Happy National Nurse’s Month! We celebrate our nurses, such as Mia.
May is National Nurse’s Month. At Q Care Plus, we are fortunate to have a team of dedicated medical providers–including nurses–who make our patient-centric work possible and who always go above and beyond when tending to our patients. Mia Berry, a Registered Nurse at Q Care Plus, is an example of just one provider whose work has impacted the lives of patients across the country.
In honor of National Nurse’s Month, we want to highlight Mia’s journey so far at Q Care Plus.
Let’s Kiki
Q: What is your background/where what experience led you to this role?
A: I have been a nurse for almost 10 years. For the past 7 years I have worked in HIV clinics in both Baltimore (my hometown) and Atlanta. I’ve been a manager for 5 of those 7 years. I did bedside nursing for 2 years and wanted to have more of an impact on people in my community that were struggling to understand and manage their health.
Q: How long have you been with Q Care Plus?
A: I started with Q Care Plus in November 2021. One of my former colleagues started working with the organization, and thought I would fit in perfectly as a Registered Nurse!
Q: What about the HIV Prevention space appealed to you?
A: I love helping people, and I originally got into Public Health so that I could have one on one interactions with people who needed assistance navigating the healthcare system.
I started seeing younger patients contracting HIV, and I knew it was because most of them were naïve as to how the virus is spread and didn’t have the support in their lives to ask appropriate questions about prevention.
It made me more passionate about wanting to educate as many people as I could, as often as I could.
Q: What are you most proud of that you’ve accomplished in your role so far?
A: I’m proud to have provided the support that Q Care Plus needed, not only for our staff, but for our patients as well. I make myself available to help with the problems and assist in finding a solution.
Q: What stands out to you the most in Q Care Plus’s work that you truly believe will change the way people get HIV preventative medication?
A: Telemedicine is the new way of healthcare!
Q Care Plus gives patients the ability to test, see a provider, and obtain medication from the privacy of their homes. The barriers that other clinics face, such as transportation, taking time off from work to see a provider, or just promising discretion about accessing PrEP to their patients, is diminished because of this wonderful service.
Q: What sets Q Care Plus apart from other providers, in your opinion?
A: The fact that we are throughout the U.S. in regions where PrEP services are few and far between has allowed our patients to still get the care that they want and need. We currently offer so many of the services that brick and mortar facilities offer, such as labs and medication. But we also offer Care Teams which will give each person a team of professionals who will work together to address their needs in an efficient and timely manner.
Q: Outside of providing access to medication, what is something Q Care Plus has done/accomplished that you are proud of?
A: The speed at which we have grown in the few months that I’ve been here is AMAZING!
The need to offer this service in more states so that we can help with “Ending the HIV Epidemic” was crucial. The name is getting around and as I speak with more people in different parts of the U.S., they are impressed with the services that we offer and, oftentimes, we are commended for the fine job that we are doing.
Q: What is one thing you want people to know about HIV prevention work or a myth that exists within the space?
A: So many people are not aware of what PrEP is and what it does. I educate friends, family, and people in the community whenever the need arises.
The biggest myth that I get from people is, “If someone I’m dating has HIV, I’m done dating them. I’m not going to let someone give me HIV.”
They don’t believe that one pill a day can prevent them from getting infected with HIV themselves. I often equate PrEP to birth control for women….one pill a day can prevent a woman from getting pregnant. Then, they get it! They then start to think that my job is intriguing and tell me how wonderful it is that we are impacting so many lives.
Rapid Fire Fun Questions:
- What is your go-to Karaoke song? Can we Talk? by Tevin Campbell.
- What show are you binging right now? Not a TV person, but the last one was the new Fresh Prince series.
- Coffee or tea? Both…everyday…Coffee to start my day…tea to finish it!
- Drag Race or Queer Eye? Queer Eye.
