Uncategorized – Vivo Infusion Therapy

Team Member Spotlight – Stacy Franklin

Our last several spotlight features have centered around our talented Clinical Staff. This spotlight is the first time we are featuring a Team Member who sits outside of the clinic, but whose work has a tremendous positive impact on our patients and their experience with Vivo Infusion.

Meet Stacy Franklin!

Stacy is a Patient Resource Specialist II, working from her home in Texas, supporting teams across multiple clinics.

Stacy has always had a passion for helping others. She is a caregiver by nature and is looked to for support from family and friends. Stacy says, “I knew after high school that I wanted to get into healthcare. I wanted to be the one for my family who could answer questions.” She originally started out in Oncology. She discovered that she wanted to be able to spend more meaningful time with patients and wanted to make a real connection. Stacy recognized quickly that some people “just need someone to talk to, even if it’s just frustration” they are facing. She has been a key resource in finding patients financial solutions and resources.

When Stacy came to Vivo she realized she was able to be more open with patients and take the time necessary to better serve them, making a real connection, and helping them find the support they need. Stacy says, “It’s a good feeling to know you helped somebody else.” She goes on to say that patients can feel like they don’t have, or are out of, options. That is when Stacy and the PROs team shine. They find solutions and financial alternatives, and they help patients get on track with treatment.

Dawn James, Stacy’s manager, recognizes the value she brings to the Patient Services Department (formerly known as the Revenue Operations Team). Dawn says, “Stacy is passionate about patients as well as the PRO Team, and this shows in her work daily. Stacy goes above and beyond to assist our patients, and our team with education and training. Stacy is dedicated.”

Stacy is inspired by her family and through helping others. Before she graduated as a Medical Assistant, she started work in family practice working with autistic children. She loves kids!

Focusing on family has kept her going and made it possible for her to juggle kids, school, and work. Stacy has had her share of unforeseen challenges. In 2006, her dog woke her up to flames over her bed. Waking up in a burning house was a very scary moment in her life. It also helped open her eyes to what was really important in life – helping others.

2019 was a big year for Stacy. She got married and she became an ordained minister. Her advice to others is to find your passion. Find your passion and “keep going…don’t let things stand in your way.”

Some other interesting things to know about Stacy:

Stacy is expecting her second child, a little girl, in early to mid-November.
She is a Native Texan and has over 100 cousins.
Her grandmother is her biggest influence and motivator in her life – she passed 2 years ago. Her grandmother’s words to her echo still, “You got this. Things will fall into place”.
Stacy spends time outside of work volunteering, helping the homeless, and serving her community.
Teaches historical dance to youth around the DFW area and performed in the Fort Worth Parade on Juneteenth.
Unwinds with game night and karaoke.

According to the department’s Director, Celestina Kubicki, Stacy has been a valuable asset to Patient Services since day one (starting in 2018). Celestina says of Stacy, “(she) is dedicated to her team and the overall success of the department. Her dedication is on full display each and every day in her interactions with the team and the patients we serve…She is greatly appreciated for the training and education that she provides.”

Thank you, Stacy, for all that you do to help our patients in their journey; in easing their fears, bringing them solutions, and for lending an ear when they need it most.

Team Member Spotlight – Jasmine Glover

This week we are shining our spotlight on Jasmine Glover!

Jasmine is a Clinical Service Specialist in New Jersey at our Cherry Hill location. Jasmine joined our team earlier this year and since then, she has been going non-stop!

To say that Jasmine wears a lot of hats would be an understatement. When she started, we were still doing lots of work transitioning the iCPA team into Vivo. Change was the name of the game. There was turnover, systems changes, and lots of moving parts. Jasmine is a great example of how so many of our CSS team members just jump in, roll up their sleeves, and get things done. She was able to work through tech issues early on and after getting her feet underneath her, has proven to be a solid performer that others reach out to for assistance and support. She went from just trying to stay afloat at the beginning as the only CSS, to now being one of six CSS team members in the area. She has seen the team grow and innovate, saying, “I’ve seen lots of improvement since I started…everything they said they would do and work on, has been done; they (the team) have delivered.”

Daneen Kressley, Clinic Manager and Jasmine’s immediate supervisor says, “Jasmine has consistently exceeded expectations and her attitude towards her job is admirable. She is a person who always goes the extra mile for her coworkers and clinic patients. She is a wonderful representative of Vivo and good customer service is essential to retention and our positive word-of-mouth advertising; Jasmine has all the qualities that we should model for this role. She has shown excellent initiative when problem-solving, always coming to the table with innovative solutions, and strives to embody the Vivo core values and the culture of niceness among her peers. She has been a lead and mentor to her fellow team members and has worked with leadership to tailor our Clinical Service Specialist training across Pennsylvania and New Jersey to individually meet the needs of each person who onboards with us. She always gives credit where credit is due and has grown with Vivo in her short tenure to prove that she is a rising star!”

