Employee of the Month: Isela Lopez Page 4
Erasing the Stigma Page 8
You were nominated for exemplifying the character core of Determination because you anticipate the needs of your clinic and work hard to make sure everything runs smoothly. What does determination mean to you?
Determination means setting as many goals as possible and completing them all. I try to learn as much as I can to help improve my skills, improve the experience of our patients, and improve the workflow.
How long have you been working at Variety Care?
I have been working with Variety Care for 11 months.
What do you hope your teammates learn from you?
I hope my coworkers see my determination and it motivates them to be determined as well.
What are some things you love about working for Variety Care?
I love working and meeting new babies every day! I also love working with my coworkers here at Lafayette.
What is the most interesting thing about your work at Variety Care?
The most interesting thing about working at Variety Care is that every day there is something new to learn!
How does the work you do impact you personally?
I feel that my social anxiety has improved. I have been more outgoing due to the things I face daily at work.
How does it feel to be recognized as Employee of the Month?
I feel honored to be Employee of the Month!
What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job has been that I have learned so much and have improved as an employee and as the person I am!
Tell us about your family. My family includes my hardworking parents and three amazing siblings! They have always supported me in everything. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.
Describe yourself in 3 words. I would describe myself as Kind, Understanding, and Determined!!
Determination means setting as many goals as possible and completing them all.
-Isela
Exciting changes are coming to Variety Care! We all know about the ongoing construction projects at our Lafayette and Straka clinics, but did you know we are also building three new clinics from the ground up? On top of that, we have recently unveiled a new mobile dental van and are anticipating the arrival of a mobile mammography unit!
Tim Reddout says that one of the biggest projects is the complete remodel and 8000-square-foot addition at Straka. “That expansion and remodel will add six additional providers,” Reddout explains. The estimated completion date for that project is September 2024. The remodel of our Lafayette clinic will add four new providers and is expected to be completed in November 2023.
Recently, ground was broken on the first of three new clinics – Crooked Oak. Interim COO Shauna O’Brien says there’s already a Variety Care RN embedded in the elementary, serving approximately 1700 students. “She helps with vision screenings, she does dental screenings, and she oversees immunization statuses,” O’Brien says. “Now there will be a brick-and-mortar across the street.”
The Crooked Oak health center will have pediatrics and behavioral health, as well as telehealth. The project is expected to be completed in April 2024 and will add four providers. “It’s a very high-need area for the patient population that we serve,” Reddout says. Not only will it provide new services to Crooked Oak schools, but the surrounding community as well. He explains that the addition will alleviate the number of patients seen at Mid-Del.
Currently, the land is being finalized on the other two clinics being built – Yukon and Norman. The identical, 22,000-square-foot integrated healthcare centers will each have 12 providers. “It gets back to our model,” Reddout commends. “One location, surrounded by all of our services.” He explains that our Norman patients are currently traveling to
Straka for dental services, but once the new clinic is completed in December 2025, they will have access to everything you would find in our other major clinics.
The clinic in Yukon currently has four providers, but once the new health center is completed in December 2025, it will have the potential for 12 providers!
Other projects in the works include a mobile mammography unit that is expected to arrive in the next 12-14 months and a Straka distribution center that will be used for inventory storage, including fleet vehicles.
While the construction projects seem quite costly, Reddout explains that they were paid for largely in part or in full by government and grant monies.
He says both the mobile mammography unit and the mobile dental unit were paid for by American Rescue Plan dollars.
Additionally, Reddout excitedly notes that despite schedules being decreased by 25% during the Epic transition, Variety Care just finished the fiscal year right on budget!
We all know that Variety Care staff is one-ofa-kind, but did you know that we have the only HIV/AIDS certified nurse in the state of Oklahoma? If you’re familiar with our Sequoyah health center, you know it is just as unique as the staff it employs, with service lines such as Teen Clinic and HIV and Viral Hepatitis care.
That’s where you’ll find Licensed Practical Nurse Courtney Sharpe. Sharpe has worked as an LPN for 11 years, but during her time with Variety Care, her passion has driven her to seek additional certification to better serve the patients that come to Sequoyah.
“When I came to this department, I tried to grab every resource that was available,” Sharpe says. That determination led her to seek her ACLPN certification. She explains that her certification not only allows her to better serve her patients, but also opens a line of communication between herself and other healthcare professionals around the world. “It has been really interesting to see what is still happening in other countries, whether it’s behind or an advancement,” Sharpe explains.
continuing trend of growing numbers. Along with her personal accomplishments, Sharpe championed efforts for Variety Care to meet the standards set by the Human Rights Campaign – an organization that strives to end discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.
-CourtneyJust two months after Sharpe was hired as a communicable disease nurse at the Sequoyah location, Variety Care hired its Director of HIV and Viral Hepatitis Services, Phil Burke, PA-C. Burke tells us he is lucky to work alongside Sharpe in the HIV and Viral Hepatitis Department, emphasizing her dedication to serving the populations of patients they specialize in. “This passion is shown in her commitment to educating patients, friends, and co-workers about our services, as well as in how the patients react to her,” he says. “On most days, I am pretty sure the patients would rather talk to her than me because of the relationship that Courtney has forged with all of them over the years.”
She recognizes that while it is interesting being the only AIDS certified nurse in the state, it’s also discouraging. “HIV wasn’t just discovered yesterday – there’s just still so much stigma,” Sharpe emphasizes “I get frustrated because everyone knows someone who has diabetes or hypertension, and you know somebody who has been affected by or has HIV - it’s just not talked about.” Sharpe attributes that stigma to the
Sharpe’s specialized certification requires two years of experience in HIV care and continued education as determined by the board. After completing 51 hours of studies, she obtained her certification in March 2023.
You know somebody who has been affected by or has HIV - it's just not talked about.
Variety Care teamed up with Walgreens for National HIV Testing Day this year! The team from Sequoyah showed up to provide free walk-up testing and raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.
Together we can END HIV
We're getting closer to our goal of 100% participation in this year's United Way campaign! If you haven't made your pledge yet, there is still time.
Scan the QR to donate today!
Would you like to purchase a pass that will allow you to wear jeans to the office? For just $30, you can wear jeans from Monday, November 27 – Friday, December 29. Your funds will support Variety Care's 2023 United Way Campaign!
*Jeans must be clean (with no rips, tears, holes, shreds, patches, discolorations or stains), and worn with a Variety Care logo top.
Specialization: Dentistry Specialization: Dentistry
Dental School: Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry
Dental School: Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry
Emerald Ferguson, DDS, Emerald Ferguson, DDS, is a provider whose goal is promoting is a provider whose goal is promoting access to care for all, understanding a patient's needs and access to care for all, understanding a patient's needs and expectations, and providing excellent care. expectations, and providing excellent care.
Katy Reyes-Argueta PSR, Norman Family
Cristina Ramos PSR, Reno
Paulina Segoviano PSR, Straka
Taneasha Thomas Medical Assistant, Britton
Emerald Ferguson, DDS Dentist, Straka
