How long with UTMB?
Seven years
How do you describe your role to others?
I am an equal, unbiased, passionate, empathetic advocate for patients and staff to work together to provide the most comfortable, confident, transparent and safe health care. I assist in active listening, creative communication to share information, de-escalation of high-emotion scenarios, wayfinding of the health care system, recovery resources, mental wellness resources and community resources.
Best part of your job?
That is a hard question because there are so many things I love about this job. I love being able to call patients back with outcomes like process improvements. I love it when the patient that has been screaming, cursing and scared says, “Thank you, I feel heard.” I love it when a provider or co-worker comes to let me know the success their patient has found in a community resource. I love meeting people where they are, without judgment, and allowing them to feel comfortable sharing their concerns in a way that allows them to move forward. I love working with all the different teams here at UTMB as well—no day is the same.
Most challenging part?
Either not being able to either make changes quickly or not being able to assist patients in the way I would like to because of challenges with insurance, lack of community resources, time and access.
Who are your heroes and why?
My parents are my heroes. They have overcome their own individual life events to create such wonderful opportunities for me and this life I have then created for myself. They are cycle breakers; they are resilient, loving lesson-teaching people who built a loving home for my sister and me (and countless stray animals). They created a home that all my friends wanted to come to and I wanted to be at.
My mom grew up with a traumatic household; I never met her dad. My grandmother was amazing, but I understand so much more now. “She did the best she could,” my mom always said. My mom wrote my sister and I notes for our lunch every day; she made us always feel support and never worry. My mom dealt with my dad in a loving way no matter what.
My dad is a Vietnam veteran who grew up on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma with his grandmother while his mom (Nana, as she was known to me) was treated for tuberculosis in California. He was not always the soft teddy bear he is now but was always my fierce supporter.
They both have been my biggest fans and showed me what hard work, honesty, true grit, teamwork and love look like.
What do you do in your spare time?
I love to spend time with my 10-year-old twins and husband. I am extremely passionate about my own personal recovery (six years alcohol-free) and being a peer to others as a certified Recovery Support Peer Specialist. I am fueled to my core by connecting people to people/places/things that will bring them joy or health or peace. I am on the board of Pampered Pink—a small, local breast cancer charity. I am a part of Galveston County Suicide Coalition, the Bay Area Council on Drugs and Alcohol and several other recovery organizations. I love to go to the beach, be outside and research “give back” products/organizations/resources of all kinds.
Tell us one fun fact about yourself.
This one is hard because these two fun facts are also where I gained my deep belief of people are people regardless of money, education, rank, job description (or lack of all these), as well as my daily gratitude for my life no matter the challenges.
1. I was a private event planner at Peninsula Beverly Hills and then Hotel Bel-Air for actors/actresses in Hollywood and musicians.
2. I was on life support for about 18 days with acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and double pneumonia that occurred suddenly. I am grateful for this opportunity to be alive and sober.
