Every day, Signify Health physician assistants (PAs) make a difference in the lives of health plan members. Throughout the month of October, we’re highlighting just a few of the PAs who go above and beyond to meet people where they are, close gaps in care and put members on the path to wellness.
Students nicknamed her “football player.” Sleeping with the brace was difficult and uncomfortable. But worst of all, her dream to Bollywood dance was crushed by her scoliosis diagnosis.
“I hit rock bottom,” Amy said. “I told my dad, ‘I don't think I can live with this brace anymore.’ Being in high school with peer pressure, having to come home, do my homework in this and sleep like I'm sleeping on a hard rock — it was pretty miserable and affected my social life and self-esteem.”
But Amy persevered. Her scoliosis improved and at 18 she no longer needed the brace. She went on to graduate and found a new dream: to follow in her gastroenterologist brother’s footsteps and work in medicine.
For four years, she worked as an emergency medical technician while paying off her graduate degree in public health. Then she was admitted into a physician assistant (also known as a physician associate or PA) program. To pay her deposit, she also worked at the Nassau County District Attorney’s office in New York helping with medical malpractice cases.
Amy is now a PA at Signify Health where she’s worked for over a year. She uses her own experiences to help members every day.
“When I started this job, I felt like a lot of the members listened to me when I told them my personal experience,” Amy said. “That goes a long way with members.”
The In-Home Health Evaluations (IHEs) can help ease members’ stress over their own health, Amy said.
For example, performing a hemoglobin A1c test, which measures blood sugar, puts critical information into the member’s hands without requesting an appointment with their primary care doctor, she said.
“What I gather from a lot of these visits is that they often spend more time with us than with their primary care doctor (PCP),” Amy said. “That's something that we should be proud of, that we're filling gaps that may be missed.”
She visits members with many health complications and helps them identify what they need to lead a healthier and more independent life. She has helped members get bars in their showers for safety and detect the early signs of cognitive decline or social isolation just by being in their home, she said.
Amy’s most powerful way to advocate for members is by sharing her own past experiences to connect with and educate members.
At 25, she was diagnosed with shingles. She attributed all the stress and long hours to triggering an outbreak of the disease.
“A lot of stressful events were happening,” Amy said. “I went from one master's to another one in two weeks and I definitely learned my lesson with work-life balance and self-care. I try to relate that a lot to the members. You know, you should get your shingles vaccine.”
During a recent IHE, Amy recalls the member annoyingly directing her where to park on his driveway. He was rushed and trying to get the IHE over with, she said.
Amy shared stories about her own background and the member opened up to her. As she left, he left her with a touching message.
“He said ‘I work at this car store. If you ever need anything in town for your car, please come out and ask for me,” Amy said.
She credits this positive interaction and hundreds of others she’s had to her motto of letting go of any pride.
“I always try to put myself in the person's shoes, and then look and learn from a different lens,” Amy said. “I try to treat them as my own family member or grandparent.”
Today, Amy dances regularly, mostly Zumba but she also mixes in Bollywood. She dances to relieve stress but sometimes still feels the effect of shingles when she’s very stressed. She still uses her experience today to help inform members.
Are you a clinician interested in helping health plan members gain a more comprehensive view of their health? To learn more about opportunities with Signify Health, visit our Clinical Careers page.
Reference to Signify Health herein refers to Signify Health, LLC and its contracted independent physician owned entities to which it provides administrative services, including Signify Health Medical Associates, PLLC; Brookview Medical Associates, PLLC; Signify Health Medical Associates of California, P.C.; Signify Health Medical Associates of New Jersey, LLC; and Signify Health Medical Associates of Kansas, LLC.