Meet UConn Health Medical Assistant Breanna McConnell, 24, of Bristol.
She’s proudly been with UConn Health since 2019 when she began her two-month externship training, part of her Tunxis Community College’s Medical Assistant Program curriculum.
McConnell is now a full-time, highly-regarded medical assistant at UConn Health and an applauded example of the institution’s excellent clinical care workforce.
“She is great, and really is dedicated to quality care,” applauds Anne Horbatuck, COO of UConn Medical Group and Vice President of Ambulatory Services at UConn Health.
“We are lucky to have her!” shared Debbie Bugryn RN, MSN, APRN, director of Dermatology, Mohs Surgery, Dermatopathology at UConn Health.
“I’m honored!” says McConnell to represent her fellow MAs at UConn Health and to work for the organization caring for its dermatology patients with Dr. Jun Lu and dermatology resident Dr. Lorin Bibb. Together they care for patients at both 21 South Road and the Main buildings Psoriasis Center as well as the dermatology locations.
Why a career as an MA?
“I always knew I wanted to do something medical,” she shared. “I had always heard so many good things about UConn so that’s where I wanted to be for my MA program’s externship. I trained in Internal Medicine at UConn Health, and I really liked it here. Then I got a special-payroll temporary position at Employee Health with Dr. George Moore which was awesome too.”
McConnell took a chance and applied for a permanent MA post in UConn Health Dermatology. The very next day she received a call to interview, and a week later was offered a full-time MA position.
“I was so surprised to get the job since I was a brand new MA,” says McConnell who is so grateful for the opportunity to work with a new dermatologist provider and her team.
“I love Dr. Lu and our dermatology team,” she says. “They make me love coming to work every day. They are kind and so caring. We are like a family here at UConn Health. It’s the best. Everyone is here to help one another. Someone is always here to help me and step-in.”
Lu, a dermatology provider at UConn Health shared: “Bre always walks extra miles in taking care of patients, not only providing the best service during visits, but also working tirelessly behind the scenes after visits including phone calls, messages, refills, appointments, preauthorization and much more.”
And McConnell loves that at UConn Health patients really are the top priority.
“Patient care always comes first here which is awesome,” she exclaims.
As a critical part of the patient care team, as an MA McConnell makes sure all exam rooms are properly prepped and that her patients and providers are prepped to the fullest extent possible too.
“I bring our patients into the exam rooms and I make sure they are comfortable and ready for their appointments. I also then update the providers so they have all the latest patient information they need.”
And McConnell loves her job working with UConn Health’s patients.
“Medical Assistants are the patients’ first interaction,” says McConnell. “Patients confide in us. I’m there for each of them. I always aim to create a care environment of openness and trust.”
“Dermatology is a very high volume clinic with extremely high demands. But Bre always has an upbeat spirit,” adds Lu. “She truly practices that ‘patient care comes first’ and represents the best UConn offers. The quality of her work is outstanding. Her triages always include a summary of patient’s background and history which makes a physician’s job much easier.”
Each day as an MA McConnell comes to work with one goal.
“I just want to make my patients feel better,” she concludes. “And doing that is very rewarding at the end of the day.”
