THE STORY BEHIND ALMĀ
A note from Serena.
As a Doctor of Nursing Practice,
women's health nurse practitioner,
educator, and professor, I've dedicated
my career to understanding the
complexity of women's health.
My academic journey has taken me from
studying health education and promotion
at Columbia University to exploring the
relationship between mind, body, and
health during my doctoral studies,
and ultimately to teaching the next
generation of women's health clinicians.
But some of my most meaningful lessons
about health didn't come from a textbook
or an examination room.
They came from my Italian upbringing,
from a culture where food is connection,
movement is woven into daily life,
and health is experienced through
relationships, pleasure, and belonging.
Over the years, I've watched women's
health information become increasingly
complicated. More testing. More
supplements. More protocols. More
things women are told they should
be doing.
And I've watched women become
overwhelmed by the very information
intended to empower them.
I want something different.
I want women to understand their
physiology, recognize the wisdom
of their own bodies, and feel
confident participating in decisions
about their health.
I believe deeply in medical innovation.
I prescribe hormone therapy, and I'm
excited by the future of medicine.
But I've also seen firsthand that a
treatment doesn't exist in isolation
from the person receiving it.
Sleep, nourishment, digestion, stress,
and the realities of everyday life
can all influence how a woman feels
and responds to treatment.
The more we understand those connections,
the more thoughtfully we can care
for ourselves.
I don't want women to spend their
lives trying to perfect their health.
I want them to understand their bodies
well enough to feel free to
live in them.
Serena
SERENA ROSA, DNP, WHNP
CO-FOUNDER, ALMĀ