MEET MOSAIC: Elva Lopez, Community Health Worker

Elva Lopez has lived in Central Oregon almost her entire life and has been a Mosaic employee for 20 years! She was Mosaic’s first front desk receptionist and Spanish interpreter. For the last 15+ years she’s been a Community Health Worker, working directly with Mosaic patients to help them navigate healthcare and social services systems.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what inspired you to join Mosaic?

A bit about myself: Been living in Prineville for 28 years. Back in the early kid years, there were not a lot of Hispanic families in Madras where I grew up so people would come to our house and ask my mother if I could help with forms/paperwork or interpreting which I really enjoyed doing. Fast forward to today, I still help others with forms/paperwork, interpreting and much more. So when we actually think about it, I’ve been a community health worker since I was a kid! Twenty years ago, my boys were folkloric dancers at the first Ochoco Community Clinic (Mosaic) grand opening and heard they were hiring a bilingual person for the front desk. I applied and the rest is history!

What has been the biggest change at Mosaic since you joined and what is it about Mosaic that has inspired you to stay for so many years?

Biggest change for Mosaic is all the locations patients can access healthcare. What keeps me here are the coworkers I have, and have had the privilege of working with, and the patients we help. My heart gets full when even one out of 25 people appreciates what we have done or tried to do for them.

What’s most exciting to you when you think about Mosaic’s future?

All of the wrap around services we offer for patients, and of course, dental!

Come celebrate 20 years of providing quality care for all with dedicated employees like Elva at Mosaic’s 20th Anniversary Jamboree at the High Desert Music Hall in Redmond on Sept. 23! RSVP here!