Gold Coast Health Plan | Looking Back On 2019

After I talked to Tami, I felt like I finally had someone I could rely on. She was able to get me the help I needed.” – Christopher Trejo, Gold Coast Health Plan member Scoring a goal for health Christopher Trejo, an avid soccer player, will get to spend his senior year playing the game he loves most. But a recent injury nearly kept him on the sidelines. When the high schooler’s knee surgery was postponed twice, his mother, Nuri Trejo, didn’t know where to turn for help. A friend advised her to reach out to Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) directly, and before long, she was speaking with Tami Spangler, nurse care manager. After her first call with Nuri, Tami jumped into action. She helped Christopher find a new primary care provider and orthopedic surgeon. “Her whole goal was to get the surgery needed to get her son fixed so he could do the things he wanted to do,” Tami said. “They had to put a lot of faith in me.” That faith was correctly placed, Nuri said. With the collaboration among Tami, Christopher’s new doctor and the orthopedic surgeon, they were able to schedule the surgery within a month. Tami also helped Nuri and her son navigate the health care system, which seemed daunting to them at first, Nuri said. Throughout the process, Tami repeatedly reached out to Nuri and her son, reassuring them that Christopher would receive the care he needed. “Tami has been there for me and has been checking in on us,” Nuri said. “Once I called GCHP, everything changed.” Christopher agreed. “After I talked to Tami, I felt like I finally had someone I could rely on,” he said. “She was able to get me the help I needed.” After the procedure, the stress the family had felt for several months went away. Christopher couldn’t believe he was finally on the road to recovery, Nuri said. “Mom, I’m finally done,” she recalled him telling her from his hospital bed. “They did it.” Because his surgery was scheduled so quickly, Christopher will be able to get back on the field for his senior year. “I just love high school soccer,” he said. For Tami, the experience fueled her drive to help members every day. “The reason we get into this business is to help people,” Tami said. “When you’re able to make a difference like this and contribute to someone’s well-being, that’s a win. Those situations are affirmation of why we do what we do.” Nuri Trejo; her son, Christopher; and GCHP nurse care manager Tami Spangler in Care Partners LOOKING BACK ON 2019