At the front desk, doors open for patients and staff alike
Last year, 53,000 patients turned to OneWorld for their health care needs. The first stop for many patients? A front desk.
Whether at an office within the OneWorld Livestock Exchange Campus, or at one of the satellite clinics, patients look to the person behind the front desk for direction, information and sometimes reassurance.
“Looking around at how the environment is, you’re going to be the first contact with the patients when they come to the clinic,” said Patricia “Pathy” Paniagua, Operations Supervisor – Front Desk. “So it’s very important to keep it kind and compassionate, because we don’t know what they’re going through. It’s important for us to provide that quality of service.”
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To Patricia “Pathy” Paniagua, the OneWorld front desk doesn’t just set the tone for patients on their way to an appointment. It’s a place where, for employees, a passion for the work can spark professional growth and fulfillment.
Paniagua, who serves as Operations Supervisor – Front Desk, con
nected with OneWorld nearly a decade ago while taking classes at the Learning Community Center of South Omaha. From there, she applied for – and landed – a front desk position at OneWorld. That role introduced her to the health care sector and offered her a chance to practice English.
She didn’t expect to eventually become a supervisor.
“It was definitely an adventure for me, a really good one,” Paniagua said. “I feel really blessed and lucky to work here. I have amazing coworkers. I love helping people … and I feel like that is the ultimate goal for me, to serve others and give what they deserve.”
As a supervisor, Paniagua mentors the Patient Registration Specialists who work at the Livestock Exchange Campus (another supervisor oversees front desks at other OneWorld locations). She said she shares some of her story with team members to inspire their own journey of learning and growth.
Estrellita Mata is a Patient Registration Specialist who came to her role in 2022. She heard about the job from her sister, who works at another front desk at OneWorld. The job sounded interesting to her; she wanted to learn new skills in a different environment from past jobs.
Gaining medical knowledge appeals to Mata. While OneWorld training helped her build proficiency in tasks like using electronic health records, office equipment and payment systems, she said she still learns something every day at the front desk because she interacts with everyone from the social work to nursing teams.
Training also emphasizes strong customer service. Front desk staff often need to be ready to solve problems, ask smart questions and connect patients with the appropriate resources. For example, Mata said patients sometimes arrive frustrated after having been turned away from other clinics. In those moments, she strives to provide information that will help.
“That is one of my favorite, favorite feelings. It’s the feeling of accomplishment that I helped somebody get what they need,” Mata said.
That compassionate approach to the patient experience flows from Paniagua too. Even if the front desk team isn’t able to fully solve an issue for a patient, she said offering kindness and a listening ear can help change someone’s day.
“I feel very proud to be part of this team because I started in this team, and now I’m the one helping them to be successful,” Paniagua said. “At the end of the day, we are a team, and we are here to support each other and follow the mission that we have at OneWorld. To help the community.”