Patricia Pichardo on what introduced her to HealthSherpa, her ardour for activism and social affect, and what her typical day seems like

By Sivan Philo

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HealthSherpa strongly believes in creating inclusive, equitable areas, which construct belief, respect and a way of belonging which are important to our tradition and work. We’re excited to function our colleagues and listen to extra about their experiences at HealthSherpa, from their first touchpoints all the best way as much as their tenure and development. On this put up, hear from Vice President of Product Administration Patricia Pichardo, who opens up about why she mentioned sure to HealthSherpa, her private journey to mission-driven work, and what her day-to-day seems like.

I’ve been at HealthSherpa for nearly 2 months now. There was an acquisition at my final firm, and it led to loads of change; it opened my eyes to exterior alternatives. I began getting pinged rather a lot by recruiters and there have been fascinating jobs opening up. I’d labored in liquor immediately earlier than HealthSherpa; however earlier than that, I’d labored in a mission-driven atmosphere, and I actually missed that mission connectivity. 

So after I began exploring new alternatives, what actually made HealthSherpa stand out was the mission, and the chance to do what I do professionally to usher some good into the world.

Personally, when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, I discovered myself advocating for Puerto Ricans within the diaspora – it actually awoke one thing within me. With buddies and different volunteers, we had been in a position to take action a lot – we helped folks get out of the Island, helped feed kids who had been going with out meals, helped folks get entry to primary wants. 

After this expertise, I began fascinated about different points that weren’t essentially immediately impacting one thing that I used to be near. So when Sarah (Ahn, Senior Recruiter) reached out to me about this position at HealthSherpa, it felt like a complete match for me. How would I get higher if I obtained sick, and I didn’t have ample insurance coverage? That may be a actual problem, an actual downside. And HealthSherpa is fixing it – and it’s a worthwhile firm, with a dedication to variety, fairness and inclusion. It was a complete no-brainer to say sure to speak about this position.

There have been a number of issues that stood out to me:

• The human contact. I’d labored with good recruiters earlier than, however at HealthSherpa, it wasn’t simply the recruiter. Sarah launched me to the following individual, who introduced the identical nice contact and humanity to the method. It was clear that the recruiter and the hiring supervisor shared the identical values, and that there was clear intention informing the method. 
• The candor. Sarah and all the folks on the interview staff had been very candid with me about what the actual issues had been, the actual wants had been, and what the precise actuality at HealthSherpa seemed like.
• The belief. The staff trusted one another in a really implicit approach. Later within the course of, I obtained to fulfill a few of my teammates, friends and direct studies. The conversations felt natural and real with the staff as nicely. It didn’t really feel just like the staff was being refrained from the method; they requested questions (and vice versa), and it confirmed me that the recruiter and hiring supervisor positioned loads of belief within the staff, too – and from the conversations, it felt clear that the belief existed in each instructions.

So, not solely are they human, and candid, however they belief one another. They really feel actually snug about one another’s positions. After I spoke to George (Chief Govt Officer), he mentioned that he didn’t have to assess whether or not I’d be a superb product chief – that was Cat’s (Chief Product Officer) job. He simply wished to determine whether or not I’d be a superb match for the corporate usually, and to supply the chance to ask questions of one other co-founder who wasn’t managing this position.

I get up within the morning and work out a minimum of 3x/week earlier than beginning the day. After this, I sit down and have some quiet time. I spend time planning my day, establishing my conferences, and guaranteeing that I’m arrange for fulfillment for the remainder of the day. I normally have conferences after that – roughly 2-4hrs of conferences per day, and 2-4 hrs of quiet time, whether or not pre-planned or ad-hoc. 

It’s an ideal combination of collaboration, listening in, and asking the appropriate questions and ensuring that we’re ready to make the appropriate selections. Often my day ends with a gathering – a 1:1 with my supervisor or a direct report, or a company-wide assembly. I’d thought that this could really feel odd as a result of I used to spend time on the finish of the day alone, however I’ve discovered this actually energizing. There’s additionally a lot to study – I go away the day virtually every single day feeling energized and like I’m studying. I go away the times very happy.

I’ve realized that there are issues that we take without any consideration, that aren’t as easy as they appear. Everybody is aware of about healthcare; no person goes by life without having it, with out collaborating on this system ultimately. There’s a lot to study as a shopper – and it’s unusual to consider this, as a result of it’s one thing primary, regular, wanted, and important. You will get sick sooner or later, and also you will inevitably want healthcare. 

So, studying the complexities of the house is de facto necessary. There are issues that you simply may suppose are easy and you discover out that they’re truly very difficult. I’ve been approaching loads of this with humility, and counting on the those who I’ve been working with to assist me get on board. I 100% need to depend on my teammates to arrange me and maintain me up after I make errors.

I’d say two issues:

• If you happen to’re fascinated about working right here, don’t suppose twice. You need to undoubtedly discover alternatives with us, and apply whenever you see one thing that could possibly be a superb match for you.
• For somebody who isn’t so certain about HealthSherpa, for no matter motive – take into account the place you’re and the affect you make the place you’re, after which take into account the potential affect you possibly can make engaged on one thing that may assist clear up such an enormous downside. There’s nothing that feels higher than doing a job you take pleasure in, and understanding the way it will profit folks in an enormous approach.

Wish to work with Patricia and the remainder of our phenomenal staff? Click on right here to discover present openings and listen to from extra teammates at HealthSherpa!