“It’s all about support. By supporting our staff, they can provide the best care to our patients.”
Amber always felt a calling to help others. However, her journey to a career in health care actually began in cosmetology school.
“You may not expect it, but cosmetologists have to learn a lot about the muscles and different body parts, and I became really interested in anatomy,” she says.
But when she decided that cosmetology wasn’t for her, she found her way to a health care setting. She started as a hospital receptionist. From there, she decided to continue her education and become a medical assistant in 2003.
After working as a medical assistant at UPMC for nearly a decade, Amber got introduced to the management side of health care. She worked her way up in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, ultimately becoming the practice manager in 2019.
In her role, she oversees and manages more than a dozen offices and its staff, offering support on all levels to clinicians and patients.
“I love working with our doctors and staff, and I especially love interacting with patients,” she says. “I try to provide whatever is needed, no matter how big or small, and I always try to keep things light and bring smiles to faces. The work that we do is very serious, so it’s important to make sure everyone has some fun, too.”
Throughout all her positions at UPMC, one thing remained constant: Amber’s desire to help people. She says it’s not only rewarding to help patients, but she loves being able to provide support to doctors and nurses. It’s important to ensure they have the tools necessary to provide excellent care.
“We have such a strong department, and I feel lucky to be able to work alongside such a great team of health care providers,” she says. “I get to see firsthand the change that each of them make in the patients’ lives.
Knowing that my work and support helps get patients the care they need, that’s what it’s all about.”
At UPMC, Life Changing Medicine means challenging ourselves to provide the best care to our patients.
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