She attended Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center where she obtained her High School Diploma and Practical Nursing education (1982-1984). While working at The Miami Jewish Home and Hospital For The Aged, she went on to Miami Dade Community College, becoming a Registered Nurse in May of 1987. Anna Pierre’s higher education includes a Bachelor in Health Services Administration from Barry University (December 1995), a Master in Public Health from Florida International University (December 1999) and Certifications from various disciplines in her field.
Notably: HIV/ AIDS COUNSELOR Certificate from The State of Florida, Certification as a TRIPLE TOUCH BREAST INSTRUCTOR from The American Cancer Society, as well as training to become a NURSE TRANSPLANT COORDINATOR with specialization in LIVER and GI Transplant.
To make health care accessible to the uninsured and underserved members of South Florida’s Haitian Community, Anna Pierre, then a popular artist singer founded in 1990 APHEC INTERNATIONAL, INC - known as The Anna Pierre Health Education Center, where she started to provide health education, geared toward Health Promotion and Disease Prevention - via Radio and Television broadcasts. Through her contacts with professional colleagues from Jackson Memorial Hospital where she worked as a nurse, she obtained professional advice, organized major Health Fairs and opened APHEC‘s first physical location in 2001. Soon the center was providing free health screenings for Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing, Cancer screenings for men and women, as well as referrals to area clinics and hospitals for follow up care.
In 2003, seeing that the patients she referred for care keep coming back to her with their ailments untreated - secondary to lack of health insurance, Anna Pierre moved on and with her own money, opened THE PEOPLE’S CLINIC in North Miami, a Primary Care Center equipped with Lab Drawing Facility, so her people and other North Miami residents would have access to health care. Unfortunately, due to lack of operating funds, the clinic is now closed, but thanks to Anna Pierre’s leadership skills and great ability to connect with others, the center still providing health care through its referral service, health fairs and large arrays of Health Care Providers network.
To finance her healthcare initiatives, Ms. Pierre uses part of her Nursing salary, takes the profit from her musical recordings, manufactures school backpacks which she sells at discounted price, in order to raise funds to help the uninsured and provide access to health care for the needy in her community. That’s not all, to promote family cohesiveness and FAMILY VALUES in the community, for the past twenty one years, Ms. Pierre organizes every year a Father’s Day Concert where she honors deserving fathers and crown one of them “FATHER OF THE YEAR” Ms. Pierre’s favorite quote when other women chastise her about honoring fathers: ” Stop worrying about what fathers do and don’t do ! God will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers” Because of her initiatives, a lot of families have been reunited, lots of people are brought into care early, spared from high expensive hospitalization costs and plenty of lives have been saved as well.
To name a few, Anna Pierre has been the recipient of several Awards and Honors from some prestigious institutions for her outstanding community work. Notably: Many Proclamations from Mayors of The City of North Miami, Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners and Mayors, Mother of Haiti (1990) S.O.A.P. -For motherly love given to patients infected with the HIV virus. Outstanding Female Artist of the year (1996) HAITI FOCUS GROUP - For using her talent and profession to help members of the community have access to healthcare, Outstanding Community Leader (2001) Jackson Health System, Nurses who go above & beyond (2001)National Nurses Alliance, Nomination to The Florida Women Hall of Fame in 2008 (part of top 20), Hats off to Caribbean Success (2009) La Belle Top Event Model Agency, Model of Resilience of Haitian Women Award (2010) Children & Families Global Development Fund, Inc., Special Tribute from Tallahassee House of Representatives (2012) - in recognition for work done on behalf of South Floridians. A woman of courage and integrity, with this vast experience - Nurse Anna Pierre is ready to take the city of North Miami to higher heights and restore the confidence and trust the residents of North Miami have lost and are searching for.
Education
- Master's in Public Health -
Florida International University
- Bachelor in Health Service Administration - Barry University
- Associate In Sciences - (Nursing Degree) Miami Dade College
- Licensed Practical Nurse - Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center
- 22-years as a Registered Nurse/Transplant Coordinator at Jackson Memorial Hospital
Affiliation
- Member of Haitian American Nurses Association (HANA)
- Member of Florida Nurses Association (FNA)
- Former Board Member of Borinquen Health Center
Endorsement
- Senator Paul B. Steinberg
- Miss Haiti International, Hermanie Pierre
- Fathers Association of Florida
- Teresa Wakefield-Sheffield, MRS FLORIDA 2013