August 2023 | ISSUE 36
small MIGHTY in Yukon
Employee of the Month: Shauna O'Brien Page 4
National Health Center Week Recap Page 8
Cover Story Page 6
Welcome to the Team! Page 12
Shauna O'Brien Anita Garcia Chief Clinical Officer Dental Receptionist
VARIETY CARE | 4
Employee of the Month: Determination You were nominated for determination because of your devotion to providing a great patient experience within Variety Care. What does determination mean to you? Even though it may be difficult or frustrating, continue until you succeed. How long have you been working at Variety Care? 694 days. What do you hope your teammates learn from you? Resilience and Positivity
Tell us about your family.
I’m a boy mom! I am married with 3 boys, 1 still at home. I’m a GiGi to Ellie and Maverick (my sunshine), I have a stepdaughter and 2 precious pups Poppi Rose and FuzzyLove. My Mom is my biggest cheerleader, and my Dad is the smartest man I know, very lucky to have them!
EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE DIFFICULT OR FRUSTRATING, CONTINUE UNTIL YOU SUCCEED
What are some things you love about working for Variety Care? -SHAUNA I love our team, I love our Mission, and I LOVE how clean our facilities are! What has been the most rewarding part of your job? Watching our staff grow through various methods, such as the MA Program. How do you like to motivate your team? I enjoy motivating my team with good news and plenty of accolades! How does it feel to be recognized as Employee of the Month? It is an honor!
Who inspires you to do and to give your best?
My Mom and my boys. Describe yourself in 3 words. Stubborn, Driven, Dedicated
Yukon Team VARIETY CARE | 6
SMALL BUT MIGHTY by Heide Edwards, Communications Coordinator
While compiling reports to share with the United Way of Canadian County, some unique numbers stuck out to Variety Care’s Executive Director of Community Services Carol Martin.
Another advantage that the tenacious team has is Torres’ bilingual abilities. “Because Ana is not in the room translating with me, she has 15-20 minutes to get caught up on care gaps and those sorts of things,” Torres explains.
“I have been doing these for over 10 HbA1c CRC Cervical Cancer Screenings Practice Administrator years and we have Goal VanNahmen 70% 33% 40% Tami never had a report Last Year 68.9% 31.8% 38.8% attributes the team’s where every single This year 73.15% 34.6% 46.7% success to their desire outcome exceeded to take care of the our goal,” Martin patients. “With that praises in an email to provider Amie Torres, PA-C. team, that’s what they care about and that’s why they are here, and they work together to achieve that goal,” While being part of a smaller clinic does provide its own VanNahmen emphasizes. set of unique benefits, Torres’ team in Yukon also takes special care to go the extra mile with their patients and That sentiment is echoed by Medical Assistant Britney with each other. Alexis who explains that her motivation stems from family and friends who are battling chronic medical “The whole clinic - we work as a team. If pediatric conditions. “I have family members that struggle with needs help, we go over there. If we need help, they diabetes, and my husband has Crohn’s disease, so I just come over here,” Medical Assistant Ana Valladares want to make sure everyone is taken care of,” Alexis explains. “We’re actually one whole entire team.” empathizes. The entire Yukon clinic excels at communication and teamwork by requiring staff to check their email throughout the day for example. Additionally, Torres says that systemically it’s easier for solo clinics to maintain continuity, and that continuity is key to provider engagement and happiness. “I’m way more likely to be involved and engaged in someone’s healthcare that I have been managing, versus meeting someone for the first time and needing to build their trust,” Torres expresses. “That’s very difficult to do in 15 minutes, but if I’m seeing the same people over and over and seeing their moms and their dads and their nieces and nephews and cousins, we just kind of have that trust built in and we can move to the next step.”
Collaboration, community, and continuity are paying off in positive health outcomes for Yukon’s patients, however it’s not just Torres’ team that exudes excellence. The extra care and effort that all Variety Care teams put into their daily operations is reflected through patient satisfaction scores, and positive health outcomes can be strengthened through these efforts, as the Yukon team has accomplished.
