Archive for category: Employee Spotlight

We are very excited to highlight one of our most valuable assets, our employees! Each month, get to know the HPC team in a fun, new way.

Name:  Kierra Calico, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FNP-C

Department: Medical

Title: Family Nurse Practitioner

Primary work location: Olathe

How long have you worked at HPC?  

I started at HPC in April of 2022.

How did you get into your field of work?

I had worked as a nurse for eight years and loved it, but the follow up and health promotion was missing for me. Now that I am a nurse practitioner, I am able to focus more on that!

Do you speak any other languages? If yes, which ones?

No. I can understand some Spanish but cannot speak fluently. I want to learn though!

Do you have a favorite quote? If yes, what is it?

“If you are going to pray, don’t worry. If you worry, don’t pray.”

What values are important to you?

Values that are important to me are family, faith, integrity, kindness and loyalty.

What is something about you that would surprise people?

I lived in South Korea for two years.

What is on your “bucket” list?

I would love to travel around the world, become bilingual in Spanish and join a sorority.

What is your favorite food?

Mexican food is my favorite!

What is your favorite movie?

“Sister Act 2”

What is your favorite hobby?

My favorite hobbies are spending time with my family, taking naps, watching reality TV and shopping.

Are you an animal lover?  If yes, how many pets do you have and what kind are they?

I did not grow up with pets but I would like to get a dog so that my daughter has one to grow up with.

We are very excited to highlight one of our most valuable assets, our employees! Each month, get to know the HPC team in a fun, new way.

Name: Marlene Guzman

Department: Patient Services

Title: Patient Services Representative

Primary work location: Olathe

How long have you worked at HPC?  

I’ve worked at HPC for a couple of months.

How did you get into your field of work?

I was looking for a career change.

Do you speak any other languages? If yes, which ones?

Yes, I speak Spanish.

Do you have a favorite quote? If yes, what is it?

“Just keep swimming.” -Dory

What values are important to you?

I value treating others the same way that I would like to be treated.

What is something about you that would surprise people?

I guess how funny I can be.

What is on your “bucket” list?

I would like to travel to Greece and Egypt.

What is your favorite food?

I love all kinds of food!

What is your favorite movie?

“The Notebook” is my favorite movie.

What is your favorite hobby?

My favorite hobbies include spending time with my family, shopping, coloring and reading.

Are you an animal lover?  If yes, how many pets do you have and what kind are they?

I am an animal lover!  I have two dogs.

We are very excited to highlight one of our most valuable assets, our employees! Each month, get to know the HPC team in a fun, new way.

Name: Thao Le, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Department: Behavioral Health

Title:  Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Primary work location: Olathe

How long have you worked at HPC?  

I started at HPC on June 28, 2022.

How did you get into your field of work?

For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to help others. I was first exposed to the field of mental health when a family member of mine experienced a brief psychotic episode when I was in high school. This sparked my interest, and due to personal experiences with my own mental health, I sought to become a provider who could treat the very same conditions.

Do you speak any other languages? If yes, which ones?

I am Vietnamese but do not speak the Vietnamese language well. I plan to take classes in the future to learn to read/write/speak Vietnamese.

Do you have a favorite quote? If yes, what is it?

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” – Audrey Hepburn

What values are important to you?

Values that are important to me are integrity, compassion, altruism and self-reliance.

What is something about you that would surprise people?

I am an introvert.

What is on your “bucket” list?

I’d like to run a marathon.

What is your favorite food?

My favorite food is cheese.

What is your favorite movie?

One of my favorite movies is “The Artist.”

What is your favorite hobby?

My favorite hobbies include running, hiking, biking and playing video games.

Are you an animal lover?  If yes, how many pets do you have and what kind are they?

Yes! I have two cats named Buya and Kyo. Buya is a domestic short-haired calico, and Kyo is a domestic short-haired orange tabby. They are both rescues, and I love them as much as I would my own child.

Editor’s Note: In celebration of 30 years of providing quality, affordable and accessible health care, we are profiling three individuals who have graciously shared their story about their connection with the clinic. Enjoy the third and final profile.

Martin Bennett, Former HPC Patient and Board Member

Martin Bennett’s journey alongside Health Partnership Clinic (HPC) began as a patient, proceeded as a board member and continues as a strong advocate.

Feeling symptoms of his own not long after moving from Sioux City, Iowa to Edgerton, Kan. to care for his aging parents in the early 2000s, Bennett was referred to HPC by his father’s doctor. He established care and was soon diagnosed with psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.

So impressed by the care he received by HPC’s providers and support staff, he answered with a resounding “Yes” when asked to serve on the HPC Board of Directors. “What they did for me over six to eight years, at free or minimal charge, the least I could do was to help them,” Bennett says. “They did things for me that I never could have expected.”

As a board member, he engaged with other HPC patients and stakeholders to guide the HPC mission of providing high-quality, affordable, accessible and culturally appropriate care to all individuals regardless of ability to pay. As a Federally Qualified Health Center — typically a community-based provider of primary care to the underserved — HPC and similar organizations receive federal funding and are required to have 51 percent patient representation on their boards.

Having served as a board member for six prior years of strong HPC growth including expansion to Paola and Ottawa, Bennett has been quick to “pay it forward” when he speaks of how his HPC experience can benefit others. While working in the logistics industry, he was quick to refer uninsured associates to HPC. Many were either part or full-time who worked at warehouses fulfilling orders for name-brand or internet-based companies. They often struggled with English and didn’t have a regular primary care provider, just as Bennett didn’t years earlier.

“My primary care doctor at HPC was the best doctor I ever had,” Bennett reflects. “I have nothing but good things to say about HPC. My patient experience was excellent, from both a provider and staff perspective.”

On our 30th anniversary, HPC is both proud to have served Martin Bennett as a patient and appreciative of his service as an HPC board member.

We are very excited to highlight one of our most valuable assets, our employees! Each month, get to know the HPC team in a fun, new way.

Name:  Veronica Flores

Department: Administration

Title: Manager of Patient Services

Primary work location: Olathe

How long have you worked at HPC?  

I’ve worked at HPC for seven years and seven months.

How did you get into your field of work?

I brought my daughters in for a dental appointment and after that, I came in myself. I felt the need to apply at HPC because I love the mission.

Do you speak any other languages? If yes, which ones?

Yes, I speak Spanish.

Do you have a favorite quote? If yes, what is it?

“If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they’re yours; if they don’t they never were.”

What values are important to you?

Values that are important to me are family, loyalty, humility, compassion and spirituality.

What is something about you that would surprise people?

I became a grandma before I turned 40 and I don’t know how to swim, but I love the beach.

What is on your “bucket” list?

It has always been on my bucket list to go on a cruise but after COVID, I am considering other options.

What is your favorite food?

Mexican food is my favorite. I could eat stuffed peppers every day.

What is your favorite movie?

“My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “Pretty Woman” are my favorite movies.

What is your favorite hobby?

I love traveling, I wish I could do it more often. I also love spending time with my family.

Are you an animal lover?  If yes, how many pets do you have and what kind are they?

I don’t have any pets. As a child I was afraid of dogs and cats, so I never had one. I have a fish if that counts.