The USF College of Nursing鈥檚 is dedicated to delivering essential chronic pain management to remote and rural communities. Pain Management Fellow Annie Trusso is advancing that mission across the globe as the only pain management provider on the distant island of Saipan. For the roughly 43,000 people in the community, Trusso鈥檚 expertise means they can manage their pain without flying off-island.
Aerial View of Saipan. Credit: P. Miller - Own work, Public Domain
鈥淧ain impacts a person鈥檚 quality of life,鈥� Trusso said. 鈥淓specially in a community this small, I like knowing I can do something to help them have a better day-to-day life."
Saipan鈥攋ust over 5 miles wide and 12 miles long鈥攊s a U.S. territory, part of the Northern Mariana Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The nearest major healthcare hub is Guam, about 120 miles away. Additional options for care would require traveling 1,400 miles to Japan, 2,100 miles to the Philippines, or 3,300 miles to Hawaii.
Born and raised on the island, Trusso always wanted to explore the world. But she knew she would eventually return. Nursing allowed her to do both.
Trusso spent ten years in the continental United States, working as an ICU nurse and becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist. The push to return to the island came unexpectedly: a social media post from a familiar face.
Seung Gin Lee was a fellow CRNA and Trusso's childhood friend. He served as a U.S. Army nurse in Germany and Afghanistan. After his service, he pursued anesthesia training and began his CRNA career in Kentucky. There, he met his wife, also a nurse. She suggested they move back to Lee's home, where they could make a bigger impact. Lee returned to Saipan as the island鈥檚 only CRNA, working alongside anesthesiologists to serve the community.
Seung Gin Lee in the hospital on Saipan
鈥淚t was nerve-racking, because I could make or break it for all CRNAs wanting to come to the island,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淚 felt like if I didn鈥檛 do a good job, they wouldn鈥檛 give more opportunities for CRNAs.鈥�
Lee's post on social media about the challenges of working as Saipan鈥檚 sole CRNA reached Trusso at exactly the right time. She returned home to the island in 2020, soon joined by a small group of additional CRNAs.
But another gap remained: no one on the island was trained in pain management. The closest option for this type of care was in Guam, a 30-minute flight away that often meant costly travel and prolonged stays.
Trusso proposed a solution: the island鈥檚 hospital would fund tuition for the USF Advanced Pain Management Fellowship in exchange for her two-year commitment to Saipan.
Annie Trusso (left) in her pain management practice
After completing the fellowship in Spring 2024, Trusso returned home and kept her promise. She continues to provide anesthesia services while expanding her pain management practice, which now serves more patients every day.
鈥淭russo has really poured her heart and soul into getting this program running," Lee said. "She鈥檚 worked so hard, in spite of all the obstacles everyone鈥檚 put in front of her. She鈥檚 done a phenomenal job.鈥�
Despite her success, Trusso remains Saipan鈥檚 only pain management provider. But not for long: she convinced Lee to enroll in the fellowship, and he is now completing the credentialing process.
鈥淏oth myself and Annie have skin in the game,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淢y parents live here, and they鈥檙e not going anywhere. If they need that service, I want to be able to provide for them. Plus, just having Annie for a population of 40,000? That鈥檚 a lot. I felt like I had to do it.鈥�
The fellowship has offered Trusso and Lee training in the specialized skills to transform healthcare access in their home country. In addition, the fellowship has connected them with a national network of CRNAs helping patients live pain-free lives, from rural America to the Pacific Islands.
Anesthesia is my passion. Pain almost feels like an obligation. It feels like this is what I have to do. It鈥檚 within my capacity as a CRNA to gain the skills to give back. This is my investment in my community. It鈥檚 a labor of love.
Annie Trusso
Thanks to the USF Advanced Pain Management Fellowship, Trusso and Lee are helping transform healthcare in Saipan, carrying the fellowship鈥檚 mission across oceans.