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.
“We always look out for one another with helping hands.”
“I like the teamwork and communication we have in Endoscopy because it is important for the work we do,” she added. “We are almost like family, and we support and respect each other every day. With the custodial team, we have each other’s back, and we always look out for one another with helping hands.”
She enjoys the work and pays attention to detail to make sure that everything is clean and presentable for the patients — so much so that earlier this year, she was chosen for Yale Health’s prestigious Great Catch Award, which is given to a staff person who is proactive in finding and mitigating risks before they can affect patient safety. Ortega-Carrero was also recognized as one of six custodians nominated for the Facilities Service Excellence Award, which celebrates exceptional custodial professionals whose work helps foster safe, clean, and welcoming spaces.
Benefits are blessings
Ortega-Carrero finishes her workday at 3:30 p.m., allowing her to spend time with her son after school. Despite the challenges of balancing work and family, she remains positive about her work, pointing to Yale’s benefits. Ortega-Carrero is looking forward to taking advantage of the Child Scholarship Plan for Faculty and Staff because her son wants to go to college to pursue computer programming. “I am very happy at Yale,” she said. “I think it is a blessing to be here.”
