To the friends and family of Anchor Health,
It’s my great joy to share that Anchor Health is expanding. Our growing patient population also brings new members of our team: medical and mental health providers, nurses, care navigators, administrative staff, and – at the heart of patient access – our patient care associates.
I joined Anchor Health in March 2024 as the sole patient care associate (PCA) in our Stamford Health Center. One year later, I was honored to step into the role of Practice Manager, supervising and mentoring our PCAs across both health centers. This role has made me reflect deeply on what it means to be a PCA. While the position doesn’t require a license or involve medical procedures, it’s an essential part of a patient’s health care experience. It’s in our name, after all: patient care.
Queer health is not only clinical, it’s relational. It begins the moment someone considers reaching out to us. Before a patient ever sees a provider, they interact with our front desk, our forms, and our phones. And what’s really happening in that moment? We are often the first place where our trans and gender diverse patients feel comfortable using their name and pronouns. For some patients, we are where they receive a life-changing diagnosis. Patients come to us with varying degrees of medical trauma, many relieved to finally get care from people who won’t gaslight, misgender, or discriminate against them.
PCAs absorb distress, confusion, and fear – feelings all too familiar in queer and trans health care. Beyond scanning forms and verifying insurance, they consistently provide emotional triage and create a sense of safety. Being a PCA requires emotional intelligence, cultural humility, problem-solving skills, and endurance. They must juggle patients who need to see multiple providers, nurses, case managers, and others. Patient care associates are more than just “admin,” they are translators, advocates, and nurturers.
Patient care does not begin in the exam room. It begins at the door, on the phone, or in the intake form. When you support Anchor Health, you are supporting continuity of care, patient safety, and the trust-building that keeps queer communities alive and thriving, no matter the circumstances. Please be patient and kind with our team. If you are frustrated, we are more than likely frustrated for you – more happens behind the desk than you’ll ever see. It is our commitment that everyone – regardless of income, identity, or insurance – has a safe harbor for care.
My call to action is to support and respect the whole ecosystem of care in queer clinics, not just your doctors. We are here to help. We are glad to help. We are ready to help.
To Anchor Health’s PCA team (and all patient access staff): so many benefit from your grit and diligence without realizing how much easier their work is because of you. Your job is not easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. I am proud to always stand in your corner.
If we want to build a world where queer and trans people thrive, we must understand this: healing doesn’t start with a prescription. It starts with being welcomed.
See you in the clinic soon.
Yours in health,
Isabela B.
Practice Manager
