Make Pain a Thing of the Past – healthcare leaders – Physician Partners of America

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Teresa Alvarado

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Teresa Alvarado: Practice Manager, Keller, Texas

 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.

As a dedicated PPOA employee since 2016, Teresa Alvardo’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. She was recognized last year for her ability to exceed expectations and efficiently service patients in the Dallas area. Once again,  she has been deemed our “PPOA super star” in Texas and nominated as a Patient Care Champion for her personal and professional success.

According to her Senior Director of Clinic Operations in Dallas,  she has come up with  creative solutions as well. Theresa is piloting an initiative to improve timelines for authorizations and increase procedure conversions. The Results? The office has seen a 17% increase in completed cases. “Teresa’s dedication to TPRG Keller and Dr. Heil is top notch and is reflected in the clinics growth and positive patient outcomes,” explains Rhonda Boysen, Regional Director Clinic Operations.

When asked about her experience at PPOA, she commented: “I have really enjoyed working at PPOA.  I have been given the chance to implement my ideas partnering up with a doctor that is very meticulous with quality patient care. My passion has been  about improving  accuracy to provide quality care, which in turn increases productivity and patient satisfaction.”

As the pandemic rages on well in to 2021, Teresa has gone above and beyond to make sure the practice continues to run Covid-free and smoothly.

Teresa was born in McAllen, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley.  She studied Health Information Management at Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois. Eventually she made her way back to Texas and has been there for about 5 years now.

Teresa has worked in the medical field for 25 years. She started her journey as a Medical Assistant for pediatrics for about 9 years and then continued as a Medical Assistant for another 3 years in family practices. She then expanded her healthcare knowledge into the insurance field. She was a medical insurance manger for 3 years and then went into coding and billing for 4 years.

As a Practice Manager Teresa has many duties. Some of her duties include assuring patients are correctly scheduled, reaching out to patients regarding procedures, clinical visit requirements, issues or concerns, assisting with the check-in/out process, addressing any concerns or tasks providers or medical assistants may have, and she even helps triage patients.

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

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Elizabeth Gonzalez

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Elizabeth Gonzalez: Team Lead, Habana, 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.

As clinical team lead in PPOA’s busy Habana pain clinic, Elizabeth Gonzalez is responsible for four employees and up to 80 patients a day, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I feel such a sense of accomplishment to help others, even if it’s just a minimal issue,” she says. “Especially with our specialty, patients are in pain, they are aggravated already and making their day easer is very gratifying.”

A native of Miami, Gonzalez was in and out of doctors’ offices with health challenges as a child. She noticed how accommodating certain nurses were with her mother, making a frustrating situation easier to handle. “I decided,” she said, “that I wanted to be that person.”

Gonzalez has worked for Physician Partners of America for one year and recently graduated with her AA degree in Health Service Administration from Keiser University. She came to PPOA after working as an endoscopic tech/office supervisor in a gastroenterology practice.

“In healthcare, just because you are not a doctor or a nurse practitioner, it doesn’t matter,” she says. “You are part of the patient’s treatment plan.”

Gonzalez not only runs the Habana office; she doesn’t hesitate to travel to other PPOA clinics when they are shorthanded.

“She is always going above and beyond, helping any clinic that needs it,” says Eric Alvarez, regional clinical supervisor. “She is always available to patients and always willing to assist.”

Gonzalez and her family live in Valrico, Fla., a suburb of Tampa. She enjoys reading, especially romance novels.  

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PPOA Patient Care Champion – Lelia “Lee” Nichols

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Lelia Nichols, Nurse Practitioner, North Dallas, 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.

Lelia “Lee” Nichols, RN, MSN, NP-C, has been a part of the Physician Partners of America family since 2017 and is known for her gentle way with the people who come to PPOA’s North Dallas clinic. “I love to spend time with patients, educate them, and get to know them,” Nichols says.

She is also devoted to her coworkers. “Your team is a big part of what keeps you happy and coming to work each day,” she adds.

Her peers return the sentiment.

“Lee is the most skilled nurse practitioner and advanced practice provider I’ve ever had the privilege to work with,” says Dr. Demaceo Howard, who worked at the North Dallas office with Nichols before his recent move to PPOA’s Frisco office.

Rhonda Boysen, PPOA Regional Director of Clinic Operations for Texas and California, says, “Lee is a true leader and patient champion, always focusing on quality patient care. She is also a leader amongst her colleagues and is always willing to assist in any area of clinical operations, including mentoring newly hired advanced practice providers.”

