Physician Spotlight- Mauricio Orbegozo, M.D.

Dr. Mauricio Orbegozo is a highly experienced anesthesiologist and pain management specialist practicing at PPOA’s Fletcher clinic in Tampa.

A United States Air Force war veteran, he is also a published author, educator and public speaker.

Born in Fort Thomas, Ky., Dr. Orbegozo grew up in Colombia, where he also graduated medical school from Universidad del Rosario in Bogota. Inspired by his father’s career in medicine, he went on to complete post-graduate training in general surgery, anesthesiology and pain management. He’s been an instructor in anesthesiology and pain management at two Texas universities, and has maintained licensure as a physician and surgeon in four states.

That brought him to PPOA’s Fletcher location, where he is highly rated for both skill and compassion. “We are offering more therapeutic and less diagnostic results,” he says. “I also enjoy patient interaction and getting to know my patients, as well as teaching.”

Dr. Orbegozo is particularly interested in developing endoscopic — or small-incision — surgical procedures for PPOA. “This is the future of spine surgery,” he says. “With this, we can incorporate laser and other ablative devices that provide longer-term relief.”

He has been instrumental in PPOA’s intrathecal and spinal cord stimulation treatment programs and has written a book,  Practical Pain Management.

While he can point to many career highlights, Dr. Orbegozo is particularly proud of achieving successful results from new treatments and procedures. “I also very much enjoy being involved in the Florida initiative in containing the opioid crisis and participating in conferences of this nature,” he says.

During his free time, Dr. Orbegozo enjoys remaining active by playing tennis, running, swimming, cooking, and participating in triathlons.

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Annie Letzkus

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Annie Letzkus: Patient Experience Specialist, Tampa, FL-

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

PPOA’s patient experience specialist, Annie Letzkus has always held an innate desire to help people. Whether it’s helping patients find pain relief or teaching youth to play pickleball, Letzkus is a great example of the associates that represent PPOA.

Baltimore native, Letzkus received her first masters from University of Maryland Baltimore County for Education. After wanting a change, she moved to Florida to be closer to her parents. Here, she earned her second master’s degree in business administration from Western International University. After moving to Florida, she took her achievements to University of Phoenix where she held a sales position. She then moved over to Laser Spine institute where she stayed for 5 years prior to becoming part of the PPOA team.

Letzkus is located at our headquarters in Tampa, FL and is one of eight patient experience specialists. As a patient experience specialist, she takes on the role of being a liaison between the clinics and the ambulatory surgical centers (ASC). She has many daily duties. Because she receives calls from patients, clinics, and ASCs, she has to know a little bit of everything to best assist whoever is on the other side of the phone. “Some problems I can’t fix,” says Letzkus, “but I can at least make the patients feel like someone is listening, says Letzkus.

Letzkus’ career life has always been about helping people. “When I got my masters in education, it was about helping kids, at University of Phoenix it was about helping students better themselves, and now I get to help patients find pain relief,” says Letzkus.

She has been an asset to the PPOA team in many ways. “Annie Letzkus is a dedicated team member that approaches her work with a sense of honor and duty,” says Michael Hardy, Director of Patient Expierence.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 21 month old daughter with another one on the way. She also enjoys being active, playing pickleball and softball, and spending time with friends and family.

“Annie is often the first person to arrive in the morning and often the last one to leave at night,” says Michael Hardy, “but that’s not what makes her a service champion. Annie is a service champion because she fights for each and every patient, she does not accept the easy answer and she will not give up until the patient is taken care of. When it comes to patient advocacy you need look no further than Annie Letzkus with her passion, indomitable spirit and commitment to excellence she raises the bar on any team she joins and we are proud to have her on the PPOA Patient Experience team.”

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PPOA Celebrates National Women Physicians Day

February 3 is known as National Women Physicians Day. This day recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of female doctors. At Physician Partners of America, we are proud to support the women that work hard every day to give the best care to their patients.

National Women Physicians Day marks the birthday of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. She was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States in 1849 and introduced the movement that helped women gain entry and equality in the field of medicine.

Women have continued making progress within the medical field. Although male doctors continue to outnumber their female counterparts, in 2017 women made up more than half of medical school students for the first time in history.

 

How can you observe National Women Physicians Day?

