Naval Hospital Bremerton Medical Assistants epitomize patient-centered care

Photo By Douglas Stutz | With Oct. 21-25, 2019 designated as Medical Assistants Recognition Week and Oct. 23 as Medical Assistants Recognition Day, the six medical assistants assigned to Naval Hospital Bremerton Family Medicine department continue to carry out their overlapping administrative and clinical responsibilities. Because that's what they do. For Ms. Myrngie Anton, Ms. Tina Cabana, Ms. Logan McMahon, Ms. Marybeth Nogoy, Ms. Thelma North, and Ms. Brianne Stegeman, the common denominator they all advocate is their collective focus on patient-centered care (Official Navy photo by Douglas H Stutz, Naval Hospital Bremerton public affairs).  

BREMERTON, WA, UNITED STATES

10.22.2019

Story by Douglas Stutz    

Naval Hospital Bremerton/Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Bremerton

Don’t expect any brief respite in normal duties this week by medical assistants in Naval Hospital Bremerton’s Family Medicine department.

Even with Oct. 21-25, 2019, set aside as Medical Assistants Recognition Week and Oct. 23 as Medical Assistants Recognition Day, the six medical assistants will be routinely handling their overlapping administrative and clinical responsibilities.

It’s what they do.

For Ms. Myrngie Anton, Ms. Tina Cabana, Ms. Logan McMahon, Ms. Marybeth Nogoy, Ms. Thelma North, and Ms. Brianne Stegeman, caring for their patients and working alongside their physicians and hospital corpsmen is their daily standard, which is greatly appreciated from those they work with and work for.

The common denominator they all advocate is their collective focus on patient-centered care.

“Our medical assistants are very versatile and such great resources for our corpsman to work beside and learn from. I can’t thank them enough for all they do, from assessing patients before any appointment, to building relationships during an appointment before being seen by the clinician, and continuing to provide support to the patient and the provider after the appointment is over,” said Cmdr. Michael Mercado, NHB director for medical services.

After completing her externship in family medicine, Anton has been part of NHB’s Immunization Clinic for 13 years. As the main immunization assistant, she provides direct care as well as updated education and information to patients.

“I’ve always had a passion for teaching and helping people. That passion aids in the prevention and treatment of disease when providing medical care. My position can be described as directly assisting patients in preventive medicine care for dependents of active duty or retirees and to ensure active duty personnel are ready to deploy according to the Department of Defense immunization standard,” said Anton, a Bremerton native and 1997 North Kitsap High School graduate.

Anton also helps to ensure the quality and monitoring of vaccines administered, along with maintaining the clinical work area, providing proper care for all the equipment and medical supplies, and continually supporting proper hygiene protocol.

“Our culture here is extraordinary. The opportunities for continuing education, such as knowing all the latest updates on all vaccine guidelines while maintaining my daily skill set, is extremely rewarding. Informing my patients on the components, reactions, and benefits of their vaccinations is important. I like to keep them informed. I pride myself on providing not only care, but education,” added Anton.

Nogoy, a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), from Quezon City, Philippines, has been at NHB 14 years. She became interested early on in a medical career wanting to help those in need. Her current duties center on just that, taking patient vital signs – temperature, respiratory rate, pulse, blood pressure – clarifying a patient’s history of present illness, reconciling medication, assisting in any procedure(s) from set up to clean up, and handling messages by calling patients or sending replies through MHS GENESIS Patient Portal and sending patient requests to their providers.

“I feel like I am the bridge between the patient and the provider. I try to have all visits be positive by doing my best to prepare for the daily schedule so patient’s needs can be met. Being friendly helps by making the patients’ feel at ease and open to receive the care they came for,” Nogoy explained.

When asked what the best part of her career in Navy Medicine is, Nogoy replied, “being surrounded by both military and civilian staff that are always ready to help, teach, and support my goals to keep our military patients ready for their mission, and meet their family needs so our Sailors and Marines can perform their duties without worrying about them. Caring for our retired military and their dependents is also important. It’s our way to thank them for the many years of service and sacrifice. NHB is my second home and the staff that I work with are family.”

McMahon came to NHB almost two years ago, transferring with her submariner husband.

“I wanted to learn the difference between civilian medicine and Navy Medicine,” related McMahon, from Sylvania, Ohio. “I’m here to assist the physician and help the patient receive the best possible care we can offer by ensuring that they are up to date on all preventative medicine measures like cancer screenings and blood work, as well as ensuring that they are properly following up on chronic conditions such as high blood pressure.”

“The best part of my career with Navy Medicine,” continued McMahon, “is the immense room for growth that family medicine has offered me, not only in my career but in my personal life as well. I’ve made many friends and learned much more about medicine that I would have imagined.”

Stegeman, a Bremerton native and 1984 Central Kitsap High School grad, has been a medical assistant since 1996 and six years earlier added her national certification. After working for multiple different specialties over the years she followed the recommendation from several co-workers to take her clinical skill level to work in a military treatment facility like NHB.

“I became a medical assistant because I wanted to help people. I have always tried my best to make every patient feel comfortable and safe no matter what the reason they are being seen. I want every patient to get the medical care they need,” shared Stegeman. “In the short time I have been here I have really liked how everyone helps each other and works as a team. This makes it much easier to perform our job(s) effectively.”

Although Stegeman has been part of NHB’s team for a little more than a month, she counts herself fully invested in her work helping to care for the steady stream of patients seen in Family Medicine.

“I’ve only been here a short amount of time. So far it has been a good experience and I’m learning a lot. We make sure everyone is healthy and ready to go,” Stegeman said.

North has been a fixture at NHB since 2000 in her duties as a medical assistant and considers herself blessed to continue doing the job she loves.

“I’m fortunate to be here helping to make sure our top priority is caring for our patients,” North said, echoing the sentiments of the other medical assistants.

• Date Taken: 10.22.2019
• Date Posted: 10.22.2019 15:19
• Story ID: 348658
• Location: BREMERTON, WA, US