Coram LPN Wins Planetree Spirit Award for Excellence in Patient Care

HRHCare Community Health is pleased to announce that Ana Abarca, LPN, has been presented with a Planetree Spirit Award for excellence in patient care. The HRHCare Planetree Institute presents these awards to employees who go above and beyond to make health care more personalized and create a warm and welcoming environment for all.
After working in a nursing home with patients with Alzheimer’s disease for 15 years, Ana Abarca joined the HRHCare family at our Elsie Owens Health Center at Coram in August of 2012. The patience, perseverance and compassion she cultivated during her health care career have been very apparent in how she communicates with and assists her patients and fellow providers. Always with a smile, Ana has gone out of her way to assist new staff members, teaching them the ins-and-outs of eClincialWorks and patient flow, and reminding them that “once, we were all new too.” She makes sure each patient receives every kind of care they may need, assisting them in getting screenings and follow-up appointments in a timely manner and connecting them with other providers and social workers. “The most important thing our patients need is education,” said Ana. “It is so important for them to understand how medical care affects their lives. We also need make our patients feel like somebody really cares about them by identifying the needs of each individual and providing the best care possible.” In her spare time, Ana enjoys music, literature and spending time with her two granddaughters. She is also very active with the food pantry and Bible study groups at her church.
“Ana exhibits responsibility, accountability and great patient satisfaction,” said Bernadette Brachio, RN, Nurse Manager at the Elsie Owens Health Center at Coram. “I am very thankful to have her here to teach, mentor and care for the staff and patients at Elsie Owens.”
Planetree is the global leader in advancing patient-centered care solutions, integrating the technology of modern medicine with the healing dimensions of compassion, comfortable surroundings, shared knowledge and freedom to make educated choices. HRHCare has been an affiliate since 1996 and remains the only Federally Qualified Health Center to be a part of this alliance. The HRHCare Planetree Institute was established in 2012 and provides state-of-the-art training to prepare staff in delivering passionate and personalized care. The HRHCare Planetree Spirit Award honors employees who have been nominated by their colleagues for going above and beyond to provide individualized patient care and enhance health care services in their respective facility.