Inspired to care: Mi'chelle's story

When Mi’chelle Albaladejo, program coordinator of performance assurance with the Duke Population Health Management Office, was working as an auditor and then investigator with Child Protective Services years ago, she never imagined that she would land a career in health care.

However, there was one experience that pulled her into the field — and to Duke Health, specifically.

“My mom had gotten very sick out of the blue. It took us all by surprise,” said Mi’chelle.

Her mother’s unexpected illness had turned Mi’chelle’s family upside down and left them to navigate a multifaceted diagnosis.

“It was a very, very difficult time for me and my family, not just because of the emotional piece of it, but also the lack of knowledge of navigating a very complex health system,” said Mi’chelle. “We’re not medical providers, so there was this ongoing fear accompanied by not feeling like we had a lot of knowledge about what was going on and what all of this meant, not just for my mom’s health, but for our family.”

After receiving care elsewhere, Mi’chelle’s mother was transferred to Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, where she continued to improve. This was where Mi’chelle noticed something different.

“The doctors were great. They would explain to us everything that was going on. Then, amazing nurses would follow up with us and come in a few minutes later,” said Mi’chelle. “We had no idea what any of these things mean, or these numbers, or this lab work. It was all completely foreign. They sat there with us. These nurses sat there with us and explained everything in layman’s terms. They met us where we were.”

Mi’chelle saw, firsthand, her mother’s care team display their commitment to compassionate care.

The compassionate care Mi’chelle witnessed her mother receive at Duke Health sparked a new flame inside her. She solidified her decision to be part of that commitment to compassionate care.

The initial hesitation of moving her career into health care quickly turned into Mi’chelle’s mission, and in January 2020, Mi’chelle joined us as a population health specialist.

“Now, I can pay it forward with other families and other patients. Now, I can make sure that our patients are receiving the best care through evidence-based practices so that they can have improved health outcomes,” said Mi’chelle. “It’s my only way to honor the nurses, staff members, doctors, and my mom, who, because of the wonderful care she received at Duke, is still with us.”

As Mi’chelle progressed to her current role as program coordinator of performance assurance, she was met with support from her leaders and fellow team members.

“They allow me the space and the time for my role,” said Mi’chelle. “That space allows me to do the best work that provides the most accurate information, which will ultimately lead to decisions that promote positive health outcomes for patients. They’re very understanding about the nature of the work that I do.”

Originally from Puerto Rico, and with her experience working with different patient populations, Mi’chelle has not only found support for herself, but also the patients she works with here in a new way.

“When you’re working with the Hispanic, the Latino community, it’s a community that has different needs,” said Mi’chelle. “When language is a barrier, and I can personally relate to this within my family, because when we came to this country, my father spoke no English at all. So, that barrier, although he was college educated, prevented him from getting employment. It made things a little bit more challenging for my family.”