Jasmine has her Master’s in Public Health from Rutgers School of Public Health. She shifted her educational focus after starting with Vivo because she likes the clinical aspect that nursing brings, and this exposure has opened her eyes to pursuing a Ph.D. in either Public Health or to pursuing an MSN program. Before coming to Vivo, Jasmine did case investigations for COVID-19 at Cooper Hospital. It was extremely busy, and it gave her exposure to being on phone calls with patients. She did this for 3 ½ years and she was handling about 400 calls a day. Jasmine has grown so much in a short time with Vivo and she continues to look to the horizon for new challenges. She is assisting Dr. Robert Singh with clinical trials for MS patients, on top of her commitment to continued education.

Jasmine acknowledges the work can be challenging, and highly rewarding. Jasmine keeps a fresh perspective and follows a philosophy that puts the patient first. She says, “A smile does change someone’s day. At every avenue, be kind,” and she approaches her work with the mentality and question, “What can we do to make it better for them (the patient)?”

Her advice to Vivo’s new team members is, “Don’t lose sight of why you’re here. Patient Care. Keep that at the forefront of your mind”. She asks us all to remember that the people we are treating are living with long-term life-impacting conditions. She says we can enjoy our jobs more by focusing on why we are here.

A few things about Jasmine that you won’t see on her resume:

She has a vast imagination and enjoys creating poetry and writing.
Her mother was a strong influence on her, even as a very young girl.
She is an optimist and uses visualization in her storytelling and creative approaches.
She is the youngest of 6 and lost her mother at a young age.
Because she lost her mother to cancer, an early career interest was oncology.

Jasmine says, “I feel privileged to have the team that I have.” The feeling is mutual. She attributes her success and drive to the team that surrounds her. A big shoutout to the NJ/PA CSS Team: Ashley Hunter, Nina Kaur, Erin Cofield, Denkera Chestnut, and Lynn Bannon; as well as a shoutout to the region’s very talented nursing team. Jasmine also credits the resilient and impressive leadership of Daneen Kressley and Debby Rowland. We are so grateful to you for all that you do.

Team Member Spotlight – Jerry Zuniga

This guy jumps out of airplanes!

It’s true. Well, he used to when he was on active duty in the Army. Meet Jerry Zuniga, one of our nurses who is part of our Valhalla, New York and Wilton, Connecticut infusion teams. Jerry is our latest Team Member Spotlight!

For 7 years Jerry served with the US Army as part of the 160^th Special Ops Aviation Regiment (SOAR); also known as the “Night Stalkers”. Jerry was a dedicated member of an elite team and has had numerous jumps – despite being terrified of heights. He was a parachute rigger, testing out and packing the chutes. Jerry served two deployments, both to Iraq.

Jerry is still elite in our books. Jerry takes pride in his nursing skills and special talents to manage the difficult sticks. Tracey Velo, Clinic Manager, and Jerry’s immediate supervisor says, “Jerry has been such a valuable contributor to our team. He shows up every day with a smile on his face, ready to seize the day! He has taken on the role of a mentor and resource for his peers. He works diligently to grow his knowledge as an infusion nurse and is always eager to take on new challenges and opportunities.”

Tracey goes on to say, “His positive mindset is contagious and helps create a work environment that is productive and enjoyable. Anytime we are faced with a challenge, he works to find the perfect solution. Most importantly, Jerry is patient-focused and loved by our patients. Even in the hustle and bustle of a busy day, Jerry always puts our patients’ needs first. He prioritizes building a trusting relationship with them and serving as a resource as they navigate their chronic illness.”

Jerry says that everything came around for him when he was in the service. This is when his career path became clear to him. He would ask himself, “What do I really want to do?” and his aspirations always came back to nursing. During his last 2 years in the military, he attended night school and pursued nursing. He got his degree at Pace University in Psychology and then attended an accelerated nursing program through Phillips School of Nursing Mount Sinai, graduating in 2019. He continued to hone his skills at White Plains Hospital. Before nursing school, he worked on the floor with patients in an ICU step-down unit, handling their care and gaining experience. COVID was spiking when he started at Hudson Valley Hospital in June of 2020. Jerry credits his hospital work experience as helping him increase his skills with IVs. He knew he wanted to be on the infusion team and made sure he positioned himself with every opportunity to learn and enhance this skill set. Ultimately, the team at CIVIC discovered him and recruited him, starting him out as Per Diem and ultimately making him full-time in 2021. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Jerry is very appreciative of the opportunity that the CIVIC team presented to him and “the chance they took on me as a new nurse”. His advice to other early career professionals is, “If there is something you don’t know, learn it. Rise to the challenge, and be open to something new.” Jerry’s motivation comes from his drive to be the best version of himself and to help patients with his skillset.

Some other interesting things to know about Jerry:

He was exposed to healthcare at an early age; at the age of 9, his younger brother, who was 6, suddenly passed away. Jerry’s younger brother was intellectually disabled, and Jerry looked after him.
Jerry loves science fiction and is a big fan of Dune (the book and the movie).
Jerry is also a big fan of author Anne Rice and is reading her Vampire series and Mayfair Witches series.
95% of the time, he can get the hard stick on the first try!
He has met and shook hands with President Obama.

