Employee spotlight: Megan Mogavero, family nurse practitioner

Megan Mogavero, a family nurse practitioner at Evergreen’s 206 S. Elmwood location, provides unconditional care to our primary care patients.

Megan sees anywhere from 12-20 patients a day, and she certainly stays busy: “I’m on the move from the moment I get here most days,” she says. “I make decisions on care plans that will help my patients achieve their goals. I collaborate with nurses, labs, pharmacies, doctors and medical case managers to help patients when needed. Paperwork is a big part of the job, but seeing my patients throughout the day is my favorite part.”

Megan loves working at Evergreen because of the real difference she makes in the lives of her patients. “The best part about primary care is that you get to follow an individual for however long they stay with the practice. You can meet someone at their lowest point and help them get to a better spot. I’ve had patients come see me when they’re at rock bottom and after a few months or years they’ve got the support they needed to create to a better life. I have patients that tell me I helped save their life or get them on a better path, and when I hear that it makes me realize the difference that I make. It’s a wonderful feeling.”

Many of the patients our providers see have been underserved by the healthcare system or face barriers to getting healthcare. “Some of the biggest challenges in healthcare are insurance, affordability and access to care,” Megan said. “Being an inner-city clinic is great because patients can walk or take public transportation to get here. Not all practices are like that.”

She continues, “As a provider I have to be aware of where a patient lives and their proximity to specialists before I refer them, because if they can’t make it to those practices, they won’t be able to be treated. Same goes for insurance. If a patient’s insurance doesn’t cover a needed medication, we have to find a solution so they get the care they need. Luckily, Evergreen has great programs to help with this.”

Because Evergreen is a community health center, we don’t turn anyone away from getting the care they need due to an inability to pay. The mission of health centers like us is to make sure everyone has unconditional access to the medical care and supportive services they need.

When patients come to us uninsured or underinsured, our Financial Counseling Center is here to help them get the coverage they need. Beyond insurance, we have a variety of services to address other factors that can prevent people from getting care, like homelessness, substance use, food insecurity and mental health concerns.

This is Megan’s first nurse practitioner position, though she worked in the healthcare field prior to coming to Evergreen. “I worked in a hospital as a registered nurse in the ICU. I loved being in the hospital, but Evergreen’s culture is much different, and for the better. It feels more collaborative and more like a family here. We work closer together and everyone has each other’s best interests in mind. We all want to help our patients thrive. I’m proud to be a part of this organization and love telling people what I do and who I work for.”

Outside of work, Megan is a Bills fan, Disney lover and cross-country traveler: “I have Bills season tickets, play fantasy football and have tailgate parties. I have a map of the USA and each state I go to I scratch off (I’m at 25 states!) I’m a huge Disney fan and take a trip to Disney World almost every year. I enjoy being outside and active whether it’s at home, traveling or playing sports.”

We’re proud to have Megan on our team! If you want to learn more about our open positions, benefits, and what it’s like to work at Evergreen, visit evergreenhs.org/careers.