Meet Sheena Ming, a Clinical Success Consultant at Zyter|TruCare. Sheena guides clients toward comprehensive care solutions as a registered nurse and seasoned care management professional. Drawing inspiration from her extensive experience in post-acute care, she brings over ten years of expertise in care management, utilization, coordination, and quality improvement. Known for her commitment to community-based care, Sheena places people at the forefront of her work. At Zyter|TruCare, she is dedicated to integrating her clinical knowledge with technology, ensuring that the company’s value-based care initiatives are compelling and compassionate. As a critical Zyter|TruCare Clinical Committee member, Sheena provides qualitative and quantitative insights, supporting the company’s mission to enhance customer, provider, and patient experiences and outcomes.
Sheena’s Home Care Beginnings
From the early days of her career, Sheena demonstrated an exceptional knack for navigating complex systems and bureaucratic processes. Even before completing her college education, she became a go-to resource for family and friends who needed guidance through the maze of medical benefits. Her ability to demystify the intricate language of benefit packages and efficiently gather necessary public service documents made her an invaluable pillar in her community.
Sheena graduated from Binghamton University with a BS in Nursing in 2009. Her career began at United Health Services Hospital in Binghamton, NY, as a staff nurse. Here, she gained significant experience working with patients dealing with brain injuries and strokes and provided care for pre-operative and post-operative patients. An opportunity soon presented itself at Broome County Health through a contact from her nursing school days. Sheena temporarily assisted new mothers and babies in an early intervention program, marking her first foray into care management and her initial exposure to the social determinants of health.
In this role, Sheena’s keen eye for detail and compassionate bedside manner proved invaluable in supporting the health and welfare of numerous new mothers and their infants. Her work spanned across diverse social backgrounds, from helping underserved single mothers to assisting university professors on maternity leave. Sheena’s focus extended beyond traditional healthcare, considering environmental factors such as lead exposure in older homes, parental substance use, socioeconomic constraints, and ensuring safe sleeping arrangements for newborns. Her holistic approach in these early stages of her career laid the foundation for her future endeavors in care management.
A Community Asset in Case Management
Sheena’s journey in case management began in 2012 when her innate ability to help families secure safe living conditions and access community support led her to Integra Services Connect as a Nurse Case Manager. In this role, she delved deeply into the world of coordinated care, mainly focusing on patients enrolled in the Rare and Expensive Case Management (REM) Program. This experience broadened her understanding of various health conditions and introduced her to the complexities of Medicaid, Medicare, and the intricacies of federal and state healthcare programs.
Between 2014 and 2017, Sheena took on the responsibility of overseeing the care of hundreds of high-risk Medicare patients, each requiring intricate and multifaceted support. Her role involved meticulously coordinating cost-effective, quality healthcare services, ensuring that each patient’s treatment plan was effectively implemented across caregivers, providers, and community care services. During this period, Sheena honed her skills in navigating the myriad aspects of healthcare, becoming adept in managing the requirements of payers, providers, and healthcare legislation.
In her final year as a Case Manager, Sheena joined Footprints Case Management Agency, specializing in Pediatrics. Here, she worked primarily with terminally ill children, often collaborating with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Expanding beyond in-home care coordination, Sheena was crucial in organizing primary transportation services for these children and their families, facilitating trips to Disney World and other family vacation spots. This allowed the children to enjoy their wishes without compromising their healthcare needs. Reflecting on this experience, Sheena shares, “It was one of the greatest experiences. I loved working with other organizations and seeing the joy that comes from their families being able to fulfill their wishes regardless of their care needs.”
A Remote World: COVID’s Impact on Care Management
In 2019, Sheena embarked on a challenging (yet fulfilling) new journey at Centene as the Manager of Care Management. Her role was multifaceted, overseeing various aspects of Medical Management, including Physical Health Care Management, Utilization Management, Behavioral Health, HCBS, and Integrated LTSS for both Medicaid and Medicare Products. Sheena was instrumental in formulating policies, establishing operating procedures, and setting goals while adhering to internal and external guidelines. As a pivotal point of contact for care managers, she facilitated effective communication among Centene’s members, contracted providers, and subsidiaries and managed training for new hires.
The COVID-19 pandemic marked a significant shift in her career. Accustomed to direct patient interaction and in-person care, Sheena faced the critical challenge of adapting to remote management, particularly for high-risk patients. The pressing question of the era confronted her: “How do we help our members when we can’t physically be there with them?” Initially, this transition seemed like a significant obstacle, especially since vital social determinants of health are often uncovered through in-home visits. However, Sheena adapted her approach, intensifying phone communications to maintain a crucial connection with her patients. She explains, “My approach is always person-centered, so our care plans are based on members’ needs. Of course, we have our agendas, but sometimes, the member doesn’t want to discuss certain things. We allow members to drive their plan of care so they can feel in control of their life and what they want to address.” This blend of patient engagement, technological integration, and team skill development paved the way for her next career move.
