Patricia Pichardo on what introduced her to HealthSherpa, her ardour for activism and social affect, and what her typical day appears 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 might be vital 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 way in which as much as their tenure and progress. On this put up, hear from Vice President of Product Administration Patricia Pichardo, who opens up about why she stated sure to HealthSherpa, her private journey to mission-driven work, and what her day-to-day appears like.

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

So once 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 wakened one thing within me. With associates and different volunteers, we had been ready to take action a lot – we helped individuals get out of the Island, helped feed kids who had been going with out meals, helped individuals get entry to primary wants. 

After this expertise, I began eager about different points that weren’t essentially straight 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 bought sick, and I didn’t have enough insurance coverage? That could be a actual concern, 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 subsequent particular person, 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 the entire individuals on the interview crew 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 crew trusted one another in a really implicit approach. Later within the course of, I bought to satisfy a few of my teammates, friends and direct experiences. The conversations felt natural and real with the crew as properly. It didn’t really feel just like the crew was being evaded the method; they requested questions (and vice versa), and it confirmed me that the recruiter and hiring supervisor positioned quite a lot of belief within the crew, 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 comfy about one another’s positions. Once I spoke to George (Chief Govt Officer), he stated that he didn’t have to assess whether or not I’d be an excellent product chief – that was Cat’s (Chief Product Officer) job. He simply wished to determine whether or not I’d be an excellent match for the corporate basically, 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 not less than 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 making certain that I’m arrange for fulfillment for the remainder of the day. I often 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 correct questions and ensuring that we’re ready to make the correct choices. Normally 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 might 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 be taught – I depart the day nearly day-after-day feeling energized and like I’m studying. I depart the times very glad.

I’ve discovered 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 means of life while not having it, with out taking part on this system ultimately. There may be a lot to be taught 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 in some unspecified time in the future, and also you will inevitably want healthcare. 

So, studying the complexities of the house is de facto necessary. There are issues that you simply would possibly suppose are easy and you discover out that they’re truly very difficult. I’ve been approaching quite a lot of this with humility, and counting on the folks that I’ve been working with to assist me get on board. I 100% need to depend on my teammates to organize me and maintain me up once I make errors.

I’d say two issues:

• If you happen to’re eager about working right here, don’t suppose twice. You must positively discover alternatives with us, and apply whenever you see one thing that could possibly be an excellent match for you.
• For somebody who isn’t so positive about HealthSherpa, for no matter purpose – 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 could possibly make engaged on one thing that can assist remedy such an enormous downside. There’s nothing that feels higher than doing a job you take pleasure in, and realizing the way it will profit individuals in an enormous approach.

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