This month, we celebrated all the strong, resilient, and diverse women in our lives!
Axis staff shared with us the female figures who inspired them to pursue a career in healthcare.
I always knew that I wanted to help people, but it was my aunt who really inspired me to go into the healthcare field. She worked as a nurse for many years and eventually went back to school to become a nutritionist. She would always keep pushing me to go into healthcare because she saw my passion for helping everyone around me and encouraged me to use that passion for good as she always did. I am so thankful for my aunt’s never-ending support and motivating me to keep working towards my goals of helping others and the community.
-Shelby Rovai, Clinic Manager
Dr. Christina Lee, my psychology professor, profoundly influenced my career choice in social work. Her patience and passion inspired me to seek a profession where I could make a meaningful impact on others’ lives and be just as fulfilled as she was. Under her guidance, I learned the importance of active listening, empowering individuals to be their own heroes, and witnessing the resilience of families as they persevere as a whole. Dr. Lee’s mentorship continues to shape my approach as I strive to create positive change in the world.
-Diana Calva Negrete, Information System Trainer
My first exposure to healthcare was through my aunt. She visited us in California when she would attend medical conferences. I was in awe of how she could do it all. Be a doctor, mother, wife, etc. She was so grounded, smart, and everyone in our family turned to her for medical advice. My inspiration to work in community health was through my mentor, Dr. Olayiwola, in medical school at UCSF. She showed me that as a family physician you can do more than patient care, and that using my voice for health equity is just as important! She really showed me the different facets of running a clinic that involve practice transformation and innovation!
-Dr. Sonali Sheth, Medical Director of Population Health
The female figure who inspired me to pursue a career in healthcare administration is my mom, Christina. She is a refractive surgery coordinator and has been working at the same ophthalmology practice for over 31 years. I’ve always admired her dedication to remaining committed to the practice, the patients, and her colleagues for the span of three decades. When I was in high school, I gained exposure to the work my mom does by spending time in her office after school. I enjoyed listening to conversations my mom and her coworkers would have about their day-to-day, and getting patients scheduled and prepped for surgery. I knew I wanted to be like my mom and do “something in healthcare” – I just didn’t know what that was at the time. As I progressed through college and my career my mom has always been by my side, encouraging me and supporting me to find my passion, which is working for Community Health Centers like Axis!
-Angelina Speltz, Senior Director of Quality Enhancement
