HealthStar Home Health has some pretty impressive employees with an extraordinary range of skills and backgrounds. From our Nurses and Caregivers in client homes providing one-on-one care, to our team of administrative professionals working “behind the scenes” to make sure operations are running smoothly, HealthStar has quite the team focused on providing the best care possible to our clients.
Today we recognize Sofiya Podberetskaya, Office Assistant out of the Inver Grove Heights office! Sofiya is celebrating her 1 year anniversary at HealthStar this month (HORRAY!) Since day 1, Sofiya has become a staple of the Inver Grove Heights office. Her duties go beyond helping keep the office in top-top shape. She’s become a master of recruiting and marketing. Sofiya has grown tremendously in her first year at HealthStar, and we’re SO excited to see where the next year takes her. That is why we are honored to spotlight Sofiya this month!
Q: What do you do at HealthStar? What does a typical day look like for you?
A: I am the Office Assistant at the IGH Branch. A typical day for me includes answering phones, processing paperwork, scheduling phone screens, interviews, orientations, and yearly annuals. Some days I also do yearly annuals with our employee’s where I review company policies with them as well as make sure that all of their trainings are up to date.
Q: Before working at HealthStar, what was the most interesting or unusual job you’ve ever had?
A: The most interesting job that I had before working for HealthStar was being a Grants and Development intern for a nonprofit called Cultivate International. I worked for them for a summer while I was still as student at Winona State University. My internship included me writing grant applications, doing research on grants that would be best suited for the client, as well as helping the Executive Director of Cultivate International with different tasks including helping write the organizations monthly newsletters, coming up with different ideas for social media posts as well as ideas for future fundraising and promoting the programs that Cultivate offers its clients. This internship gave me a glimpse of the nonprofit world and grants.
Q: How has HealthStar helped in your career development?
A: HealthStar has given me an inside look into the world of health care. I have learned so much working for HealthStar. I have learned the overall process of referrals, authorizations, service agreements, as well as how to navigate Devero, Allcare and Isolved. HealthStar has also taught me how to work with different types of people as well as how recruit people for employment. I have learned how to do phone screen as well as professional interviews. I have also learned so much from my Operations Manager about the marketing process for recruitment, how to create manageable goals, as well as how to become a good leader. They have taught me a lot and I am very grateful to them!
Q: If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing (except money), what would it be and why?
A: Shoes, because you can never have enough shoes!
Q: What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
A: I have been to six countries.
Q: What did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I wanted to be a journalist.
Q: What do you like to do when you aren’t working?
A: When I am not working I am working with local nonprofits to help improve the community, going to local art exhibits, hiking Minnesota’s best trails, and going to local coffee houses with friends for live music nights.
Q: Tell me about the best day you’ve had working at HealthStar.
A: The best day that I had working for HealthStar was my fourth day of work it was also the IGH branch holiday party. I got to meet every one in the office as well as learn a lot about the IGH office company culture that day while partaking in a holiday potluck and gift exchange.
Q: If you could be any fictional character, who would you be?
A: Elle Woods
Q: How do you define success?
A: Reaching a goal that means a lot to you or accomplishing something you’ve set out to achieve.