National Health Center Week Recap
National Health Week Recap Pictures
VARIETY CARE | 8
Variety Care staff delivers care packages to farm workers
National Health Week Recap Pictures
Each Variety Care site enjoys a special lunch
Variety Care staff participates in hygeine drive National Health Week Recap Pictures for the Oklahoma City Homeless Alliance
Staff celebrates pajama day
The w
inner
is:
Prize drawings will be held the third week of September as a reward for your generous contributions!
Contributions are being tallied and our United Way campaign leaders are planning their site visits! Keep an eye out for communication emails detailing our prize drawings!
to our team Emily Argueta
Medical Assistant, Straka
Amanda Black
Morelia Bacio
Patient Access Specialist, PAC
Stacy Blas
WIC Certifier, Mid-Del
Patient Access Specialist, PAC
Alma Caldera
Maria Castaneda
Medical Assistant I, Putnam
Sally Espinoza PSR, Lafayette
VARIETY CARE | 12
PSR- Dental, Straka
Crystal Gomez
Medical Assistant, N. Porthland
Trayshawn Bagby
Medical Assistant, Britton
Princess Cabral PSR, Lafayette
Cherry Colbert
Medical Assistant II, Northcare
Maria Gomez Custodian, NW 10th
Tricia Graves
Medical Assistant, Britton
Joseph Plascencia PSR, Sequoyah
Nayely Reyes WIC Clerk, Lafayette
Tania Ramirez
Medical Assistant, Pete White
Kimberly Turner Medical Assistant, Yukon
Ticketing System Starting September 5th https://varietycare.freshservice.com will be the new site to place your IT, EPIC, HR, and Facilities requests and tickets. You will still be able to reach out to us through email at itsupport@varietycare.org, chat, and by calling x10300. The new system will allow us to centralize these requests and address them with greater ease and speed. Currently, the site is available as a soft opening while we are still working on it and figuring out some of the bugs. Feel free to log in and use it and get used to it. By logging in to the portal you will be able to submit new tickets or check the status of existing ones, request services, find solutions in the knowledge base, and more. Simply go to: http://varietycare.freshservice.com Click the Login in the upper right corner. Then click Sign in with SSO Use your Windows Login. The new site will be accessable via the Intranet September 5.
MEET OUR NEW Education: Maryville University, Oklahoma Baptist University Specialization: Family Medicine Deniese Aska-Brown, APRN-CNP has a genuine appreciation for her role in educating patients. She believes in balancing attentiveness and care with evidence-based practice. Deniese Aska-Brown , APRN-CNP Family Medicine, Britton
Education: University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry Specialization: Dental Dr. Nathan Bugg, DDS, aspires to make a significant impact in the lives of others. He particularly enjoys assisting patients in their health journeys and working with them to achieve their goals. Nathan Bugg, DDS Dentist, Straka
Education: Western Michigan University Specialization: Family Medicine/Geriatrics Luis E. Diez-Avila, PA-C is a provider who is passionate about the field of medicine. He loves connecting with patients and sharing his experience with them. Luis E. Diez-Avila, PA-C Senior Wellness, Pete White
Nursing School: Graceland University Specialization: Women’s Health Lindsay Aguilar, APRN-CNP is a Board-Certified nurse practitioner, specializing in women’s health. She is passionate about obstetrical care, reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ care, and STI screening. Lindsay Aguilar, APRN-CNP Women’s Health, Straka
Education: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Specialization: Urgent Care Angie Grimmett, APRN-CNP, uses an evidence-based approach to patient care and education. She enjoys collaborating with patients to attain an optimal state of health and well-being. Angie Grimmett, APRN-CNP Urgent Care, Putnam
Education: University of Cincinnati Specialization: Family Practice Nissy Mathew, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, enjoys learning new things about the human body each day. She values preventative care and providing holistic treatment options. Nissy Mathew, MSN, APRN, FNP-C Family Medicine, Reno