When Joanna Ortega-Carrero wakes for work, it is usually dark outside, somewhere between 4:45 and 5 a.m. It is quiet in the house she shares with her husband and 16-year-old son. She makes breakfast, wakes her son, and they eat together at the kitchen table before he gets ready for school. Ortega-Carrero also makes their lunches, sometimes adding encouraging notes to his lunch pack. Daily, she says, she expresses gratitude for all her blessings when she first opens her eyes.
“The early morning is good for me,” she said. “I like how peaceful it can be, and in the spring and summer the birds are singing. It also gives me the chance to make sure everything is ready for the day ahead.”
Patient-centered
Ortega-Carrero is a custodian at Yale Health, and her shift begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. When she arrives, she walks to the elevator and heads to Endoscopy on the fourth floor. She is responsible for preparing the waiting room, two procedure rooms, and recovery beds, cleaning and disinfecting between patients, and ensuring all necessary equipment and supplies are ready for the doctors and nurses who specialize in this preventative care. The work that Ortega-Carrero and her custodial team accomplish directly impacts the health and safety of patients, staff, and visitors.
