Caring Career Spotlight: Imelda, Clinical Team Manager

For Imelda, some of the most meaningful moments in nursing come when a patient begins to believe that things can get better. She remembers working with a man who was hesitant to accept care and struggled to use the support available to him. Imelda and her team kept showing up, listening and working with him to find a way forward. Gradually, he became more involved in his care and made enough progress to avoid another hospital stay.

“Seeing that transformation and knowing our team played a role in improving his quality of life was incredibly rewarding,” Imelda says.

That experience reflects what has kept Imelda in nursing for more than 15 years: the chance to support people through difficult times and help them see what is possible.

Imelda joined Elara Caring as a registered nurse in 2009. Her work in direct patient care gave her a close look at the challenges patients and families face at home. As her career grew, she gained experience in care coordination and clinical operations before moving into her current role as a clinical team manager for behavioral health.

Today, Imelda supports a team of clinicians who care for people with behavioral health needs. While her day-to-day work has changed, she remains connected to the reason she chose nursing.

“My ‘why’ has always been helping people navigate some of the most challenging moments in their lives,” she says. “Nursing allows me to do that through care, advocacy, education and support.”

Behavioral health care has deepened Imelda’s belief in treating the whole person. A patient may need time to feel comfortable accepting care. They may be managing other health concerns alongside their behavioral health needs. Imelda sees patience, compassion and respect as essential to helping each person move forward.

In her leadership role, she can support patients in a new way: by helping her team provide consistent, thoughtful care. She enjoys working alongside clinicians who share ideas, learn from one another and stay focused on what each patient needs.

“Elara has given me opportunities to grow professionally while continuing to focus on compassionate, high-quality care,” she says. “I’ve been able to expand my impact from caring for individual patients to supporting an entire team.”

Supporting her team has given Imelda a new way to do the work she has always cared about. And when a patient begins to take part in their care, Imelda sees the impact of a team working together: one person, and one step forward, at a time.