Meet Hee Cho, RN, a highly skilled nurse with nearly 30 years of experience who meets virtually with Patina patients throughout the five-county Greater Philadelphia region. Hee enjoys supporting patients along their care journey, doing everything from answering questions about treatments and therapies, to being on hand to help them navigate confusing healthcare events. She especially loves the ease at which the Patina model allows loved ones to be a part of patients’ care, ensuring they have the support they need for a healthy aging experience.
A graduate of the University of Virginia’s nursing program, Hee worked hands-on for the first decade of her career with patients in various departments at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She also has extensive experience in case management and as a utilization review nurse at Aetna for acute care admission, long term acute care admission, acute rehab and skilled nursing care admission. Hee is a long-time resident of the Philadelphia area, where she currently lives with her family.
We asked Hee a few questions about her role as a Nurse Champion, what she enjoys most about supporting patients, and more.
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. What do you like to do in your spare time? Why did you become a nurse?
I became a nurse in the hopes of helping people by advocating for their care needs and truly honoring them to make informed decisions. I have learned so many lessons from patients throughout my career, but foremost among them is to always be humble and kind.
In my spare time, I love to read and listen to music, and am learning how to crochet!
Q: What were you doing before you joined Patina?
I spent the first 10 years of my nursing career in telemetry, cardiothoracic, and heart and lung transplant step-down units, as well as in trauma and general surgery in the ICU, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. I then worked as a Medicare RN case manager and in utilization review at Aetna.
Prior to joining Patina as a Nurse Champion, I was a lead RN case manager, providing personalized care to clinically complex patients.
Q: What drew you to Patina?
I was so inspired by Patina’s mission to partner with adults 65 and older in achieving their health goals, and Patina’s team of PCP’s who are specially trained to work with this segment of the patient population. Drawing on my past work with Medicare patients and coordinating the care needs of my own aging parents, I understand the unique needs of older adults and how traditional doctors' offices often do not spend enough time to get to know the patient and their family. The relationships forged between the Patiana care team, patients, and their loved ones is invaluable when supporting patients as they age.
Q: What is the value of seeing patients at home / in their home environment?
The Patina model is based on building strong relationships with our patients and their loved ones. I am privileged to get to know each of my patients and their unique stories so that I can better understand what is truly important to them and develop a care plan that supports them as needed.
Q: How do you work with your patients at Patina?
I meet virtually with patients – usually communicating with them on the phone and/or through the Patina app. I prioritize discussing their acute medical symptoms to figure out their next steps and to offer options. Throughout my career in nursing, I’ve learned that it’s most important to stop and listen to patients. They just want to be heard and made to feel that they are in charge of their own care – a hallmark of Patina. I then follow-up with them later after consulting with their Patina PCP to ensure that we are all on the same page.
Q: How do you work with patients’ family members who want to stay in the loop and be involved with their loved ones' care?
The Patina app is great for communicating with patients and their loved ones! There’s a lot that it can be used for – requesting appointments or refills, asking questions about medications, symptoms or treatment plans, checking out medical records and notes from prior visits, and more. We make it really easy for loved ones to be engaged in the patient’s care. They can even join in on virtual visits so that they’re seeing and hearing first-hand what is happening.
We know this is appreciated because we’ve had loved ones share that feedback. But it makes things easier for us as well, because sometimes they’ll share things that maybe the patient has overlooked, or they’ll provide valuable context to what else might be happening with the patient. It’s all done with patients’ permission, of course.
I’m also happy to speak over the phone if preferred. I always try to include loved ones in the conversation with the patient at the same time if possible. If that is not feasible, I make sure I reach out to loved ones to discuss their concerns and the patient’s concerns.
Our Patina Health Champions do a great job at identifying loved ones during the new patient onboarding process, but there are instances when we need to update the contacts – this is easy to do at any time!
Q: What life lessons have your learned from your patients?
Infinite wisdom! Each of my patients are so unique in their own way with lots of amazing stories to share. As we reach this later chapter of life, I feel that it is so important to have good relationships with healthcare professionals who support the life you want to live and respect your end-of-life preferences.
Q: What is most rewarding about working at Patina?
It might sound hokey, but working with intelligent, responsive and caring people at Patina is invaluable. I believe that everyone in our crew has the same goal – to make a difference in the lives of our patients and their loved ones.
Often, a lot of providers avoid discussing the care goals of patients and loved ones. Not at Patina! We often have conversations about care goals to ensure we are honoring their wishes in life and death. Death is a difficult topic, but I’ve been heartened during my time at Patina to know that our PCPs have helped to make the process a bit smoother and peaceful for patients and their families.
It is amazing what we can achieve by taking time and listening. I truly believe we are all trying our best to provide the care our patients deserve at this phase of life, and that’s a great feeling!