Sometimes a simple word of encouragement is all we need to get to where we are supposed to be in life. Yessenia Angulo, an Integrated Health Service Assistant and Interpreter at our Baseline Clinic, has her dad’s encouragement to thank for the career path she has chosen.

“My dad has been there for me from day one,” Yessenia shared. “He has shown me what it means to be responsible and has encouraged me to focus on college to one day be able to support my children.”

A mom of two girls, 7-year old Victoria and 2-year old Sophia, Yessenia chose to pursue a career in healthcare because her dad was diagnosed with diabetes and her mom with high blood pressure.

“Their diagnosis sort of pushed me into healthcare,” she shared. “I wanted to be able to learn about the conditions my parents were affected with and I wanted to be able to help them and the entire community.”

When Yessenia graduated from Anthem College she joined the Mountain Park team. Five years ago she began working at our Baseline Clinic as a Medical Assistant. She felt at home from the beginning because she recognized people from her neighborhood.

“I live in the area so it really hit close to home,” she shared. “I know people in the community and see them every day. It makes me happy to come to work and be able to help my neighbors and family.”

Yessenia—a Spanish speaker—wanted to take her language skills to the next level and perfect her medical terminology, so she enrolled in our 80-hour Spanish Bilingual Program offered through Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

“I wanted to be able to connect with our Hispanic patients and be more of a help to them,” Yessenia said. “That is why I chose to learn more about the interpreter program Mountain Park offered.”

“Yessenia is a talented interpreter,” said Barbara Hare, Behavioral Health Manager. “She is good at matching the tone and mood of the person she is interpreting for. She has learned her role quickly and is efficient at her job. We are all excited to have her on our team.”

Although Yessenia’s patients come from many different backgrounds, she treats them all the way she would treat her family. Her way of treating everyone starts by making them feel at home.

“It’s important for me to have the patient trust me,” she said. “If you build trust through open communication, the patient is more willing to talk to you about what they are dealing with.”

When Yessenia isn’t at the clinic she loves spending time with her husband Sabastian—who she met in high school—and their two daughters.

“We like to keep it low-key,” she said. “We enjoy going to the park, the movies and family parties. We also travel to Mexico a lot.”

Yessenia loves working at Mountain Park because to her it’s like a second home. She is thankful for the opportunity she has been given to advance her career and looks forward to what her future holds.

For more information, please email info@mphc-az.org