Meeting challenges head-on is something Ramon Peralta, a Vaccine Coordinator at our Tempe and Gateway clinics, has done his whole life. A self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie, Ramon never shies away from a good competition or obstacle.

“I love sports and being able to compete,” he said. “I have gone sky diving, been in the boxing ring, driven a Lamborghini, and still like getting out on my skateboard to play Pokémon Go.”

A new place to call home

Born in Nogales, Mexico, Ramon and his family moved to Nogales, Arizona right before he started kindergarten. Becoming a U.S. citizen a few years later at the age of 8 was a scary process, especially for a kid in elementary school.

“It was a whole year of going to different offices, lawyers, getting fingerprinted and crying because I wanted to go home,” he recalled.

However, as Ramon has gotten older he really appreciates everything his parents went through to make his citizenship a reality.

“With everything going on these days in regards to immigration laws and also knowing what a struggle it was for my parents, I’m so thankful for everything they have done for me,” he shared.

No words can ever describe how grateful I am for the fight they put in for our family to be able to live here in the United States.”

“Both of my sisters went through the program and almost all of my family is in the medical field,” he said. “It has turned into something really great for me. I love working in the medical field.”

Development of a Leader

Never afraid to step out of his comfort zone, Ramon started as the first male medical assistant in our Baseline Clinic’s Women’s Health department. He made a name for himself from the get-go as a personable coworker and a leader among his peers.

“When Ramon started in our Women’s Health department we were a little hesitant about having a male medical assistant. But the transition went so smoothly because of his personality, kindness and love for the job,” said Esther Urbieta, Medical Assistant Lead at our Baseline Women’s Health Clinic. “He built a great rapport with staff and patients and we were all sad when he moved to another role at Mountain Park.”

Taking on new challenges is second nature to Ramon, and he jumped at the opportunity when a Medical Assistant Lead position opened at our Tempe Clinic.

“I love helping people, whether it’s our patients or my co-workers,” he said. “A few of my team members encouraged me to apply for the lead position and I’m so glad I did. The new daily challenges are really what keep me going.”

“Ramon is the type of person that doesn’t let his title prevent him from building strong relationships with his team,” shared Alberto Mejia, Operations Manager at our Tempe Clinic. “I always know that any task he takes on will get taken care of the right way and in a timely manner.”

After working as a Medical Assistant Lead for a just over a year, Ramon took the next step in his career and is now the Vaccine Coordinator of our Gateway, Tempe and Christown clinics.

“I decided to take on this role because it is a new challenge for me and I felt like I was ready to learn something new,” he said. “I never want to miss out on an opportunity to learn. I’m excited to continue moving forward and see what else I can learn.”

Being able to use his many life experiences to relate to our staff and patients is a unique gift he has to offer. His pride in his work and being part of our team is evident in the way he carries out his work and how he talks about the services we provide.

“Mountain Park is constantly looking for ways to help everyone in our neighborhoods,” he said. “The attention to detail, the diversity of our staff and the emphasis on inclusiveness is really awesome. Being able to come together and make a connection with someone from another background is really special. It’s what being human is all about.”