VC, The Magazine | Issue 31

PROVIDING PROVIDING

SUPPORT SUPPORT

Employee of the Month: Maria Meza

Department Spotlight: Referrals

Parent Caregivers

Page 8

St. Patrick's Day

Page 13

Anita Garcia

Dental Receptionist

Maria Meza

WIC Certifier

Employee of the Month: Patience

You were nominated for exemplifying the character core of patience, because of your ability to calmly and thoroughly train new employees. What does patience mean to you? Patience is giving grace to others (even people that aren’t easy to get along with) and loving them even when they make mistakes. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other.

How does it feel to be recognized as Employee of the Month?

To be recognized as the employee the month I feel honored not only for myself but for my work that is being acknowledge by those around me.

How long have you been working at Variety Care?

I have been working with Variety Care for seven years, soon to become eight years this upcoming October of 2023.

What has been the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part about working here is having coworkers understand and see each other as one.

Tell us about your family.

I have been married to my husband for nineteen years, I have two boys the oldest is at the age of sixteen and my youngest is three years old and I enjoy to be at home and endure all of the growing together.

What makes you so willing to take new teammates under your wing?

I was once in the position my teammates were in, I came into the WIC program with absolutely no experience whatsoever. With time, more knowledge came and I was able to show those around me and help expand the learning progress and grow together.

What do you hope your teammates learn from you?

I hope my teammates learn to acknowledge every person around them, speak kindly and do their job with passion, and to simply care for one another.

What are some things you love about working for Variety Care?

What I love about working with Variety Care is that we get to experience different challenges and how this job has allowed many people to be seen at an affordable rate with all of the different departments to choose from.

What is the most interesting thing about your work at Variety Care?

The most interesting thing about working for variety care WIC is being able to change a person's life and perspective with simply helping with Nutritional Education and benefits to provide for their family.

Describe yourself in three words. To describe myself in three words I would choose strong, consistent and caring.

ALWAYS BE HUMBLE AND GENTLE.

-Maria

VP of Patient Engagement and Projects

Margaret Holloway

Department Spotlight: Medical Records & Referrals

They are the ones working behind the scenes to make sure day-to-day operations run smoothly. You don’t often see their faces or hear their

around 1,000 specialists in the community, so that is a lot of people to connect with.

WITHOUT THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS WE WOULD BE IN A MUCH TOUGHER SPOT

-Margaret

Parent Caregivers

“Some evenings, it just kind of happens. Dinner will end and then it gravitates to board games and wrestling on the floor with the kids and the dogs, and just having a good time with no issues…no challenges,” Jacob Epperson reflects on day-to-day life as a father to a special needs child. “Just fun and calmness from beginning to end, and that would beat a trip to Disney World any day of the week.”

Let’s face it – regardless of what your family might look like, parenthood is one of the wildest, scariest, and most exciting rollercoasters you might ever experience. But for families with special needs children, all of those feelings can be amplified – the triumphs and the tribulations.

“Every time the phone rings, we hold our breath waiting to hear what the other person says,” Epperson explains. “It could be, ‘don’t forget the bread,’ or it could be ‘it’s an emergency, we’ve got to go.’” He says there is that small moment of panic every time the phone rings or a text comes in.

tired we are until we’re falling asleep in the middle of whatever,” Epperson says. “Or until you have a meltdown yourself because you are emotionally exhausted,” Oelke adds.

Oelke says that parents often don’t take care of their own needs, especially parents of special needs children. She describes a triumphant day as one where everyone is happy, mellow, and getting along. But for the days that don’t end so peacefully, Oelke says it’s important to find people you can connect with and vent to.

-Jacob

As another parent to special needs children, Sarah Oelke echoes similar sentiments, “The phone ringing – I get that from the school because one of ours has sensory issues and gets overwhelmed, and my other kiddo has a neuromuscular disorder.” Oelke emphasizes, “You always hold your breath….”

Epperson and Oelke say that in families with special needs children, these occurrences can become so “normal” that parents often don’t realize they may need a little help. “It is very hard to realize how physically and emotionally

Epperson notes that it’s easy to relate to someone when they open up first, but it’s hard to be vulnerable and tell others when you are struggling. He says he and his wife like to carry around a small stack of Starbucks gift cards to lift the spirits of parents they see out in public who may be having a rough time. “We just quietly walk up to the parent and give them the gift card,” Epperson explains.

Director of Integrated Health and Services Sally Kerr says that caregivers can face emotional, financial, or physical strain, often resulting in anxiety, depression and other health issues. She says the most important thing we can do as healthcare professionals is just make sure they are managing their own healthcare needs.

Kerr says that Variety Care’s Integrated Health Services Department can help patients in need of additional support resources.

EVERY TIME THE PHONE RINGS, WE HOLD OUR BREATH

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