1. Tell us a little about yourself, who you are, and what brought you to Alliance?
AJ: I've been at Alliance a little over 14 years, now. I got my Bachelor's in Psychology and had been working with children ages 3-6 who had behavioral issues. Then I started working with adult populations and that brought me to Alliance.
I came to NJ from Peru when I was 3. I grew up speaking Spanish and English. I was raised and stayed in Hudson County.
I'm an avid runner, so I love getting some miles in before work.
2. Have you always been into running?
AJ: Not at all. I was a terrible runner and athlete as a kid, but I got into running when COVID-19 started. While everything was closed, I needed to get outside. At first, I couldn't even run a 1/2 mile. But I needed to be doing something, and the runner’s high is real. Now I run along the waterfront, across the George Washington Bridge, anywhere. I've done many half marathons and I've run solo marathons.
3. Shifting gears a little, can you tell me about what you do at Alliance and what your program does?
AJ: I'm Director of Care Management at Alliance. Care Management is our Health Homes program which serves NYC Medicaid-recipients who have a qualifying condition. The program aims to reduce emergency hospitalizations and long-term health issues. We work with our participant’s doctors, state and federal housing and other agencies, and we accompany them to important appointments. Many of these patients have trouble navigating all their health troubles and the Health Homes program significantly improves all health outcomes, from HIV viral loads to stable housing to the interpersonal relationships our participants have.
4. And how long have you been in Care Management?
AJ: The whole 14+ years I’ve been here. I started as an Assistant Case Manager (what Care Coordinators were called). While I’m currently in a leadership position overseeing 4 teams, I’m still hands on with clients meeting with them and even accompanying them to the field as needed.
5. Is there an achievement or contribution to this program you are particularly proud of?
AJ: Seeing participants get their health to a level of stability makes me happy. A lot of them continue to come here, where they feel safe, and feel treated with respect.
It also makes me happy to see Peers become full-time staff. It's amazing to see them better themselves health-wise, and professionally. Currently some of the people in our Care Management team used to be former peer interns.
6. If you could change anything about the healthcare system, what would you do?
AJ: I'd put more of those resources into treating dementia, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. The elderly is a population that continues to be overlooked who, in my opinion, need the support the most. I’d make access to critical services such as homecare services and 24/7 care become a standard of care.
7. If you could do anything in addition to what you are doing now, what would it be?
AJ: If I won the lottery, I'd make sure the people in my life were taken care of before I spent anything on myself. If time and money weren't factors, I would get even more into running, I'd be a running coach and fly everywhere to run around the world.
8. So what should people know about you outside of work, besides your running?
AJ: AJ outside of work loves peace and quiet. Having a life outside of work is super important. You need to have that; work shouldn't be everything. I’m also an avid animal lover, I have two cats and a chihuahua at home. The cats are mine, the chihuahua is my fiancé’s.