A native of Georgia, Nichols moved several times as a child but was reared mostly in Nashville and Houston. One thing did not change: even as a child, she knew where life would lead her. “I have always loved to take care of people,” she says. “I knew I wanted to be in the healthcare field even at a young age.” She volunteered at the nurse’s office in high school, and knew for certain what her path would be.

Nichols received her Bachelor of Nursing at Georgetown University in Washington, DC and worked as a nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Mount Sinai in New York. She then obtained her MSN/Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Baylor University in Waco, TX. She also worked as an adjunct professor for clinicals at Baylor’s College of Nursing.

A mother of two, Lee enjoys reading, exercise and tennis in her spare time.

Her expertise and heart for both her team and patients make her our newest PPOA Patient Care Champion.

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Jan Teemer

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Jan Teemer: Front Desk Assistant, McKinney, 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.

Jan Teemer’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. Jan is the Front Desk Assistant at PPOA’s McKinney Clinic in Texas. She offers our patients excellent customer service from the moment they walk into the office, which is the key to making them feel comfortable and welcome at PPOA.

Jan currently lives in Savannah, Texas and is happily married to her husband Bill. They have two sons, Jason and Scott, a daughter-in-law, Jennifer and a grandson, Weston. In her free time Jan enjoys reading, attending bible studies, scrapbooking and even volunteering for a pet adoption agency.

Jan was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She was born in New Castle and raised in Hillsville where she attended Mohawk Junior Senior High School. She graduated high school in 1974 and then furthered her education at Wilma Boyd Career School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jan eventually started multiple retail businesses with her husband which included chocolate, nut, popcorn and hand rolled soft pretzels shops.

Jan had always desired a career change from retail but still wanted to help people in some way. When she was given the opportunity to join the healthcare industry in 2002 in St. Louis, Missouri, she jumped at the chance. Finally after many years in St. Louis, Jan made her way to Texas in 2014 where she found PPOA.

Jan began her career at PPOA as a Clinical Coordinator at our Carrollton clinic location in Texas. Now she spends her days as the Front Desk Assistant at our McKinney clinic. Some of her day-to-day responsibilities include checking patients in and out of the clinic, scheduling procedures and appointments, completing referrals, verifying patient insurance and prior authorizations, answering incoming phone calls and much more.

Jan has always been a people person, “I have always been a person that loved to help make people’s lives better, I enjoy getting to know people from all walks of life and I am glad my job gives me the opportunity to do so,” Jan says.

This love Jan has for people reflects in her work, “Jan provides excellent customer service to our patients and guests, she makes our patients feel like they are part of a family,” says Rhonda Boysen, Regional Director Clinic Operations.

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

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Yadile Velez

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Yadile Velez: Lab Revenue Cycle Team Lead, 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 Lab Revenue Cycle Team Lead, Yadile Velez’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. She never fails to surpass her expectations in the work place jumping in wherever she is needed.

Yadile was born and raised in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. In 2002 she moved to the United States and has lived in Tampa, FL for the last 18 years. She loves to read and spend quality time with her family.

Yadile has worked in healthcare for 17 years but her passion for the field started long before that. As a child she would spend her school breaks with her mom, a Cardiovascular Nurse, at the hospital. Yadile was inspired by her mother’s devotion to her patients, which drove her to the healthcare industry.

In April 2017 Yadile joined the PPOA family at headquarters in Tampa, FL. She started out as a collector and then was promoted to her current position as Lab Revenue Cycle Team Lead. Her day-to-day duties consist of running reports, calling insurance companies, submitting insurance claims, and most importantly assisting patients with their insurance.

Yadile has been a huge asset to her team, “She is a hard worker, has strong ethics, rolls up her sleeves and jumps in to get the work done. She is a daily motivation to her team and others around her. She helps wherever she is needed and never ceases to amaze me,” Lili Fonseca, Vice President of Revenue Cycle says.

Yadile is passionate about helping patients understand their insurance, “In my department, explaining a patients insurance to them is very important as many do not understand how their insurance works. I like to listen to them, their concerns and work with them. My first priority is making sure our providers can care for them,” Yadile says.

