Memorial Heroes: Pharis Martin-Serna
March 5, 2021
What is your official title?
RN Case Manager.
How long have you worked here at Memorial Medical Center?
Since April 2012.
How did you come into this position?
I joined the Case Management team in July 2019.
What was your motivation for a career in healthcare?
My mother was an RN, so when I was looking for a second career, I followed in her footsteps.
What is a typical day like for you?
I begin the day reviewing every patient in my assignment, typically 15-25 patients, which includes the COVID positive patients on the Med-Surg floor. I focus on their disease progression and potential discharge needs. After that, my day is spent coordinating between the MMC team, the patient and their family and outpatient resources to ensure that the patient has a safe discharge plan with all needs met to ensure a successful discharge.
How would you describe your role’s responsibilities?
Case managers are responsible for moving patients along the continuum of care by identifying discharge needs early in their hospital stay and planning for their post-discharge needs. We also make sure that patients receive essential services in a timely manner, while still focusing on the best utilization of hospital resources.
In what areas do you help patients?
I see my role as integral to providing continuity of care for the patient between being inpatient and returning home safely. The most important step in discharge planning is the initial assessment that can often identify unmet needs in the home situation which may have contributed to the patient’s health deficit. My best day is when I identify and am able to address those issues beyond just the immediate acute concern and not only prevent a potential readmission but help the patient to return to a better outpatient health situation than they admitted with.
What are some of your interests outside of work?
My family is everything to me, and the greatest joy in my life comes from those times we spend together. Since COVID, we’ve found a new focus in gardening, camping and hiking and trying to create an obesity epidemic in the birds in our backyard.
What is your favorite part about working for Memorial Medical Center?
The best thing about MMC is the culture of teamwork. There is a focus on communication and inclusivity that is very supportive.