As a health screening nurse in Evergreen’s Sexual Health and Testing program, Megan Bhatti is on the front lines of patient care. In our latest Team Evergreen interview, she talks to us about the Harm Reduction model that meets Evergreen patients where they are in life and the passion for people and community that drives her professionally and personally. w Can you tell us a bit about the Sexual Health and Testing program and how someone can access its services? At Evergreen, we offer walkin and by-appointment screening and testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis C. We’ll also treat anybody with an STI or STD and link people who are diagnosed with HIV to Primary Care and other health services. If they are diagnosed with hepatitis C, we refer them to Evergreen’s hepatitis C care and treatment program. w How did you decide on a career in nursing? For my first bachelor’s degree, I studied Spanish, actually. After I graduated, I knew I wanted to do something different. So, I joined the Mercy Volunteer Corps and spent two years in Georgetown, Guyana, which, ironically, is the only English-speaking country in South America. There, I worked at an orphanage for boys and at an HIV clinic, which put in my head the idea of becoming a nurse. But I had been planning to go to graduate school for student personnel administration. So, I came back to the U.S. and did that instead. From there, I started working in a healthcare setting as a grant writer at Jericho Road Community Health Center. It was only then that I started to take night classes to see if I could hack it in the nursing world. I ended up going to University at Buffalo for an accelerated bachelor’s degree in the nursing program. Long story short, I became a nurse after trying about 82 other things first. Just kidding! Sort of… w That’s quite a journey. Did you join Evergreen straight out of nursing school? No. I was working full-time at a hospital when I decided I
needed a change. I knew that I wanted to be in the community and wanted to be somewhere where I was making a difference. That’s when I found out Evergreen was hiring a hepatitis C adherence nurse, which ended up being my first job with the organization. A friend of mine was Evergreen’s director of Substance Use Services at the time, and after she gave me the rundown on Evergreen, I knew it was someplace that I could really fall in love with. When they offered me the job, I said yes immediately. w What was it that so definitively sold you on a career at Evergreen? I love that it is about meeting patients where they are in their health life and their social life and their emotional life. It matches my personal set of values. w Now that you’ve been with Evergreen for almost three years, what would you say makes it a great organization to work for? The people we serve are amazing. They create this space where people want to come to work, want to serve. My coworkers are also phenomenal. I look forward to seeing them every day because I know I’m never going to laugh as hard as I do with them. The community of support is unbelievable. Everybody here has a similar mentality, a similar spirit and a similar passion for people — especially for people who are typically underserved in the community and marginalized by other parts of the community. v What is the most challenging aspect of your work? Positive diagnoses, especially HIV and hepatitis C, are very difficult to deliver. It’s not at all a death sentence like it used to be, but it’s still fighting the stigma. It’s the challenge of diagnosing someone with the stigma of having the disease, which is the hardest part to fight, I think. w If you had to describe Evergreen in one word, which word would you choose? Irreplaceable. This organization is a unique institution in our city and in our country. I don’t think there’s any organization that can do exactly what we do the way we do it. And I think it’s
an institution that people in the community look to for advice and for strength, especially during these tumultuous times. It’s an irreplaceable service to many people. w What is it about the way Evergreen provides services that makes it so remarkable? It’s our Harm Reduction model. We meet people where they are in their life, whether it’s a person who has diabetes who isn’t ready to give up sweets or a person who is using heroin who’s not ready to completely quit. In a case like that, we would try to educate that person on using in a safer way, for example. It’s about learning how to get to your next best place. I don’t think a lot of organizations have that kind of individualized approach. w It sounds like a very rewarding but at times stressful work environment. What keeps you busy outside of work, and what do you do to decompress from the challenges of your day? I’m actually in school to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner. So, school takes up a lot of my time. And I’m recently married. My spouse is an amazing chef and an amazing partner. He is the light of my life. I also love paper and mosaic crafts. There is a group of us from work that get together to make a craft for whatever month or whatever holiday is coming up. It’s really fun. I have a little paper craft I made in my office that’s in the shape of Buffalo with a heart next to it, because I love this city. w What do you love most about it? The people. The people in Buffalo are amazing. There’s not one day that I couldn’t get my car out of my driveway that somebody in my apartment complex wasn’t willing to help push me out. It’s going to the store and running into three or four people that you already know or just a smile from somebody who lives down the street. I think that those are things that make Buffalo what it is. w We agree; there’s no place like Buffalo. Thanks, Megan, for chatting with us and for everything you do for our patients!
