When I think about speaking up for safety, I think about those first few weeks after the outbreak of COVID-19. There were so many unknowns, and we had to be flexible and nimble. We had one waiting room area in our medical office building and everyone was in there – people of all ages, with COVID and other ailments. Parents came in with their newborn babies. I saw those babies and I did not want them in there with patients who might have COVID. So, I spoke up. I talked to my manager Annie Gibson-Erving. And she listened. Together, we found a meeting room that we could use as a waiting area just for the babies. That would never have happened if we did not have a speak-up culture. We need to build that culture, day by day, over time, so that when a crisis hits, we can all work together for the good of our patients.

My passion is to serve. When members come into the laboratory, they have a lot of personal things going on in their lives and you don't know their story. They trust us to care for them, so I show them respect and gratitude, treat them how I would want to be treated, and make them feel very special. Working with joy and a smile on my face can help to turn a frustrating or worrisome experience around. I listen, I ask questions and I engage in short, but happy, conversations to take their mind off the procedure I’m doing. They’re so focused on what we’re talking about, before they know it, the procedure is over. The most important thing for me is taking advantage of every opportunity, within the scope of my practice, to make a member’s experience personal, peaceful and satisfying: little things such as getting them some water or helping a member with mobility challenges to get in their car. Serving our members in the spirit of excellence is my main goal; that is my passion and my joy.

Many members visit our office because they’re in at least some level of discomfort, pain or awaiting what could be a life-changing diagnosis. Anytime I can make an uncomfortable situation positive, ease anxiety or help alleviate someone’s fear, it brings me joy in work. It’s why I do what I do.

I wasn’t hesitant about the vaccine, but I had concerns because I was listening to the media – social media in particular – and hearing the wrong things. I overcame that by trusting in my faith, and science, doing my own research, and talking to my doctor. After getting vaccinated, I felt an array of emotions, but mostly I felt hope for the future of my family and my community. Not only did I get the vaccine because I’m a frontline worker, but I did it for the health care workers who have lost their lives to COVID-19. By not getting vaccinated, you’re playing a dangerous game with your health and with the lives of others. I chose to follow the words from my pastor, ‘Be resilient, be hopeful, be healthy, and be helpful.