Yolanda Jones believes God placed her in her role at Riley Children's Health's maternal fetal medicine clinic where she uses her empathy and compassion to help mothers facing immense joy or devastating pain. No matter the outcome of their pregnancies, the medical assistant is there with a genuine smile and respect for the patient.
By: Courtney Finafrock, social media senior videographer, cfinafrock@iuhealth.org
Yolanda Jones began her career in the maternal fetal medicine clinic at Riley Hospital four years ago. She said IU Health's vision and values are what led her to apply for the certified clinical medical assistant job.
"Especially where I work at right now, it's high-risk pregnancies, maternal fetal medicine, and these women, they can come in one way, all excited, full of glee and come out the exact opposite," Jones said. "You have to have a servant's heart for that; you have to empathy on another level and compassion on another level."
Jones enjoys the practical parts of the job: escorting patients to rooms, preparing them for the appointment, and for whatever orders the providers have requested. But there is an aspect of her medical assistant role that Jones said connects to her faith.
"I can actually express my faith and there's a lot of patients that do come in here with the same kind of faith, some no, but I am able to incorporate what I know about the Lord in order to gravitate towards these patients and to help them through their toughest times of grief," Jones said. "The Holy Spirit does activate and I'm able to give the words that they need to hear."
Jones reflected on the complex situations many patients who enter the clinic find themselves in. She said that is why the staff at all levels work hard to make the environment peaceful and uplifting.
"Some patients come in, they're already really anxious because they done lost five kids, miscarriage, stillborn, or they're in a domestic abuse relationship, they could be homeless, I've seen that," Jones explained. "That's why it's important that we can be the space that they can come into where they can be supported. They don't need to come into a space where they're judged. They get enough of that outside in the world."
Jones explained she has a knack for "reading the room" and knowing how to support each patient no matter how they feel during the appointment.
"You don't want to talk, you don't want to be bothered, that has nothing to do with me treating you with love, decency and respect," Jones said. "I'm still going to do that regardless."
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