About the Author: Beth Barranco, RN, BSN

Beth Barranco graduated from the University of South Carolina at Aiken in 2000 with an Associate Degree in Nursing and completed her Bachelor's in 2004. Ms. Barranco has worked since 2003 in an open heart and vascular recovery unit and has participated as a part-time clinical instructor teaching senior level, critical care nursing students at USCA. In 2007, while maintaining a position as a staff nurse in open heart recovery, she was hired by a neighboring hospital to help develop the heart transplant program. Ms. Barranco was extensively involved in educating potential transplant patients and their families, being an advocate during the transplant process, as well as assisting in post transplant care. In 2009, Ms. Barranco took on another role as the medical/nurse correspondent for her current employer. She researches and writes about current medical topics each week for the segment titled "HealthyU" aired on Tuesdays at 6:25am on the local NBC affiliate in Augusta, Ga, WAGT-ch.26. Recently, she has taken her role as a medical correspondent to a web show titled "Turn Up The AC" hosted by Kenny Adams, co-owner of Augusta's Choice. Each week she and Kenny discuss important health topics and answer viewer questions. This can be seen LIVE each Tuesday from 12:30p-1:30p on www.UStream.com/augustaschoice or on www.augustaschoice.com. Ms. Barranco is very active with several social media outlets, such as Twitter and Facebook. She maintains a current blog for Augusta's Choice and is a contributor to Differences Magazine, a new online teen magazine. It can be found at www.differencesmag.com. Follow Beth on Facebook and Twitter by searching bbarrancoRN.