Friday, December 1, 2017

#theVIPExperience Post #41: McKenzie Stauffer

I became part of the VIP family starting the spring rotation of 2017. I came into this experience with an excitement for serving my community that I held so dear, and having an opportunity to work in the field I love. I wasn’t sure where this journey with Crossroad was going to take me, but I can truly say it has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. I have loved having the chance to work with patients to help make their healthcare experience the easiest and smoothest possible. Being able to have the chance to experience the health care system, in a different experience than just shadowing has only strengthened my passion to pursue a career in medicine.

I started my first rotation shadowing Dr. Borchers at the West location. I had a remarkable experience shadowing her, and watching her interact with her patients and their families. It was an eye-opening experience to see how she interacted versus what I knew as a normal interaction with my primary care physician. I believe that is because of the community we live in, and I think all the patients here are lucky to have her and all the other providers giving care at Crossroad Health Center. While I don’t know most of the other providers throughout the Crossroad community, I believe that they are all as passionate about helping this community as Dr. Borchers is.

After my shadowing experience, while I could now see how amazing this organization is, I wasn’t exactly sure of how I fit in, and how my role would be beneficial to the patients. It wasn’t until the middle of my first rotation when I was on my own working on referrals, and I had a patient so overwhelmed with gratitude for what we do as VIP’s, that it truly hit me how important this position is. Ever since then, I have not taken for granted the opportunity that I have with this organization to help the community of Greater Cincinnati, even if it is as simple as scheduling a referral. I had to realize that while it may be easy for me to schedule something like this, it may be very difficult for others.

I am very thankful for the staff and other VIP’s throughout my entire experience, as I have been able to ask them for help, and to learn as much as I can to get the most out of the experience, and to best help the patients. My college experience would not have been the same without Crossroad and the community we serve. Now that I am in my second rotation, I am a referral team leader, and I feel very privileged to have the chance to be the person that others come to for help, and I can provide my help to make someone else’s experience as a VIP better.

                                                                                                          -- McKenzie Stauffer

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