photo credit: Robert Corona

[Editor’s Note: This month, we’re shining a light on our Health Network team: the hardworking people who save lives by assuring continuity of care.  Health Network is our bridge case management program that provides comprehensive case management, medical records transfer, and follow-up services for mobile patients.  Here’s our first installment highlighting the Health Network team, with a piece on our senior Health Network team member, Saul. Many thanks to Health Network Intern Monique Vasquez for her work collecting these stories.]

“Saul is a dedicated, conscientious, and caring person.  His work exemplifies these qualities and we are very lucky to have him as part of the MCN team”
– Theressa Lyons-Clampitt, Senior Program Manager, Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator

“Saul has proven to be an invaluable employee and a wonderful person and friend.  He has worked tirelessly to make Health Network better - especially working on the new database. MCN continues to be grateful to have him!”
- Elaine Penn, Chief Financial Officer

“Saul has grown so much as an Health Network Associate and an MCN professional. He has risen to increasing challenges and moved us to new heights.”
-  Deliana Garcia, Director, International Projects and Emerging Issues

Saul Delgado is the Health Network Data Specialist for Migrant Clinicians Network. He is the most experienced member of the Health Network team, with over five years of helping clients navigate the health care system. Saul’s firsthand knowledge has helped him to improve the way that MCN gathers data to better serve clients. He plays an instrumental role in helping to improve MCN’s secure database while also assisting a full caseload of clients.

Saul is originally from Cuba, and moved to the United States a few months before he turned 10. He enjoys spending time with his family. He likes to play soccer when he can, and was recently enthusiastically following the World Cup. He is motivated by his wife (“she’s a rockstar”).

Saul took some time out of his busy day to answer some questions. His responses are below.

What brought you to work with MCN?

The mission. Helping the community with whatever we can. Even though everything is by phone, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t thinking about [the clients]  or how to best help them.

What does your typical week look like? 

I divide my days between [developing and organizing] the database and providing case management. I try to maintain or organize the database now that I have the knowledge to do so. When we first started I didn’t know how it worked but now I can organize and make it better while also trying to manage my cases.

What is the best part of your job?

Accomplishing something, being helpful. Just being part of something, a family.

What is your favorite moment or most memorable accomplishment at MCN?

I have many.  One gentleman was stuck in the desert for two or three days without water. In the end, he gave up because he couldn’t make it anymore, and he got picked up by immigration. His mom didn’t know anything about him. He left [his home] without letting her know what happened.

Before I talked to him, it had been months since he had spoken with his mom, so his mom still didn’t know where he was. And for her to get my call letting her know, ‘Hey, your son is alive, he’s not dead, and even though he’s stuck in immigration at least you know he’s alive’ -- she just started crying because what she said is in her mind her son was dead because she didn’t know anything about him. For her to receive our call, that kind of got stuck with me…  I’ll never forget that.

How have you grown or benefited from the work you do at MCN?

My understanding of how we [in the US] get our products in stores. Before MCN I never knew, I would never have thought about agricultural workers being in the US. Coming from an agricultural worker family myself. I never thought there was such a thing here in the US. I always thought machines or other ways would get our products in stores.

You come from an agricultural worker family?

My grandfather and my dad used to be. My grandfather in Cuba still farms … My grandfather that’s here used to to do canning, rice beans and all of that. My step-grandfather, he grows tobacco. That’s what we’re known for, our tobacco. I remember as a kid I used to go to the tobacco field to help.

What do you remember most?

The smell and how you have to get the soil ready before it grows. 

What’s your superpower?

Superdad!

What brings you joy?

My work, my son, my family.

Anything else to say about MCN?

They trust the work that I do and they trust what we all do.