Finding Her Life’s Best Work at Texas Health
A desire to help people started when Melissa Reyna was very young. The struggles of the immigrant community where she grew up and a meandering journey through the world of health care all culminated in the work she does today: serving as program manager for patient education within Integrated Experience. Melissa, MPH, R.N., ICCE (International Childbirth Certified Educator), is a department of one within Integrated Experience.
What did you want to be as a kid, and how did you ultimately choose your career?
As a child I knew I really wanted to help people. I grew up in a rural community, just south of Bandera in Bexar County, Texas, where most of my friends’ parents left Europe after World War II. My community was low-income and spoke languages other than English. We were multi-ethnic and multi-linguic. I also came to understand that my father could not read. English was dad’s first language, and he was born with dyslexia in the mid 1930’s in a poor, urban community. As a child, I saw my friends’ parents struggle with common experiences like school registration, health care navigation, and day-to-day correspondence. Our every-day challenges were what people now call social determinants of health. In the ’60s people did their best to get through situations, just as they do today. The impact of these childhood experiences has led me on the journey of wanting to make thing better for others. Education has created a path to get there. At this point in my journey, I have a bachelor’s and a master’s of public health from Texas A&M University and an associate’s degree in nursing from Blinn College. I am currently enrolled in a master’s degree in nursing bridge program. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to align my personal and professional experiences and advocate for others.
What does a typical workday look like?
There isn’t one! I have the privilege of working with a many different departments at Texas Health. Sometimes, my days revolve around editing and working with the various branches of Brand Experience, Legal, and Translation. Other days, my job focuses around Information Technology and Consumer Experience, and the technologies that help support patient education. Regardless of specific tasks, working in partnership with others is so important to consumer focus, transformation, innovation, and the other key initiatives that support Vision 2026. I’ve been with Texas Health Resources for almost nine years and my job has been a bit different every year.
What’s your favorite part of your job, and what is the biggest challenge?
My favorite part of my job is collaboration. I am privileged to work with so many different teams across Texas Health, including front-line staff, executives, mid-level managers, physicians, faith community nurses, and community health teams. Each person’s strengths and each opportunity are instrumental in guiding consumer experience. I value that Texas Health is looking the big picture and how it affects our consumers’ journeys. When we contribute our strengths and align with consumers’ points of view, we all win.
The challenge of my job is balancing priorities and thinking of each concern with the big picture in mind. Most weeks I wish there were more hours in the day.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
I helped start a National Public Radio station in College Station, Texas, in 1995. I did a Cajun radio music show, as well as blues, Latin, world, folk, and Americana programs. Every Monday night, we hosted a singer/songwriter night. People would gather in the attic of an old Victorian home. Downstairs was a pizza joint, and upstairs was a world full of music. That little radio station, KEOS 89.1 FM, is still going strong.
How do you do your life’s best work at Texas Health?
I enjoy learning from others and thinking of health care through many different lenses, while putting our patients first. I advocate daily that we use plain language when speaking with consumers and share educational tools help encourage evidence-based understanding, experience, and potential outcomes for patients and their families. Supporting this drives my passion for helping others. I am always looking for people to work with me on designing patient education.
By Judy Wiley • Posted February 4, 2020
