Our aspirations are often shaped by our life experiences. Throughout my life, I have had several impactful personal and educational experiences that have given me the unique opportunity to see the link between physical and mental health. I have an extensive and complex medical history that sparked my interest in the medical field. In my early to mid-20s, I experienced various serious medical issues related to a rare genetic condition. Because of this condition, I’ve undergone several major surgeries, including a left adrenalectomy and four open-heart surgeries. These resulted in multiple complications, including coding, internal bleeding, and stroke. During this time, I had genetic testing done that revealed a genetic deletion responsible for tumor growth, along with other health conditions. These experiences helped me gain in-depth knowledge of cardiology, endocrinology, and genetics, and that knowledge ignited a passion for understanding physical health. I’ve also been fortunate to have close friends and family who are nurses and doctors. They helped me develop a working understanding of the medical field, which has played a big role in helping me better understand what’s happening in my body. Over the last six years, I’ve had unique encounters with several doctors who’ve expressed a desire to have someone like me on their medical teams because of the insight I bring through both education and life experience. These moments have only strengthened my desire to help heal bodies and heal souls in the medical field. Through my experiences, I’ve been able to help others navigate their own medical challenges—offering support, insight, and encouragement to advocate for themselves. Recently, in a Facebook group I belong to for open-heart surgery patients, one member wrote something that struck me deeply: “I’m not the same. I still look the same with the added scar down my chest, but I am not the same. That person you remember, I am not the person anymore. I was prepared only for the physical side of this surgery and recovery. No preparation for the mental, emotional, and personality changes. Most days I barely recognize myself and let me tell you that is very confusing for me. I am not the same. I’m no longer that person from the day of that surgery… some days I am sad… some days I am angry… some days I am confused… some days I am all of those things and I don’t know why.” This powerful statement perfectly captures why I believe Behavioral Health Integration is so crucial for the success of patients being treated and served in healthcare today. For decades, the medical field has focused primarily on the physical side of health and often neglected the behavioral and emotional needs of the patient. But to truly care for someone, we must aim to heal both body and soul. Healing the soul, to me, includes addressing the behavioral health aspects of each patient’s experience. If the future of healthcare truly wants to address the complex needs of patients, medical and behavioral health providers must work together. Treating the whole patient means clinicians and practitioners consistently consulting with each other on how to best serve the person in front of them—not just based on their diagnoses, but also considering their mental health and social and economic circumstances. Most patients are facing multifaceted challenges that one provider alone cannot meet. It takes a team that’s willing to collaborate and draw from the full strength of the healthcare system. That’s the kind of care I want to be part of—where we don’t just treat symptoms, but truly support the whole person.

Before I applied for my Master's in Social Work program, I underwent emergency open-heart surgery in 2016 to remove what would be the first of 6 internal cardiac tumors. During that surgery, I coded on the operating table for 12 minutes and miraculously did not have any deficits. I applied for my masters after that surgery because I learned life is too short. Each subsequent year until 2019, I would have another open heart surgery for the same type of tumor, and multiple would present with their challenges, including having a stroke and internal bleeding after surgery. Two of those surgeries would occur while I was in graduate school. However, I learned that in the medical world, there were few to no mental health questions or discussions about each situation. These experiences opened my eyes to the disparity in this area of mental health and medical care. By obtaining my Doctor of Behavioral Health, I plan to integrate behavioral health into cardiovascular clinics to address the needs of patients with various complex cardiac conditions and those undergoing cardiothoracic surgeries. In endocrinology clinics, meet with patients newly diagnosed with multiple endocrine disorders who need to make significant life changes to manage those disorders—oncology clinics to support cancer patients. Transplant teams to support patients with new lifestyles and changes their bodies will undergo. Overall, these patients need support on multiple fronts that are not being addressed in many of the current ways they are being treated in the general healthcare sector. I am passionate about this area due to specific experiences I have had in my own life. Not everyone has been as fortunate as me to be in a healthy mental state, where they can grow from challenges or have a support system to buoy them up during the difficult times they go through. Recently, in a Facebook group that centers around open heart surgery patients, a member shared, "I'm not the same. I still look the same with the added scar down my chest, but I am not the same. That person you remember, I am not the person anymore. I was prepared only for the physical side of this surgery and recovery. There is no preparation for the mental, emotional, and personality changes. Most days, I barely recognize myself, and let me tell you, that is very confusing for me. I am not the same. I'm no longer that person from the day of that surgery… Some days I am sad… Some days I am angry… Some days I am confused… Some days, I am all those things, and I don't know why… I am not the same!" The quote from the previous paragraph discusses why behavioral health integration is crucial for the success of patients treated and served in healthcare. For decades, the medical field has focused on the physical aspect of healthcare and neglected the patient's mental/behavioral health aspect. To adequately care for the patient, we must heal the body and heal the soul.

