Increasing Access to Care: Part 2
Increasing Access to Care: Part 2
Last month, I shared a bit about what we’re doing to increase access to care here at Mazzoni Center. This month, in part 2, I want to highlight some of the amazing members of the team we’ve recently hired or promoted who help do that work each and every day. It truly is the dedication and professionalism of the staff here at Mazzoni Center who ensure the quality of care here remains the best in the region. Please see below for profiles of three of the great staff here at Mazzoni Center.
Carol Maldonado
Pronouns: She/Her
Title: Medical Assistant
Start date: December 2022
What drew you to Mazzoni Center?
How welcoming the staff are, and how well they work with the community (our patients).
What do you want the community to know about Mazzoni Center and/or the work of your team?
The Mazzoni Center staff is very welcoming, caring, and supportive. We will go the extra mile to help our patients no matter how long it takes. All the staff work as a team to care for the patients with great communication.
As someone who cares for the community, how do you take care of yourself?
Continue keeping my hands washed or hand sanitized. Keeping my mask up. Seeing my primary care as needed to make sure my health is up to par as well.
Faith Mole
Pronouns: She/Her
Title: Community Health Initiatives Director
Start date: December 2022
What is you role here at Mazzoni Center?
Here at Mazzoni Center, I am responsible for overseeing the provision of services within Prevention, which include the Low Threshold Sexual Health Clinic at Washington West, HIV/STI Testing, Linkage to Care, Trans Individual/Group Level Interventions, Care Coordination, and Community Health Engagement. My administrative duties focus on assisting with the development of policies and procedures and leading and assisting with grant writing for funding opportunities. Overall, my primary goal is to ensure staff and programs have what's required to best provide services to our clients.
How do Community Health Initiatives provide culturally competent care?
Cultural competency is sometimes misinterpreted as needing to have vast knowledge and understanding of everyone's background, when in fact it's more about being aware of your own beliefs and values. We all may differ, but it's the willingness to learn about others so we can best empower them that makes one culturally competent. What I have learned about the Community Health Initiatives Team is, in spite of all our differences, the team respects the diversity of colleagues and clients served. Our programs are tasked to provide services to some of the most marginalized populations, but we do so with professionalism, compassion and non-judgement.
What do you want the community to know about Mazzoni Center and/or the work of your team?
We are here to provide health education, health resources, healthcare access, and community engagement opportunities. The team is diverse, knowledgeable, and willing to learn in order to best support the community we serve.
As someone who cares for the community, how do you take care of yourself?
I champion self-care but only recently began to practice what I preach. For me, self-care means to give myself grace when I fall short or when I don't feel very motivated. I try to have a day, once per month, where I allow myself to do nothing but catch up on some tv and eat all the bad things I love. I also find great joy in spending quality time with my teenage daughter, when she has time for me, LOL. But we love going to the movies and trying new restaurants.
Kate Feinberg
Pronouns: She/Her
Title: Revenue Cycle Manager
Promotion Date: January 2023
What is your role here at Mazzoni Center?
I manage patient billing and insurance claims for Mazzoni Center. I also help to facilitate the efficiency of billing across all departments and streamline processes that are best for the entire Mazzoni Center Team and our patients.
What are some of the challenges of engaging in healthcare billing?
Insurances are constantly changing guidelines and rules, sometimes with no notification to us. It can create challenges with our claims and revenue, as well as create problems for our patients.
What do you want the community to know about Mazzoni Center and/or the work of your team?
Mazzoni Center and our billing team always act in the best interest of our patients, however even while acting in their best interest and accurately coding and billing their claims, these processes are not always easy. But we will always try to make sure that every patient is treated fairly by their insurance and help them as best we can.
As someone who cares for the community, how do you take care of yourself?
I am a huge advocate for mental health awareness. I myself see a therapist every month, and it has changed my life. I also like to travel and explore other cultures. I spend most of my free time with family and my four fur babies.
Thank you to the staff here at Mazzoni Center for the work that they do and thank you once again for reading.
Sultan Shakir, President and Executive Officer
