Dr. Russo attended Stuyvesant High School in New York City before matriculating to Georgetown University in Washington, DC for her Bachelor’s degree. While at Georgetown, she worked as an athletic trainer to numerous Division I athletic teams. Dr. Russo received her Doctorate in Medicine at the State University of New York – Downstate Medical Center. She completed an intern year in general surgery at Brown University, orthopedic surgery residency at the State University of New York – Downstate Medical Center and a fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center/Children’s Hospital of New York.
Outside of her clinical practice, Dr. Russo is focused on quality improvement, mentoring, diversity & equity in orthopedics and bone health. She serves as the Chair of Quality & Patient Safety for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.
Dr. Russo aims to specifically mentor to the population underrepresented in orthopedics – women and minorities through both national and local organizations – but is always thrilled to mentor a man towards orthopedics to offer a unique and rare perspective.
As a member of the Association of Women Surgeons’ Diversity Task Force, Dr. Russo works closely with female surgeons across surgical sub-specialties to better understand the driving forces behind what is stalling advancement of women surgeons at every level of their career. She also serves on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee for the Department of Orthopedics at Columbia University, a department which proudly boasts a dozen female attendings. Dr. Russo works closely with the NewYork-Presbyterian Women Physicians’ Initiative, which hosts system wide events, as well as local hospital events, to promote women in medicine.
Dr. Russo is a member of the Pediatric Bone Health Committee, a study group of POSNA, which is working towards guidelines and recommendations regarding calcium and Vitamin D supplementation in the pediatric orthopedic population. Her current research interests intersect this subject and health care disparities.
Dr. Russo is a Brooklyn, New York native, and currently lives, works, and parents in Park Slope, Brooklyn. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Michael, who is also a physician, and their two children. An avid foodie, she enjoys both cooking and visiting the New York restaurant scene and balances her lifestyle with as much fitness as she can squeeze in.
Dr. Russo’s goal for the Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society is to have every single medical school know that it exists to be able to offer membership benefits and early mentorship into orthopedic surgery.
