Presenter Details

Lead Community Health Representative
The heading of my resume defines me as a “Culturally competent multilingual professional focused on self-direction brokerage, client/patient relations, interpretation, translation, research assisting, advocacy and volunteer recruitment.” All that really means is that I am an individual who is passionate about helping others thrive and my current position as a Patient Navigator at the Beatrice Welters Breast Health Outreach and Navigation Program allows me to accomplish that mission. 

 Prior to becoming a Patient Navigator, I worked in the fields of Journalism, Medical Interpreting, Real Estate, and advocacy for children with special needs. As a Patient Navigator, I empower patients on a daily basis by helping them navigate the healthcare system while addressing the socioeconomic and cultural barriers that prevent them from accessing care, including language, transportation, childcare and financial counseling among others. I assist staff with identifying my patient's clinical, emotional, psycho-social and financial needs and provide them with the necessary support by directing them to community resources and services, while connecting them with care providers, both within and outside the healthcare system. Most importantly, I educate patients and help them overcome issues relating to health literacy.

 Having been raised in a diverse environment, it comes as no surprise that I chose to pursue a career path that embraced cultural diversity. The patients I interact with on a daily basis come from all over the world. Having had the opportunity to live in several countries has served me in good stead for this position because it has enabled me to hone my ability to interact with people of varied ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Most importantly, it has allowed me to be more culturally sensitive and to build strong ties to the communities I serve. That being said, I am grateful for evolving in a professional environment that embraces my passion and enriches my daily experience.