  1. Help raise awareness. Post on social media with #NationalWomenPhysiciansDay to show your support.
  2. Do you go to or know a female physician? You can show your appreciation and thank them for all they do.
  3. Binge-watch your favorite women doctors. Meredith Grey and Dr. Quinn deserve some love too!

 

Here at PPOA, we are proud of and appreciate our employees every day. Today, on National Women Physicians Day, we would just like to show a little extra gratitude not only to our female medical staff, but to all female doctors that continuously improve other’s lives. We appreciate you.

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Felicia Lopez

Felicia Lopez: Office Supervisor, Duncanville, TX-

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

PPOA’s Duncanville office supervisor, Felicia Lopez, is no stranger to Texas or the health care industry. This Dallas native has dedicated her entire working life to helping people via the health care industry and has no plans to stop any time soon.

“My favorite part of this job is helping the patients,” says Lopez. “I couldn’t do it without my team.”

She oversees six medical assistants in one of PPOA’s busiest offices. She also assists with the clinic flow, patient checkout, billing, and answering the phones.

“As the office supervisor, Felicia wears many hats in the Duncanville clinic. She often faces many difficult situations and is a great listener to patients while working to make their experience a positive one.  She always has a smile for everyone that enters the practice and communicates very well with providers, staff and patients,” says Rhonda Boyson, Regional Director of Clinic Operations

A native of Dallas, Lopez grew up with two passions: helping others and playing soccer. Her innate desire to care for others was channeled toward nursing by a favorite aunt who had pursued that career. After graduating from Duncanville High School, Lopez was able to follow both paths. At Richland College in Dallas, she earned her Medical Assistant certification and helped the college’s soccer team win the 2006 NJCAA National Champion of Woman’s Soccer.

After receiving her certification, Felicia Lopez immediately launched her career in health care. She began working at Capstone Pain and Spine Group, now owned by Physician Partners of America, five years ago, and has been a part of the team ever since.

“Felicia works very closely with her practice manager to complete daily tasks and prioritizes her work in a way that puts patient care first,” says Boyson. “She’s a true patient care champion.”

Lopez plans to continue her education and is currently working toward a Bachelor of Science in nursing at Dallas county Community College. Soccer, too, continues to be part of her life. She and her husband play on a co-ed team. She also enjoys arts and crafts and spending time with the couple’s three children.

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Adrian Pena

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

Texas native Adrian Pena is no stranger to the Dallas/ Forth Worth area. He spent his childhood, high school years, and now adult life residing in Texas.

Adrian has always loved the medical field. This began with his father working in the field of physical therapy.

“My dad used to take to me his office,” says Adrian, “I loved seeing the patients get better because of my dad- he gave them a better quality of life.”

His dad’s passion for helping others inspired Adrian to do the same. After high school, Adrian knew he wanted to begin his life helping others. While Adrian is not necessarily working hand-in-hand with patients every day, he does help others in a different way.

“Adrian is a true inspiration and a vital part of our Texas Team,” says Cindy Wilcoxson, PPOA Texas operations training manager. “He reflects a positive professional attitude and is a true role model to his colleagues.”

Adrian Pena is one of the regional leads for five of our nine Texas locations. On a daily basis he visits different clinics, monitors reports, provides support for the procedures, and is basically there to assist who ever might need a helping hand weather it is patients or other employees.

“Adrian goes above and beyond and will assist in any area that needs support,” says Rhonda Boyson, Texas regional director of operations. “As I round on my clinics I often see Adrian triaging patients, working front office or training a peer on daily reports.  He’s respected by all that he interacts with on a daily basis.”

Adrian now has 17 years of health care experience under his belt. When he is not working, he enjoys spending quality time with his family including his son. He is also a true Texan and enjoys collecting Dallas Cowboys memorabilia.

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Susan Jacobsgaard

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Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

 

Known as “the cheerleader” of her department, Susan Jacobsgaard knows how to get work done, and brighten people’s day, all at the same time.

After growing up in Norwalk, Connecticut, Susan escaped the brutal winters and relocated to Florida at 6 years old.

Susan’s mother was a nurse. Growing up connected to healthcare in that sort of way drew Susan to that field immediately. She has been in the health care industry now for almost 25 years and shows no signs of slowing down. Before coming over to Physician Partners of America, Susan was a coder for a medical company for 15 years. She is now a payment poster where she acts as a liaison for patients and clinics with regards to payments. She has many responsibilities including, but not limited to, maintaining accurate billing records and documenting revenue from patients and insurance companies. She also gets to interact with the patient first hand and help them figure out the financial side of their medical needs.

