Every day, Marisela steps into her El Paso community with one goal in mind: to bring light into the lives of those navigating the complexities of the healthcare system.
For Marisela, one word comes to mind when reflecting on her work: grateful.
She is grateful to have a chance to build trust with her community, to earn that trust, and to help her neighbors with the overwhelming task of navigating the healthcare system.
And she is grateful to be part of Juanita’s* journey in beating cancer.
As a Community Health Worker with MHP Salud, Marisela spends her days in the El Paso community, reaching into the heart of the most underserved neighborhoods, forging connections with families and individuals who have all but given up on ever securing health insurance, understanding the many systems within healthcare, or finding local resources to meet their most basic needs.
In Juanita’s words, Marisela and her fellow Community Health Workers at MHP Salud bring “a light.”
That light couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for Juanita. Uninsured and suffering from kidney cancer, Juanita had applied for Medicaid with a desperate hope to find coverage for cancer treatment. She was denied.
She applied for local hospital discount programs so she could obtain treatment without falling into bankruptcy. But the programs didn’t cover cancer care.
Discouraged and nearly hopeless, Juanita wasn’t comfortable exploring health insurance options—a hesitation Marisela understood well. Language barriers often contribute to uncertainty and uneasiness when it comes to navigating healthcare and coverage. Marisela knew MHP Salud could help Juanita. She spent weeks building trust, getting to know her, and sharing her own experiences with the healthcare system – in the language they both shared.
“The key is to listen,” Marisela explains. “You have to listen to their needs and challenges first. Assess where they’re at so you can help.”
Juanita’s healthcare needs were complex. She had some doctors and some medications, but she needed more specialists, more treatment, and comprehensive coverage. On top of that, she needed basic necessities. Though she worked hard, making ends meet was difficult—especially with mounting healthcare bills.
Marisela helped Juanita understand all of the coverage options available to her. She guided her through the plans and financial assistance options and provided the information Juanita needed to make an informed decision about the best coverage for her.
Together, they applied – and then celebrated when Juanita received the acceptance letter. Together, they identified local healthcare providers who accepted her insurance.
And when Juanita received the news she had long awaited—that her cancer was gone—it didn’t take long for her to pick up the phone and call Marisela.
“It gives me more motivation to do this work, to help people understand their health insurance options and the resources we have in the community,” Marisela shares. “I love being out in my community. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Juanita’s own gratefulness shines as she continues to refer friends and family to MHP Salud, paying it forward in her own way.
And Marisela, along with MHP Salud’s team of Community Health Workers, will continue to answer the call.
“We’re from the community. We’re here to help the community,” Marisela says. “This isn’t just my story – this is the story of the entire team, the story of MHP Salud.”
*Name has been changed to protect her privacy.
By Reka Robinson, Communications Manager, in collaboration with Heather Morgan, Vice President of Communications and Business Development at MHP Salud