Ripple effects is a term I came to love; I had an experience where someone made the point that there are situations where there are no silver linings. I have lived several experiences that illustrated the idea of ripple effects. I applied to start my Master's in Social Work after emergency open-heart surgery in 2016 to remove what would be the first of 6 internal cardiac tumors. During that surgery, I coded on the operating table for 12 minutes and miraculously did not have any deficits. Each subsequent year until 2019, I would have another open heart surgery for the same tumor regrowth, and multiple would present with their own challenges, including having a stroke and internal bleeding after surgery. There were no mental health questions or discussions with each situation. These experiences opened my eyes to the disparity in this area of mental health and medical care. Recently, in a Facebook group that centers around open heart surgery patients, a member shared, "I'm not the same. I still look the same with the added scar down my chest, but I am not the same. That person you remember, I am not the person anymore. I was prepared only for the physical side of this surgery and recovery. There is no preparation for the mental, emotional, and personality changes. Most days, I barely recognize myself, and let me tell you, that is very confusing for me. I am not the same. I'm no longer that person from the day of that surgery… Some days I am sad… Some days I am angry… Some days I am confused… Some days, I am all those things, and I don't know why… I am not the same!" The quote from the previous paragraph discusses why behavioral health integration is crucial for the success of patients treated and served in healthcare. For decades, the medical field has focused on the physical aspect of healthcare and neglected the patient's mental/behavioral health aspect. To adequately care for the patient, we have to heal bodies and heal souls. Healing the soul encompasses treating the behavioral health aspects of the patient. Attending school will allow me to support my daughter with her homework better and share time doing school work. This will also set an example for my daughter of the benefits of college and higher education while increasing my connection with her. My career goals in obtaining my Doctor of Behavioral Health include integrating behavioral health into cardiovascular clinics to address the needs of patients with various complex cardiac conditions and those undergoing cardiothoracic surgeries. In endocrinology clinics, meet with patients newly diagnosed with multiple endocrine disorders who need to make significant life changes to manage those disorders—oncology clinics to support cancer patients. Transplant teams to support patients with new lifestyles and changes their bodies will undergo. Overall, these patients need support on multiple fronts that are not being addressed in many of the current ways they are being treated in the general healthcare sector. Attending school will allow me to support my daughter more actively with her homework and share time doing schoolwork. This will also set an example for my daughter of the benefits of college and higher education and increase my connection with her.

"I'm not the same. I still look the same with the added scar down my chest, but I am not the same. That person you remember, I am not the person anymore. I was prepared only for the physical side of this surgery and recovery. There is no preparation for the mental, emotional, and personality changes. Most days, I barely recognize myself, and let me tell you, that is very confusing for me. I am not the same. I'm no longer that person from the day of that surgery… Some days I am sad… Some days I am angry… Some days I am confused… Some days, I am all those things, and I don't know why… I am not the same!" A member shared this in a Facebook group centered around open-heart surgery patients. This resonates with me with many other complex medical conditions and surgical procedures. The quote from the previous paragraph discusses why behavioral health integration is crucial for the success of patients treated and served in healthcare in specialty clinics. For decades, the medical field has focused on the physical aspect of healthcare and neglected the patient's mental/behavioral health aspect. When patients get diagnosed with complex conditions or undergo major surgeries, and they have a successful outcome. From a medical standpoint, there is nothing left to do. To adequately care for the patient, we have to heal bodies and heal souls. Healing the soul encompasses treating the behavioral health aspects of the patient. I am passionate about this area due to specific experiences I have had in my own life. Not everyone has been as fortunate as me to be in a healthy mental state, where they can grow from challenges or have a support system to buoy them up during the difficult times they go through. My career goal in obtaining my Doctor of Behavioral Health includes bringing a behavioral health integration program into specialty clinics and helping them successfully address the needs of those populations. Currently, behavioral health integration primarily occurs in primary care clinics. Most patients with complex needs see their specialists more frequently than primary care. This is due to needing more specific care that a primary care physician can provide. They may see their primary care provider for colds and yearly physicals. However, when they have significant issues, the specialists are the ones they will often reach out to. The specialists frequently know more about these patients than the primary care providers, yet they don't have the same mental health resources as easily accessed. I plan to integrate behavioral health into cardiovascular clinics to address the needs of patients with various complex cardiac conditions and those undergoing cardiothoracic surgeries. In endocrinology clinics, meet with patients newly diagnosed with multiple endocrine disorders who need to make significant life changes to manage those disorders—oncology clinics to support cancer patients. Transplant teams to help patients with new lifestyles and changes their bodies will undergo. Overall, these patients need support on multiple fronts that are not being addressed in many of the current ways they are being treated in the general healthcare sector. This would be a success for me by helping patients who can be overlooked and fall through the cracks by bringing mental health care into specialty clinics, thus providing more comprehensive care.