“I enjoy interacting with the patients because I have the ability to put them at ease, I want them to have a great experience throughout every process of their journey with us.” – Susan Jacobsgaard

While this job, like any job, can be frustrating at times, Susan focuses on keeping a positive atmosphere within her office.

“Susan exemplifies support and teamwork through her tenacity to succeed,” says Melissa Akers- payment poster manager. “She has a contagious positive attitude and a personality that creates a work environment that is fun, positive and productive.”

In her free time, Susan enjoys going to the pool, relieving some stress through dirt biking, and most of all, cooking with her husband.

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Cierra Eson

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Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

 

Although Cierra’s Sundays are reserved strictly for football, her week days are filled with hard work and dedication here in the revenue cycle at Physician Partners of America.

Cierra Eson was born and raised in Zephyrhills, FL, not far from PPOA‘s headquarters. There, she attended Zephyrhills High School where she played the saxophone in band. Since she turned 18, Cierra has worked in several healthcare occupations including being a pharmacy technician, referrals for primary care, and pain management. She loves working within the healthcare industry because she enjoys working with people and giving them the best care possible.

“Working in healthcare is good opportunity to give people the same care that I would want,” says Cierra.

In her 7 months here at PPOA, Cierra Eson has become a high dollar implant coordinator with the revenue team. Here, she focuses on spinal cord stimulators and pain pumps. She completes purchase requisitions and obtains insurance authorizations for our spinal cord stimulator/pump team.

“I really like the stance we take on pain medication,” she says, “it is very rewarding to see people get their life back because of the services we provide.”

It is not an easy task, and is not for everyone, but Cierra loves what she does and it does not go unnoticed.

“Since joining PPOA in December, Cierra has greatly attributed to assisting us reach our goal of over 100 implant cases two months in a row,” says Yoany Gonzalez, associate director of revenue cycle, “this is a HUGE accomplishment for PPOA, as we were previously performing about 30 cases a month last year prior to Cierra joining the team,” she says.

In Cierra’s spare time, she continues to play the saxophone, she loves the beach, spending time with family, and as mentioned before, watching football (“Go Patriots!”).

“She takes great pride in her work and strives for excellence.” – Yoany Gonzalez

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Kristen Glass

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Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

Kristen’s original career choice was to practice law. Time and circumstances led her to the medical career, and she quickly realized that medicine was where her passion lied.

Kristen Glass was born and raised in Camden, New Jersey, and in 2011, she moved to Florida. She learned a bit about the healthcare field, and ended up attending St. Petersburg College and Hillsborough Community College, where she later trained as an EMT. Working in this high-pressure role, she developed crucial skills, such as critical thinking under pressure. She also learned from working with well-trained professionals in the industry, including firefighters and other paramedics.

This skill set laid the foundation that she now has to provide superior care as a Medical Assistant for Physician Partners of America. In her role, she works at the right hand of the physicians and practice managers at the New Port Richey location. She is the patient’s first point of contact before they visit their physician, and she prepares them for their visit.

“She works hard and is very dedicated,” says Robyn Aydelott, a Nurse Practitioner with PPOA’s New Port Richey location.

Kristen’s sharp and strategic mind makes her a natural success at caring for patients. The progress that patients make in their journey to recovery is what gives her a sense of fulfillment on a daily basis. She enjoys knowing that she has played a role in helping these patients to regain their strength and health.

“The best part of it is all is knowing that it’s us who helped them,” says Kristen Glass. “We were able to change their life.”

Kristen is very focused on her career, and has a bright future ahead of her in medicine. We at PPOA consider her to be a wonderful asset to the team.

“Kristen is one of the most hard working and dedicated employees that I have ever worked with,” says Theresa Gabriel, a Nurse Practitioner with PPOA’s New Port Richey location. “She is cheerful and pleasant even when she has a multitude of tasks piled up on her desk. She is greatly loved and appreciated by patients and staff.”

In her free time, Kristen enjoys spending time with her energetic son, whom she home schools.