Thank you, Jerry, for being so committed to our patients and to your team. You inspire us to keep learning, to keep growing, and to stay focused on what is meaningful.

Team Member Spotlight – Terranny Mclean

Meet Terranny Mclean!

Terranny is a Clinical Service Specialist who joined our team earlier this year. She was recently recognized by one of our Infusion Specialists, Gene Odom, who describes her as a “shining light” for him and for the patients. Terranny has had a positive impact on both the patients in the Dallas Clinic and the team there.
Gene shared that one of the patients in Dallas describes Terranny as the “young lady at the front desk who is just so sparkling”. The story goes a bit deeper. In Gene’s role, he is in constant contact with our referring providers and our partners in the community. He has a doctor’s office that from time to time has been known to be a bit challenging. The Office Manager there shared with Gene that they were reluctant to make referrals because we had removed a particular drug from our formulary. But just a couple of weeks ago, this Office Manager pulled Gene aside to tell the story of her mother who is a patient at our Dallas Clinic, and about Terranny, who has made all the difference in her experience. In fact, she describes Terranny as having a smile that warms her mother’s heart and calms her fears. She attends treatments with her mom and has seen Terranny’s stellar customer service skills in action.

Terranny grew up in Tennessee and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University. Her bachelor’s degree is in Political Science with a Pre-Law concentration. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She began her career in the legal profession as a legal assistant. After years of time in this arena, she decided it was time for a change and a new challenge. Terranny packed up her belongings and moved to Texas. She left the legal profession and moved into healthcare and found her new home with Vivo. Infusion was totally new to her.

Terranny prioritizes her day by always putting the patient first. After this, she completes the many other tasks she has as a CSS. She is passionate about working with people and points to her great teammates, Malia and Mary. Terranny acknowledges the work can be demanding. She shares that many times, patients come in and they are upset because they really don’t want to be there, but you can’t take that personally. Terranny reflects that if she were in the same position, she would probably feel that way too. She thinks it is important to make people feel comfortable and cared for; she is quick to lighten things up with a joke and to smile and laugh with others.

Her advice is to be patient with people. She says, “Don’t take things personally. Patients have a million other things going on. You never really know what’s going on with them.” Terranny acknowledges she is pretty introverted and usually stays to herself. But at work, she shines, and you would never know she is introverted at heart. Her positive impact on patients and caring touch is why we are shining a spotlight on her. Thank you Terranny and Dallas Team for all that you do!

Team Member Spotlight – Erica Garrett

Congratulations Erica Garrett!

Erica recently earned her BSN after 14 years working as an LVN. Erica is a member of our Texas team in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She originally started her career with Multispecialty Physician Partners (MPP) in October 2014 and has been on a course to increase her knowledge, skills, and credentials ever since. Erica decided the time was right to go back to school and obtain her RN license after her oldest son graduated from high school. She found a way to balance work schedules, schoolwork, and juggling the competing demands of being a single parent to finish this pursuit.

At an early age, Erica realized that she loved helping and caring for others when she found joy and ease in caring for her bedridden grandmother as a child. In her early career, she pursued the sciences and majored in biology because she had planned to become a pharmacist. After starting off on this path, she decided to change her focus to nursing. She started a family while continuing to take college courses and got her phlebotomy certificate to get things going. When she didn’t score high enough to get into nursing school after her first application, she didn’t let that stop her. That is when she went for her LVN, immediately applying to that program, and starting right away.

During COVID-19, clinical sites would not allow nursing students to come in for clinical practice. So, clinicals were delayed for Erica. But again, she didn’t let that stop her. She found an online program nursing school through the University of Arkansas that accepted all her nursing courses and, once again, Erica was back on track, pursuing her education and career goals. As Erica puts it, “If you have a passion for something – great! Let that motivate you to persevere to reach your goals.”

“I love my job because I love patient care…providing patients with the utmost, exceptional, and compassionate care as that experience assists in the healing process. I like working at Vivo because I like the fact that our treatments can change and heal our patient’s quality of life quickly.”

Wendy Roper, Erica’s Clinic Manager, APRN, FNP-C, shared, “Erica is an amazing nurse and coworker. Her love for patients is evident in the quality of care she gives our patients and their families. She is always calm, and flexible, and has an open mind when it comes to change or adversity. Her drive and continued commitment to her goals, no matter what comes her way, is to be admired.”

Her advice for others who want to pursue this field is to never give up on your dreams. Erica has already set her sights on pursuing her master’s degree – possibly in psychiatric nursing or family practice. She is inspired by women in leadership and those who have overcome and conquered the odds.

Some fun facts about Erica: She was a collegiate competitive volleyball player. She plays the clarinet, and she has been in a movie with Vivica Fox and Shemar Moore. Erica has also met Busta Rhymes. Erica and Wendy are ‘birthday twins’ sharing the same birthdate, including the birth year!