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Patchogue, NY – HRHCare Community Health, a nonprofit system of Federally Qualified Health Centers offering a range of medical services for underserved communities throughout the Hudson Valley and Long Island, is pleased to announce that Maria Pabon, a phlebotomist at the HRHCare Health Center at Patchogue, will be presented with the March 2016 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.
Maria Pabon has been a dedicated worker in the medical field for nearly 12 years but has been a part of the HRHCare family in Patchogue for a little over a year. Not only known to patients for her dedicated service as a phlebotomist, Maria also has a reputation for being an incredible listener and a source of sound advice. She also extends this compassion to her fellow employees, often covering for her colleagues in an emergency and coming to work early or on a weekend whenever she is needed. Maria always makes sure that the Patchogue lab can remain open the maximum number of hours, even staffing it alone if need be. After HRHCare welcomed the Health Center at Patchogue into its network of care in 2014, Maria saw a positive reaction from patients and an increase in the quality of care provided. “What separates HRHCare from other health care providers is its location in the heart of the community and our quality of care,” said Maria. “While the health care industry is growing, so are the numbers of our patients who need care. It is so important that we are there for them.” When she is not serving HRHCare patients, Maria enjoys spending time with her family and catching up on Netflix. She also donates her time on the Saturdays she is not at the Health Center to her church, cooking for and feeding the homeless in her community.
“Maria has consistently worked to cover for other employees in the lab, coming in on her days off or early in the morning,” said Dorothy Ruhs, Nurse Manager at the HRHCare Health Center at Patchogue. “She does this frequently with very little notice and always with a smile. I’m sure that everyone who knows and works with Maria would agree that she is most deserving of this award.”
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.
About HRHCare
HRHCare (Hudson River HealthCare, Inc.) is a nonprofit, New York State licensed, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Founded 40 years ago to provide care to the medically underserved population of Peekskill, New York, HRHCare is now one of the nation’s largest community health providers. From the Capitol Region to the East-end of Long Island, HRHCare’s network of 26 health centers provides affordable, accessible care to more than 135,000 patients through 500,000 visits annually. Our more than 350 primary care practitioners and 700 specialists and support staff have made HRHCare a destination for high-quality and compassionate care for all.
As HRHCare has grown it has retained its core values of community and compassion. Excelling in patient care, HRHCare provides comprehensive services to anyone who walks through our doors. HRHCare’s health centers provide primary and preventative treatment including adult and pediatric care; obstetrical and gynecological care; family planning; HIV counseling, testing, and referral; dental services; mental health counseling; nutrition counseling; podiatry; WIC services; health education; and a full complement of outreach, translation, transportation, benefits counseling and health insurance enrollment assistance.
HRHCare has a profound commitment to the communities it serves and works to improve community health through partnerships and collaborations with local community leaders, businesses, social service agencies, housing organizations, food banks, agricultural worker alliances and other local stakeholders. HRHCare believes if it wants to ensure quality care for its patients, it should ensure quality pay for its staff, which is why it provides a minimum living wage of $15 an hour for all employees
For more information contact:
Jeffrey Palmer
Public Relations Specialist
914.425.0890
jpalmer@hrhcare.org
