"My heart has always been dedicated to serving others. I just have that innate desire to help."
When asked what she enjoys the most about her job, Rachel Lopez, Broadspire National Product Manager, Care Management responds with much ease. 鈥淚鈥檝e always had the passion to be a helper, especially to those who don鈥檛 know how to advocate for themselves or feel like they don鈥檛 have a voice,鈥� she says.
In her 20 years with Broadspire, Rachel has played an integral role in the lives of many injured workers. From coordinating the proper treatment to providing emotional support, she continuously goes the extra mile to help them on their road to recovery.
But for Rachel, serving others does not stop there. In her hometown of Mesquite, Texas, Rachel uses her skills from care management to make a difference through social work.
On March 31, 2021, Rachel was recognized for having served her local community in numerous capacities. In an intimate ceremony, Mesquite City Mayor Bruce Archer declared the date 鈥淩achel Lopez Day鈥� as she received the proclamation.
Becoming a voice for others and a champion of change
In 2005, Rachel founded the Hispanic Forum of Mesquite (HFM), an organization that seeks to provide communication opportunities for issues affecting the Hispanic community in their city. She says it began out of the necessity to provide a platform for the Hispanic community to be heard in their town. Eventually, its purpose evolved and began to focus on education and community involvement. Through the organization, she has helped provide over $56,000 worth of scholarships to support Hispanic youth to pursue higher education and has provided a means for educational growth among its members.
鈥淓ver since I was young, I鈥檝e always had an aspiration to do things on a bigger level,鈥� she states. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 at work, within the community, or at the state level, I knew I wanted to do something more for others.鈥�
Throughout the past couple of years, Rachel has also given her time to work with many other organizations and agencies, including serving as a member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Tree Board and the City of Mesquite Firefighters鈥� and Police Officers鈥� Personnel/Trial Board and Civil Service Commission. She has also worked with several municipal departments and key officials on various initiatives.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to get involved and to give back,鈥� she emphasizes. 鈥淕et to know the people in the city, understand the why鈥檚, be a part of the process, and be a champion of change.鈥�
Finding the parallel in career and community
While the roles she plays vary in scope, Rachel says there are many parallels.
鈥淎s care managers, we鈥檙e always advocating for others. That鈥檚 our job 鈥� to make sure our clients are well taken care of 鈥� and we do that by understanding the unique factors in each case.鈥�
Looking back over her 25+ years in the industry, she recounts one of the most memorable cases she鈥檚 handled. A large 6-foot man with a passion for truck driving was in a motor vehicle accident. As the accident resulted in him becoming paraplegic, Rachel coordinated to get him into a new, fully modified home, connected him with a nutritionist to help him understand the diet appropriate for his diabetes, and coordinated in-home care.
鈥淏ut what I am most proud of,鈥� Rachel looks back, 鈥渨as when I discovered a specialized type of wheelchair for persons with disability who like to go out. This man loved going fishing and being on the road, so his condition left him really depressed. But the moment he received the chair, his whole demeanor changed 鈥� it was like he became free.鈥�
Similarly, in her local community, Rachel often represents and advocates for others. Here, she applies her skills of being a good listener and thinking out of the box 鈥� skills that she has learned in care management 鈥� to help bring her community forward.
鈥淚鈥檓 frequently asked to speak on behalf of a group,鈥� she shares. 鈥淪o when I do, I have to know how things work, be cognizant of the policies, and so on. In the same way that I connect with physicians, therapists, and many other people for care management cases, I have the responsibility to connect people with local state officials and other contacts to help bring resolution to their situations.鈥�
But, it isn鈥檛 always easy. Case managers and those involved in social work both encounter all kinds of cases and people with different attitudes. And when things get difficult, Rachel comes back to the reason why she does what she does.
鈥�The things I do at work and in my community don鈥檛 come without their challenges,鈥� she admits. 鈥淏ut I鈥檝e never shied away from a challenge. Sometimes, these people just feel like they鈥檙e navigating through everything by themselves, so I hope to be that person who can help bring support and relief.鈥�
A continuing mission to serve
With this new accolade to add to her list of achievements, Rachel says there is still no stopping for her. She knows that because new cases will come in and the community won鈥檛 stop coming to her, her mission continues.
鈥淚 feel very blessed to be doing what I鈥檓 doing and that I love what I do for a living. It鈥檚 something very personal to me. This proclamation is humbling and I appreciate that the community did this for me. But at the end of the day, I do things not for recognition. I do it because I truly want to help others.鈥�
To read the full proclamation and watch the video of the ceremony for Rachel, click