 

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PPOA Patient Care Champion – Caroline Bloom

CAROLINE BLOOM: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, SOUTH FLORIDA –

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

Business development representative Caroline Bloom is in the business of making connections. She spends her days educating doctors and their staffs about the pain management alternatives offered by Physician Partners of America. This includes laser spine procedures, spinal cord stimulators and, soon, regnerative medicine.

She primarily markets the services of Dr. Alejandro Tapia in Boynton Beach and Wellington, Fla.

“There’s a lot of education involved in what I do,” she says. “I teach them the difference between interventional pain management – the procedures we do – versus medication management. Many doctors have had their chronic pain patients on opioids for years. We teach them that there are other options. It turns the lightbulb on.”

A native of Maplewood, New Jersey, she graduated from St. Thomas University in Miami with a B.A. in Business Management. She started out in the nascent telecommunications industry, selling the first “big brick” cell phones for Cellular One, now AT&T.

After taking time off for motherhood, she was drawn back into the workforce – and the healthcare world – when her husband became ill.

“When he got sick, I learned how to be an advocate for him, and in turn, patients in general,” she says.

She worked for pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca as a marketing representative and for a large hospice provider before joining PPOA in November 2017. While most of her time is spent calling on providers and practice managers, those connections help her assist patients.  She recalls a particular case of a special needs man.

“His mom was talking to the staff of her son’s primary care doctor. The referral coordinator called me and I connected the patient with Dr. Tapia, who he had seen in the past,” Bloom recalls. “The son had Medicaid, which we don’t accept, but I helped him to get him special clearance for Dr. Tapia to treat him. Those are the most rewarding moments for me.”

Caroline Bloom’s supervisor, regional business development manager Susan Hoskins, admires Bloom’s willingness to go the extra mile.

“Caroline is an example of compassion and true caring concern for all patients. She will always take the time to listen and make sure patients have a great experience with PPOA,” says Hoskins. “Her tenacity and constant professional attitude and drive for success inspire me every day. Caroline looks at every opportunity as a bold challenge and adventure.”

Bloom is also known for assisting her fellow PPOA reps. She helps new hires learn the company sales database and the finer points of paperwork, sends group texts, and acts as a resource.

“Caroline always goes above and beyond to support her teammates,” Hoskins says. “She is always willing to help not only her Business Development teammates but has spent Saturdays coming into the clinic to help her operations team.”

While she enjoys caring for others, Caroline Bloom is about to take more time out for herself. Her son will graduate from Florida State University in 2020, and her daughter will enter the University of Florida as a freshman in a few weeks.  “It will be a house divided,” she says, joking about the schools’ infamous football rivalry. Still, she has no plans to slow down.

“When you love what you do,” she says, “It doesn’t feel like work.”

 

 

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PPOA Patient Care Champion – Monique Alexander

Monique Alexander has a passion for insurance, which is why she has stuck with it her whole career life.

Moving back home to New Jersey from Virginia right out of high school and ready to begin a career, Alexander took a chance and applied for some health care collection agencies.

“Without too much knowledge on the subject, someone took a chance on me and it all began there,” she says.

After working with her former company in New Jersey, she then relocated with the company, which is what brought her to Tampa, Fla. After a while, she decided to make a change and eventually found a position at Physician Partners of America.

Here at PPOA, Monique was recently promoted to ambulatory surgery center revenue cycle manager. In simple terms, she is responsible for and oversees teams for collections, coding, and cash postings. She believes in teamwork and communication, which is what ultimately helps her connect with people so well.

She excels at multi-tasking and meeting every challenge that arises. For her, connecting with people is one of the most important aspects of being a great leader.

Alexander’s niche in health care insurance is not a random choice. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and while it was very difficult on Alexander, she knows she could definitely help with one aspect of it: insurance. She helped her mom get good medical insurance (which is not an easy task) while going through this hard time. Her mother eventually passed away but Alexander was glad she could do that for her mom and provide help in an almost helpless situation.

Alexander loves the PPOA atmosphere because it feels like home to her. “These people are like my family and we all support each other.”

While work is one of her passions, Alexander is also devoted to her 12-year-old daughter.

“She’s my world. Besides work, it’s her,” she says.”

For fun, Monique Alexander and her daughter go swimming and watch movies. They also hope to take some vacations soon.

We thank her for being such a great example of what a PPOA employee should be!

 

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