By Barbara Pierce
Chandler Pritchard, 31, a registered nurse, is a universal health case manager for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in Utica. As May is Nurses Month, which celebrates the key role nurses play in health care, we wanted to learn more about Pritchard and honor the significant part she plays in health care for the Mohawk Valley.
Q: How did you become interested in a nursing career?
A.: In general, I knew I wanted a career in the health care field. I love the field of nursing because it has so many different career avenues that are possible. I could choose to work in inpatient care, outpatient care, administration or case management. I liked that I didn’t have to figure out a specific career path at the beginning.
Q: Can you tell us more about your position as universal health case manager for Excellus?
A.: I do outreach to our members. I meet them where they’re at, for support and follow-up. I make sure they know what’s available, what benefits may be available to them. And we discuss their options for treatment. If they enroll in the case management program, we take a holistic perspective, looking at their finances, transportation, support they have available. We consider all the possible resources for that person.
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield offers a free case management program for members with chronic or complex conditions. Registered nurses and social workers provide personalized care planning, goal setting, coordination with doctors and help overcoming health challenges. Members can engage with care managers for support with conditions like diabetes, heart failure or post-hospital recovery.
Q: What was your career path that led you to this position for Excellus?
A.: I’ve been at Excellus for two years. Before that, I worked at a psychiatric inpatient center in Syracuse. From that position, I worked in the outpatient long—term care unit, mostly giving injections of anti psychotic medication to psychiatric patients and addressing their problem behaviors.
Q: What training did you have?
A.: “I have a degree from Utica College, an accelerated BA in nursing.
Q: What do you especially enjoy about your nursing position?
A.: I love it! I get to meet members in the comfort of their home, not in a hospital. Being in a hospital is so stressful. I reach out to members, then leave it open to them to see what their needs are. I look at it from a holistic perspective and then figure out how I can help.
Q: What are the challenges?
A.: The main challenge is that, as I work in the commercial area with people who work, it’s hard to reach people because they’re at work. And it’s also hard to reach people because there are so many spam callers that people don’t want to answer their phone. The challenge is getting out the information that we’re available to give you whatever help you need.
Q: It sounds like a great opportunity for people to optimize their health care.
A.: Yes, it is. We help people become proactive instead of reactive.