PPOA Patient Care Champion- Zoraida Exiga

Zoraida Exiga: Medical Assistant, Lakewood Ranch, 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.

Zoraida Exiga embodies the values of a true Patient Care Champion. Zoraida is the Medical Assistant at PPOA’s Lakewood Ranch clinic in Florida. She offers our patients excellent care and helps them feel comfortable and welcome at PPOA.

Zoraida has lived in the Tampa Bay Florida area her entire life. She was born in Tampa, raised in Riverview and she now lives in Ruskin, FL. She attended East Bay High School in Riverview, FL and then went on to receive her Medical Assistant Certificate from Concorde Career Institute in Tampa, FL.

Zoraida joined the PPOA family in 2021. She completed an internship at our Sun City Center clinic and then floated from clinic to clinic when needed. She then went on permanently as a medical assistant at our Lakewood Ranch clinic. As a medical assistant, some of her day-to-day responsibilities include taking patients vitals, updating patient charts, performing prior authorizations for medications, answering phone calls and emails, making sure the exam rooms are stocked and cleaned after each patient and making sure the clinic is overall clean at the end of the day.

Zoraida is bilingual in English and Spanish which is extremely beneficial for our Spanish speaking patients. She says, “Being a Mexican American, I understand the many struggles that individuals have with language barriers. I have witnessed personal scenarios where there were language barriers that did not end well. I have always wanted to work in the medical field but seeing so many individuals struggle with getting the proper care they need due to language barriers has made me want to join the healthcare environment and use my voice to be their interpreter and help them get the same care as any other individual. Being at PPOA I have been the only bilingual MA at both Sun City and Lakewood Ranch clinics and I have helped many patients get the care they need. Patients are very appreciative of me translating for them whenever possible.”

Zoraida is a pivotal member of the clinical staff. “Being my only medical assistant in Lakewood Ranch, Zoraida works hard day in and day out. She is very timely and strives to make sure the patient is taken care of. Whether it is just having a simple conversation with them about their day or working to complete prior authorizations for medications/imaging, patients are appreciative,” Eric Alvarez, VP of Clinic Operations says.

PPOA applauds Zoraida for her hard work and thanks her for all that she does. She is truly a Patient Care Champion.