Sheena’s daily interactions with the TruCare documentation tool left a strong impression on her due to its agility and efficiency. Her positive experience as a user sparked excitement when a position opened at Zyter|TruCare.
Now, within the innovative environment of Zyter|TruCare, Sheena applies her vast clinical knowledge and experience to product implementation, bringing a wealth of insights and a deep understanding of care management’s evolving landscape.
Embracing Flexibility and Endurance in Care
Flexibility and endurance stand out as two of Sheena’s most notable strengths. As a nurse and manager, she navigates a landscape filled with delicate tasks and complex challenges. Reflecting on the lessons from her career, she says, “Nursing taught me to be flexible. You have to roll with the punches because you never know what your next phone call will be about.” Her daily life encapsulates a relentless series of tasks, demanding professional skill and immense mental resilience. One moment might find her celebrating a patient’s clean bill of health, and the next, she could offer solace to a grieving family over the phone. “It’s often about being a team player,” she admits. “And understanding that within healthcare and our world, we all need emotional support from community members.”
This need for emotional support extends beyond patients to her colleagues as well. Drawing from her hospital experience, she emphasizes, “Nurses learned this from working in the hospital. We have to help each other to make it through things. Sometimes, you might need to step away and ask your coworker, ‘Hey, can you take this call for me?” For her, creating a supportive and safe environment for coworkers is paramount. This philosophy of mutual support and reliance on the team is a cornerstone of her approach in every interaction, regardless of who is on the other end of the call.
In healthcare, where human emotions and conflicts are as diverse as the conditions treated, the ability to build bridges becomes crucial. Sheena believes that working in isolation is counterproductive in such a dynamic field. She concludes, “At the end of it all, having a positive attitude even when things are not going the best makes all the difference. Sometimes, you need to be the one in the room with a smile on your face, whether it’s for a patient or your coworkers.”
Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
Throughout her career, Sheena has gleaned wisdom from mentors and her own experiences. A mantra that resonates with her profoundly is “Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” More than just an alliterative phrase, it has been a compass guiding her from the challenges of nursing school to the complexities of her current role at Zyter|TruCare. Sheena emphasizes the importance of tailored learning strategies: “If you don’t learn how your brain is configured, and you aren’t studying the way your brain needs to learn, you won’t be getting anywhere.”
At Zyter|TruCare, Sheena’s philosophy of learning by doing comes to the forefront. She believes in plunging into the depths of new systems and gaining hands-on experience. “I learn best by diving into our system and practicing it,” she states, highlighting her proactive approach to mastering new skills. She aims to dive deep, take up extra training, and become a connoisseur in her field. Sheena articulates her ambition with clarity, “There are so many products I want to become an expert in to be a resource to my team and our clients. Part of learning on the job and improving myself is to create value and ensure we are growing as a company.”
In this chapter of her professional story, Sheena holds a special appreciation for her boss, Shannon, whose tailored teaching style has been instrumental. Sheena warmly shares, “She is good at tailoring instruction based on each person. It’s amazing to get positive and honest feedback on my work. And it’s conducive to be gently guided while I learn the systems within Zyter|TruCare.”
Sheena’s Advice to Younger Clinicians: Don’t Put Yourself in a Box
Sheena has gained much knowledge from her varied experiences and eagerly shares this wisdom with new clinicians. She emphasizes the importance of an open mindset: “Not allowing myself to be limited by preconceptions of where nurses should stay and should work helped me to get to different places and also align myself with mentors and where I wanted to be.”
Her journey is a testament to the idea that a career is not just about the roles one assumes but also about the attitudes one holds. Sheena’s flexible approach has been a critical factor in her professional achievements. Offering guidance, she suggests, “Don’t put yourself in a box. Try to explore different areas of nursing, and if you know what you want to do, go for it.”
Sheena believes in the power of adaptability and resourcefulness. After embracing this mindset, the next step, she advises, is to identify one’s unique talents and seek out the best opportunities that align with those strengths and interests. “Understanding your space is important, as is not allowing yourself to be single-minded in your path. You can be a nurse and do other things, too. I love being a nurse, but I also love other things.” This enlightening perspective highlights the importance of versatility and personal growth in the ever-evolving healthcare field.
