Rachel Huerta, MSN ’11, BSN ’07

Alumna Spotlight: Rachel Huerta

For Rachel Huerta, caring isn’t just part of nursing, it’s the foundation of her career which began with her educational journey. A South Florida native, Rachel earned two degrees from Florida Atlantic’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing: RN-BSN in 2007 and Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track in 2011.

After gaining experience in hospital and clinic settings, Rachel and her husband launched Direct Primary Care of Boca Raton in 2017. “We wanted to bring caring back into health care by removing barriers through strengthening the patient-provider relationship,” she said.

Today, Rachel manages care for 600 patients, focusing on personalized, barrier-free healthcare, putting compassion at the center of every visit.

She recalls her work with the Cherokee Nation project while in the FNP program as especially meaningful. It enhanced her desire to ensure that health care is being extended to all populations, a principle she carries into her practice.

Rachel also remains an active Owl. She’s currently an Investor Society Member for Florida Atlantic’s Athletics and is an active preceptor for Nurse Practitioner students. Additionally, she serves on Florida Atlantic’s Alumni Association Board as a liaison for the College of Nursing, providing support to the Nursing Professionals Alumni Network.

“I would encourage others to stay involved with Florida Atlantic throughout their education and into their careers,” she added. “Staying involved in the university through the Alumni Association is a great way to network, build community with other Nursing Owls, and a way to give back to other students. We have great events with the Nursing Network and offer connections for those that live out of town.”

Her dedication to both her profession and community has earned recognition, including being named Soroptimist Woman of Distinction (2017) and Foster Parent of the Year (2016).