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

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Krystina Ayala

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Krystina Ayala: Medical Assistant, Boynton Beach, 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 Boynton Beach Clinic’s Medical Assistant, Krystina Ayala embodies the values of a true Patient Care Champion. Krystina has gone above and beyond without hesitation to perform her job at her fullest capabilities and we would like to recognize her for this.

Krystina was born and raised in The Big Apple, New York City. She eventually traded in the busy city life for relaxing South Florida Beaches when she moved to Greenacres, FL. In Florida she is blessed to have her grandmother, grandfather, brother and niece who bring her so much joy. When Krystina isn’t hard at work at PPOA she loves singing and dancing, behind closed doors of course.

Krystina received her Medical Assistant Certification from Star Career Academy of New York. Throughout her entire career she has always worked in the healthcare industry helping people in some sort of way. From working at a group home for people with development disabilities to being a Medical Assistant for people with Chronic Pain and everything in between.

Krystina joined the PPOA family in April 2019 as a Medical Assistant at our Boca Raton, FL clinic location. She then transferred to our Boynton Beach, FL clinic location. Some of her day-to-day responsibilities include checking patients in and out, scheduling appointments, authorizing patient medications, verifying patient insurance, updating patient medical records, and even taking patient vitals.

For as long as Krystina can remember she has enjoyed helping others, “I love knowing that I can make a difference no matter how big or small,  just knowing I made a patient laugh is satisfying for me,” Krystina says.

Krystina is a huge asset to the PPOA, “Krystina has been an amazing team player going above and beyond while keeping her positive attitude. When the unexpected happens she always keeps the daily operations running smoothly. We are so blessed to have Krystina on the PPOA Team,” says Kim Boss Senior Regional Manager Clinic Division – East Coast Florida.

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

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Jazmine Cherman

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Jazmine Cherman: Compliance Audit Manager, 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 chain of values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy which ensures a focus to our patients and community through high quality health care.

Jazmine Cherman has gone that extra mile and deserves to be recognized. She has especially stepped up in this time of uncertainty while we all face the impacts of COVID-19. Jaz wears many hats here at PPOA, pitching in and helping any department when needed and always with a smile.

Jaz was born and raised in Far Rockaway, NY. Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the eastern part of the Rockaway peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. She later swapped her northeast beaches for the Gulf Coast and Tampa Bay when she moved to Tampa, FL in 2014.

Jaz is happily married to her husband Jason. They have three children, Jordan, Jonathan and Janiyah. They really have a thing for names that start with the letter “J”.

Jaz has worked in the healthcare industry ever since she was old enough to get a job. She joined the PPOA family in July 2014 shortly after moving to Tampa. She is a Compliance Audit Manager located at our Tampa, FL headquarters.

Currently, Jaz has been focusing on operations for our COVID-19 testing sites. She makes sure our patients and employees remain safe and have a good experience. Jaz also assists with coding, billing and auditing.

Jaz is a major asset to the PPOA family, “She is the definition of what lead by example means and is always willing to roll up her sleeves to get the job done. We appreciate everything she does and her dedication to the success of this company,” Rekha Rajan-Wilson, Vice President of Compliance and Risk Management says.

Jaz’s passion for healthcare started when her grandfather passed away and having seen all of the wonderful people who helped her family while he was in hospice. She always wanted to be able to help people in some capacity the way her family was helped during that time.

“First impressions can make or break any situation. Patients just want their voices to be heard and to get the help they need. Being able to listen and help them provides me with the greatest satisfaction,” Jaz says.

PPOA applauds Jaz for all of her hard work and dedication. She is truly a Patient Care Champion.

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Angela Leone

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Angela Leone: Electronic Health Record (EHR) System Analyst, 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 chain of values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy which ensures a focus to our patients and community through high quality health care.

PPOA’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) System Analyst, Angela Leone’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. Angie goes above and beyond to make sure everything is running smoothly on a day-to-day basis not only for employees but patients as well and she does it all with positive attitude.

Angie has spent her entire life in the Tampa Bay area. She was born in St. Petersburg and eventually made her way to Tampa. Angie received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from the University of South Florida. In her free time she enjoys traveling, going to the beach, and volunteering for the Metropolitan Ministries and Feeding Tampa Bay during the holidays.

After college Angie began her career in the healthcare industry helping people with addictions and mental health for over 7 years. She then transitioned her career into information technology. After about 5 years in IT she had the opportunity to combine both her knowledge in healthcare and IT here at PPOA.