Connections
APRIL APRIL 2 | Autism Awareness Day APRIL 3 | Lailat al Miraj APRIL 8 | Buddha Day APRIL 12 | LGBTQ Day of Silence APRIL 14 | Ram Navami APRIL 14 | Palm Sunday APRIL 19-27 | Passover APRIL 20 | Lailat al Bara'a APRIL 21 | Easter APRIL 22 | Earth Day APRIL 28 | Orthodox Easter
celebrate diversity! April is Celebrate Diversity Month, started in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all. By celebrating our differences and similarities we will achieve a deeper understanding of each other. April is also Autism Awareness Month, established to raise awareness about the developmental disorder that affects children’s development of social and communication skills.
Connections
In college, a friend stole and hid my mattress, but made my bed to look like it was still there. I got back from class and launched myself onto my bed (a bunk bed!) and hit nothing but slats. — Rachel VoelkleKuhlmann
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Mom got a letter from my elementary school saying I was being suspended for smoking.
She was already on the phone to my dad at work before she noticed the signature: Sister Mary April Fool. — John Carocci v When I was a kid the pipes burst in our kitchen and gross dirty brown water was spewing from the sink. I convinced my youngest sister that dad had installed an iced tea machine and got her to take a big drink from it. Or, several years ago a fellow Evergreen employee had a glass jar with slips of paper with compliments written on them. When you were having a bad day you could go to her desk and take out a compliment. One day I quietly slipped a bunch of insults in the jar and waited. It took a couple days but once people started pulling insults out instead of compliments it was fun to sit back and watch chaos ensue as coworkers accused each other of being the culprit. — Rob Baird
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In college
I was responsible for my dorm building’s e-newsletter, and every week I included a link to a cute video or picture of animals at the end. For April Fool’s I renamed the hyperlink title in the email and disabled the video preview, and managed to successfully RickRoll all 80 residents in my building. — Emma Hathaway
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A Alicia Coulter
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A Amanda Beals
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A Amy Usiak
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A Andon Ticco
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A Andrea Ace
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A Carrie Rich
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A Charles Smith
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A Chris Banks
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A Christina Radice
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A Christine Marrano
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A Corinne Miosi
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A Daniele Verzelloni
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A David Setlock
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A Ekua Mends-Aidoo
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Erika Szymanski
A Kimberly Clarke
A Teresa Lane
Felissha Humphries
A Kristen O'Connor
A Theresa Woehrel
Gerrod Bennett
A Kristy Mangel
A Rachel Parrino
Gianna Puckett
A Kyle Berberich
A Rachel Voelkle-Kuhlmann
Gloria Kornowski
A Linda Colburn
A Ray Ganoe
Helene Cacciato
A Matthew Crehan Higgins
A Renee VanAernam
Jacob Marsh
A Meg Bhatti
A Rob Baird
Jenna Gallitto
A Melissa Gulino
A Rose Serrano
Jennifer DeMarsh
A Melissa Murray
A Sal Sciandra
Jennifer Halper
A Michael Canty
A Sam Gaerte
Jesse Gasbarro
A Mike Lee
A Sashira Quintana
Jillian Dagastino
A Natalie Gerdy
A Shelby Arena
Jillian Fanning
A Natalie Jackson
A Suzanne Weessies
Jorge Heredia
A Norma Bocanegra
Justin Azzarella
A Taleha Ojeda
Kayleen Coleman
A Tamarie Novo
Connections We're excited to announce a great series of trainings Evergreen will host through the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute. These trainings will be held in the Evergreen Commons Sanctuary and you can register online through the AIDS Institute. Please contact Jocelyn Leising, employee engagement specialist, with any questions.
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MAY 8 | Motivational Interviewing (beginner) JUNE 25 | Motivational Interviewing (intermediate/advanced) APRIL 16 | Promoting Primary Care and Treatment Adherence AUGUST 8-9 | HIV Navigation Services APRIL 5 | ½ Day Health Literacy AUGUST 22 | Introduction to HIV/STI/Viral Hepatitis SEPTEMBER 17 | Trauma Informed Care 101
FYI | It’s the time of year to start filling out your Conflict of Interest form and additional policy acknowledgments! Watch for further communications soon.