In 2017, I started my Master's in Social Work degree online through the University of Nevada Reno. I applied to this program after my emergency open-heart surgery in 2016 to remove what would be the first of 6 internal cardiac tumors. During that surgery, I coded on the operating table for 12 minutes and miraculously did not have any deficits. Each subsequent year until 2019, I would have another open heart surgery for the same tumor regrowth, each presenting with its own challenges. With the second one, we were moving and living in my parent's basement, and I was in my second semester of completing my Master's in Social Work. The third was with my second to last semester of my Masters degree, and I had a stroke in the middle of the night. My fourth surgery was in Houston, Texas, on the recommendation of the surgeon in my home state of Utah. My fourth surgery was a year after graduating with my Masters Degree and working full time in a health care system in Northern Utah. These experiences opened my eyes to the disparity in this area of mental health and medical care. My career goals in obtaining my Doctor of Behavioral Health include bringing a behavioral health integration program into specialty clinics within the healthcare network I am employed in and helping make it successful in addressing the needs of those populations. I am passionate about this area due to specific experiences I have had in my own life, and I feel not everyone has been as fortunate as me to be in a healthy mental state, where they can grow from challenges or have a support system to buoy them up during the difficult times they go through. Recently, in a Facebook group that centers around open heart surgery patients, a member shared, "I'm not the same. I still look the same with the added scar down my chest, but I am not the same. That person you remember, I am not the person anymore. I was prepared only for the physical side of this surgery and recovery. There is no preparation for the mental, emotional, and personality changes. Most days, I barely recognize myself, and let me tell you, that is very confusing for me. I am not the same. I'm no longer that person from the day of that surgery… Some days I am sad… Some days I am angry… Some days I am confused… Some days, I am all those things, and I don't know why… I am not the same!" The quote from the previous paragraph discusses why behavioral health integration is crucial for the success of patients treated and served in healthcare. For decades, the medical field has focused on the physical aspect of healthcare and neglected the patient's mental/behavioral health aspect. To adequately care for the patient, we have to heal bodies and heal souls. Healing the soul encompasses treating the behavioral health aspects of the patient. I plan to integrate behavioral health into cardiovascular clinics to address the needs of patients with various complex cardiac conditions and those undergoing cardiothoracic surgeries. In endocrinology clinics, meet with patients newly diagnosed with multiple endocrine disorders who need to make significant life changes to manage those disorders—oncology clinics to support cancer patients. Transplant teams to support patients with new lifestyles and changes their bodies will undergo. Overall, these patients need support on multiple fronts that are not being addressed in many of the current ways they are being treated in the general healthcare sector.

I have had two life-changing experiences, from divorce and suicidal ideations and multiple near-death medical experiences. The first was when I was in middle school, and my parents were going through a divorce. I felt a sense of ownership due to the financial burden I felt my parents had from medical expenses from my infancy. During this time, I was experiencing depression, suicidal ideations, and the beginnings of an eating disorder. I reached out to friends and confided in them, which, unfortunately, resulted in my parents no longer allowing me to be friends with their children. Fortunately, during this time, I demonstrated resiliency and grit. I was able to push through with the support of my father, who was always willing to listen and offer support despite his struggles with depression and suicidal ideations. This is where my passion for mental health began, and I wanted to be able to help others make it through the most challenging situations in life. I pursued my Bachelor's in Social Work and received that degree in 2012. I intended to get my Master's in Social Work immediately after. However, life had a plan that went differently than I thought. I would not obtain my Master's for 6 years after receiving my Bachelor's. In the spring of 2016, I was diagnosed with a cardiac tumor that required emergency open-heart surgery due to the critical nature of the tumor and its location within my heart. During this surgery, I coded for 12 minutes, and my family was told that it was uncertain the state I would wake up from surgery. Again, fortunately, I did not have any defects from coding during surgery. This experience taught me that life is far too short to put off our dreams and aspirations. I applied for my master's Degree and started the following spring. This is not where my story ends, though. During my master's program, I had an additional two tumors and two open heart surgeries. The first was uneventful, besides moving at the same time; the second one, however, I had a stroke and was in the hospital for 2 weeks. After the third surgery, I would graduate in August of 2018 with my Master's in Social Work and would begin working in the behavioral health field. With each surgery, my anxiety increased due to the risk of not surviving due to the fragility of the heart and surrounding tissues. In 2018, with the third surgery, I began the work-up for a heart transplant due to concerns about how frequently I was growing tumors and requiring open-heart surgery. I was also having monthly cardiac MRIs in the hope if another tumor grew, the doctors would be able to catch it sooner. In July 2019, another tumor was found, and surgery was decided to go to Houston, Texas, to have surgery performed by a world-renowned surgeon who would reconstruct the internal parts of my atriums. During this surgery, my anxiety increased due to the increased risk, and I remember struggling more than I had in the past. Facing your own mortality is an interesting experience; there was not so much the fear of death but more the fear of those we leave behind. These experiences have increased my passion for mental health and my desire to bring mental health care to those with complex and complicated medical issues. Often, those with complex and challenging medical problems slip through the cracks and are seen as "you survived, aren't you fortunate." This has led me to further my education to gain a Doctorate in Behavioral Health, to study Integrated Behavioral Health care more in-depth, and to work with medical professionals to treat the whole patient. Behavioral health providers and physicians must work more as a team to improve patient outcomes by evaluating how to reinforce positive behavioral changes to improve patient adherence to recommendations.