Angie joined the PPOA family in 2016. Currently she works at PPOA’s headquarters located in Tampa, FL as an EHR System Analyst. Angie provides application support for the various EHR and billing applications that we use for medical services.

Angie may not be working on the front lines in the clinics but she is an important asset behind the scenes making sure the system that holds our patients heath records is working properly for our clinics to run smoothly.

Angie is a crucial asset to the PPOA team, “Angie Leone is such a pleasure to work with and a true team player. She always responds quickly to IT requests, pays attention to details, and does so with a positive attitude! PPOA is blessed to have her as a teammate,” says Daniel Ucheoma, Regional Business Development Manager.

Angie has a passion for helping others, “When I do get the opportunity to help a patient, I love to see their quality of life restored. Nothing is better than helping a patient find the answer they are looking for,” Angie says.

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

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Lori Burbridge

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Lori Burbridge: 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.

A Patient Care Champion doesn’t have to necessarily be on the front-lines, they can be that comforting voice on the phone. Patient Experience Specialist Lori Burbridge goes above and beyond to make a patient feel comfortable about an upcoming procedure. As a patient experience specialist, she takes on the role of being a liaison between the clinics and the Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC). Lori truly embodies the values of a Patient Care Champion.

Lori was born in Saint Petersburg, FL. She spent about four years of her childhood in America Samoa, a US Territory Island in the South Pacific. Her family eventually made their way back to Florida where she attended Bloomingdale High School in Valrico. Now Lori is currently living in Tampa, FL with her family. She is blessed to have two smart, beautiful boys, Romeo who is 16 and Logan who just turned 10. They also have a cat named Lola and puppy named Lucy.

The beginning of Lori’s career was spent in the mortgage industry as a Business Analyst and a Compliance Specialist. Before joining PPOA Lori was a Regional Manager for a Non-Emergency Medical Transportation company. She managed forty plus drivers over a six county area in North Florida. This experience allows her to assist with the transportation challenges some of our patients experience when using medical transportation to get to our facilities.

In July 2019 Lori joined the PPOA family. She is a Patient Experience Specialist located at our Headquarters in Tampa, FL. Lori’s day-to-day responsibilities include Inbound/outbound calls with patients to discuss the authorization status and cost at time of service for procedures scheduled at our ASC’s, collaborating with the ASC’s, authorization teams, and clinics to ensure excellent customer satisfaction for our patients while overcoming any challenges that may keep the patients from the pain relieving procedures they need.

Lori truly values her role as a Patient Experience Specialist, “Lori is an extremely dedicated teammate who brings a fresh perspective to her job daily while maintaining the highest level of customer service. She is tremendous and brings a sense of honor and duty to her daily responsibilities, she really cares and it shows,” Michael Hardy Director, Patient Experience says.

Lori’s grandmother always wanted her to be a nurse and although she is not, being a Patient Experience Specialist has been the next best thing, “I love being able to provide a caring voice, listening ear, and help overcome any issues that could prevent our patients from improving their quality of life by reducing their pain,” Lori says.

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

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Jasmine Rogers

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Jasmine Rogers: Medical Assistant, 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.

Jasmine Rogers has gone that extra mile. Jasmine is the Medical Assistant at PPOA’s Fletcher Clinic in Tampa, FL. She goes above and beyond to make sure our patients are happy and she does it all with a smile on her face. Jasmine truly embodies the values of a patient care champion.

Jasmine has lived in sunny Tampa, FL her entire life. She attended Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School and then made her way to Southern Technical College. In Jasmines free time she enjoys cooking, making gift baskets, and giving inspirational speeches.

Jasmine began her healthcare career with Humana as a license insurance agent. She then made her way to Blossom Pediatrics working in the same position. Finally Jasmine started working for PPOA in 2017 as a Medical Assistant for our Fletcher Clinic. Some of her day-to-day responsibilities include checking patients in and out, scheduling appointments, authorizing patient medications and verifying patients insurance.

Jasmine has always had an inner desire to satisfy patient’s needs, “I love how I’m able to help patients with authorizations and scheduling appointments that best suit their needs,” Jasmine says.

Jasmine is a very hard worker, “Jasmine is always doing her job with a smile on her face, she is very attentive to patients at the front desk and on the phone. She is always the first to respond to patient requests and strives to find solutions to any inconvenience a patient may encounter,” says Eric Alvarez Senior Regional Operations Manager.

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

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