Make Pain a Thing of the Past – patient care champion – 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- Teresa Alvarado

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Teresa Alvarado: Practice Manager, Keller, 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 Practice Manager of the Keller clinic, Teresa Alvarado has gone that extra mile. This pandemic has been tough on everyone but instead of letting it get the best of her, Teresa has gone above and beyond to make sure everything continues to run smoothly. She represents all of the values we have here at PPOA.

Teresa was born in McAllen, Texas surrounded by beautiful palm trees in the Rio Grande Valley. Ironically she grew up in Muscatine, Iowa surrounded by cold snow and dead trees, but still loved that Midwest charm. 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.

Finally Teresa made her way to the PPOA family in August 2016. She originally applied to work as a Medical Coding specialist but was hired as a Practice Manager for the Keller location instead. 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.

She has been an asset to the Keller team, “Teresa works very closely with Dr. Heil and the staff at Keller and goes out of her way to make sure all patients have a great experience. The past few weeks as the clinics have been short staffed Teresa has stepped in and assisted in patient triage while also managing the clinic and ASC schedule very efficiently. There isn’t a task that Teresa won’t take on. During the COVID19 crisis Teresa remained diligent and focused on the success of the Keller clinic,” says Rhonda Boysen, Regional Director Clinic Operations.

Teresa holds herself at a high standard for patient care, “It is an honor to have someone trust me with their health, it is a privilege and I always keep that in mind. Providing care with true empathy is hard to find, I make it my mission to make each and every patient feel that they are a person, not just a dollar sign walking into our office,” Teresa says.

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- 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 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 Champions – Jessica Sutherland

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JESSICA SUTHERLAND – MEDICAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, HURST, 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. 

Jessica Sutherland started her career making people look better, but then found her calling helping others feel better. She found the perfect fit at PPOA’s Precinct Ambulatory Surgery center in Hurst, Texas, and has never looked back.

“I love talking with people. I love the face-to-face and putting patients at ease,” she says.

According to her supervisor, Kristy Gildersleeve, Jessica Sutherland does more than that.

“She has been with PPOA since 2014 and has been my right hand. We are only as good as our parts and she makes PPOA look stellar,” says Gildersleeve.

“She knows every patient and vendor and they all love her. If you are at Precinct and have a question, doesn’t matter what it is, she knows the answer and who to put you in contact with,” Gildersleeve adds, “and Jessica does it all with the warmest most endearing smile.”

The pain management field also appeals to Jessica Sutherland because she, too, is a pain patient. A high school drill team stunt caused her to fall and hurt her back. After years of putting it off – like many pain patients, she was scared of treatment – she finally sought interventional procedures from Dr. Luis Nieves at PPOA’s Hurst clinic.

Later, she had a laminectomy decompression procedure by spine surgeon Dr. Phillip Kravetz. She is now pain free.

“I’ve been a pain patient as well, so I can relate to our patients,” she says. “When people tell me their stories, I can tell them I had the same procedure.”

An Army Brat born at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, Sutherland grew up mainly in Fort Polk, La., and the outskirts of Fort Worth, Texas. Like many young people, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do but knew she loved working with people.

Cosmetology school sounded appealing. She got her license in 2009 and worked as a stylist for a few years. Then the birth of her son, Daelan, in 2012 caused her to do some soul searching.

“I wanted something with more stability and more meaning. Good health insurance was also important to me as a mom,” she says.

The answer came from one of her clients, who was in the medical field.

“I always assumed that you were either a doctor or a nurse, and that’s all there was,” she says. “My client told me about all the many careers available. I was so happy to hear there were front desk positions I could train for. That seemed to be a perfect fit.”

Sutherland enrolled in Everest College and got her Medical Administrative Assistant diploma. She got a job at a hospital emergency room doing collections – and hated it.

“It filled me with anxiety; it was so intense,” Sutherland says. “It wasn’t for me.”

She went back into hair styling until a PPOA recruiting effort at Everest drew her back in. And she’s been the friendly face – and go-to person – at Precinct ever since.

“I am always amazed at how she can have someone on the phone, working the computer, while also checking in patients, and responding to the staff as they lay something else on her,” says Gildersleeve.

 

Sutherland is kept busy in her personal life, too. She and her fiancé, Brad, an Army veteran and construction worker, have a blended family of three sons: Grayson, 7; Daelan, who is now 6; and Braelan, 2.

“In the end I found my calling and I couldn’t be happier,” she says.

 

 

 

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