April 2019
Publisher/Layout John Carocci
Copy Editor Amy Usiak
Contributors Tia Johnson Jocelyn Leising Melissa Delgado David Haefner, Esq. Block Club Connections is the official monthly newsletter for the employees and Board members of the Evergreen Association and its affilliates (aka you). Please send us your story ideas, photos, feedback, or just a friendly hello to Evergreen Connections via Outlook. Thank you!
Congratulations to Maria Cruz and Grant Rogers, who have completed the Evergreen Manager's Training Program!
Health Homes of Upstate New York (HHUNY) has kicked off the HHUNY’s Heroes program to recognize the excellent work care coordinators do for and with clients on a daily basis. Two care coordinators will be selected each quarter from those nominated to be honored at the quarterly hub meeting. Evergreen's Alecia Klein was one of the first winners chosen. Theresa Shankland told Connections that nominations are based on "outstanding commitment and dedication working with a member and/or family to achieve positive outcomes". Congratulations Alecia, and thank you Theresa for the photo!
Birthdays Eva Baez.......................................April 1 Erin Fleckenstein..........................April 2 Rosemary Roche...........................April 3 Gideon Belin.................................April 5 Heidi Buesink................................April 6 Margaret Cosmann........................April 7 Dale Kingston...............................April 7 Laurie Matson...............................April 7 Paula Brudo-Jurek.........................April 8 Julie Rapp.....................................April 9 Roy Golia......................................April 10 Kelly Craig....................................April 11 Melissa Mayhew............................April 11 Jessica Glaser................................April 12 Renee Hartson..............................April 13 Nicole Dommer.............................April 13 Ashleigh Brown.............................April 13 Michele Messina...........................April 14 Ruby Orcutt..................................April 15 Taylor Ingram...............................April 16 Maria LoTempio............................April 17 John Argo......................................April 17 Melissa Talbett..............................April 19 Kristen Bechdel.............................April 19 Elise Robinson..............................April 19 Brooke Monaghan.........................April 20 Cameron Schraufstetter.................April 21 Andrea Ace...................................April 21 Kimberly Harding.........................April 23 Jorge Heredia................................April 23 Elijah Jimerson.............................April 25 Alex McGann................................April 25 Marielena Camacho......................April 25 Kaily Golba...................................April 29
Carinne Medley.............................April 29 Khristopher Decker.......................April 29 Jamie Keuck..................................April 29 Cherrell King................................April 30 Jacob Cole.....................................April 30
Anniversaries Nicholas Azzopardi........................1 year Josephine Rivera...........................1 year Jenna Gallitto................................1 year
An extraordinary fleet of twelve historic Tall Ships from across the United States, Canada, Spain and the South Pacific will visit Buffalo's waterfront from July 4-7. Enjoy live
Gideon Belin.................................1 year Eva Baez.......................................1 year Taylor Ingram...............................1 year Alecia Klein..................................1 year Gaia Oliver....................................1 year Dina Gorzynski..............................1 year Stefanie Warnick...........................1 year Jacob Cole.....................................2 years Gary Nigro....................................2 years Carinne Medley.............................2 years
entertainment, exhibits, food and beverages for all ages at this FREE festival, open to the public
Jennifer DeMarsh..........................2 years Gloria Kornowski..........................2 years Ryan Trubits..................................2 years Michael Blasdell............................3 years Tamara Strong...............................3 years
(Passport tickets are required to board the Tall
Charles Hunt.................................3 years
Ships). You can purchase tickets at Wegmans or
Julie Falk.......................................5 years
online at PortofCallBuffalo.org.
Connections
Kimberly Brown............................5 years Ian Schunk....................................5 years Michael Lee..................................6 years Katherine Kawa.............................6 years Jacquelyn Dixon............................7 years Matthew John Pasquarella.............16 years Toni Hernandez............................23 years
A group for all employees interested in contributing to a sustainable environment at Evergreen and who want to explore best practices for reducing our environmental footprint. This group meets the third Thursday, every other month with the next meeting on May 9. Please contact Bekah Russell (rrussell@evergreenhs.org) for more info. Be on the lookout for a survey we'll be sending out to see how green your area is, and what we can do to improve. Also, check into the staff lounge on Earth Day, April 22nd to share your tips on staying green!