ENG:
ESP:
My name is Carmen. I started working as a Community Health Worker in the beginning of this year. I am working at a Federally Qualified Health Center. I focus on getting patients screened for colon cancer. My role is to review patient records to identify patients who are eligible for colonoscopies. Then I notify patients and help them with scheduling their colonoscopies and making sure they prepare the right way.
My morning starts with my e-mail and voicemail messages from my supervisor, patients and co-workers. Once the phone calls are taken care of, it feels like half the day is gone. I always try to make my calls short but with patients it can be very hard. They like to tell their stories and I feel I have to listen.
I always hope that it will be better after lunch but the phone keeps on ringing, the patients keep on coming in and my paperwork seems to grow all the time.
For the past month, a nurse from behavioral health keeps asking me to help her with new patients who need to be connected to different kinds of services. I want to help but I'm already so busy. She's a nurse and I know my supervisor has told her I work well with the patients, but I don't have time for more work.
