Tag Archive for: PPOA Patient Care Champion

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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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Cathryn Lopez

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Cathryn Lopez: Front Office Manager, Plano, 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 Park Ambulatory Surgery Center’s Front Office Manager, Cathryn Lopez embodies the values of a true Patient Care Champion. Cathy is the first person patients interact with when they walk into the door and she never fails to greet them with kindness. We would like to recognize Cathy for performing her job at an exemplary level.

Cathy has been a Texas native her entire life. She was born in Dallas but raised in Carrollton where she attended Creekview High School. She now resides in The Colony, TX with her husband of seven years, Jeremy and their beautiful Scottish Terrier, Rupert. When Cathy isn’t hard at work for PPOA she enjoys cooking and crafting.

Cathy began her early career as an office manager for Texas Fiberglass pools. She decided to make the switch to the healthcare field in November 2019 when she started here at PPOA. Cathy is the Front Office Manager for Park ASC. Some of her day-to-day responsibilities include checking our patients in, scheduling our patients for procedures, and overall providing them with all the information they need to be prepared for their procedure.

Cathy has always gravitated towards helping others, “I love knowing that I have made a difference in a patient’s situation or even just in their day. My patients come in hurting and if they leave here with a smile I know I have made a difference. I also take pride in getting to know them on a more personal level. I try my very best to remember something specific about each one, so when they come back I can connect with them and they know they aren’t just another procedure,” Cathy says.

The patient surveys for Park ASC always come back rating the front desk as excellent, “Cathy is always very friendly and caring to our patients and staff. She discerns a persons’ needs quickly and efficiently provides them with key information, recommendations, and direction. Cathy always treats our patients with respect and tries to make them feel like family,” Michelle Borrego Park ASC Administrator says.

PPOA applauds Cathy 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- Shirley Serovey

Shirley Serovey: Authorization 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 Authorization Specialist, Shirley Serovey deserves to be recognized for her hard work. Patient Care Champions don’t necessarily have to work on the front lines to make an impact. Shirley proves this by working behind the scenes helping patients get their insurance approved to meet their healthcare needs. She represents all of the values we have here at PPOA.

Shirley has been a Florida resident her entire life. She was born and raised in sunny Tampa, FL. In her early life she attended Hillsborough High School. She then went on to study at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL where she received her Bachelors in Nursing and Medical Billing and Coding.

After college Shirley returned to Tampa and began her healthcare career at the University of South Florida. She took on multiple rules as a surgery coordinator, authorization specialist and an administrative assistant. Working for the University of South Florida also included working for Tampa General and Moffitt Cancer Center. She then made her way to PPOA in December 2018.

Shirley works at PPOA’s headquarters located in Tampa, FL as an Authorization Specialist. Some of her day-to-day duties include initiating and following up on insurance authorization requests for the Ambulatory Surgery Centers, executing appeals for authorization denials, maintaining relationships with medical directors and insurance companies and overall advocating for our patients.

She has been an asset to PPOA, “Shirley is the jack of all trades and is relentless in her efforts to obtain authorizations for our patients. She goes above and beyond daily and uses her RN experience to help get approvals. She has over 20 years of experience in healthcare and is truly a tremendous asset to PPOA,” Yoany Gonzalez, Associate Director of Revenue Cycle says.

Shirley has always been fascinated with helping sick people. This is what drove her to the healthcare field. In college she chose to major in Nursing along with Medical Billing and Coding not to help sick people hands on, but to help patients get their insurance approved while having an understanding of their healthcare needs.

Shirley enjoys helping patients in a way that most people don’t immediately think about, through being their insurance advocate. “I just love to see their face light up when you give them hope that they will get better and help them understand the process of their insurance and their treatment,” Shirley says.

Shirley has two children, one daughter and one son who graced her with five grandchildren. One of her grandchildren is Autistic, which has made her a huge supporter of Autism Speaks. In her free time she enjoys quilting, stitching and crafting.

PPOA applauds Shirley 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 – 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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