Meet Patti Nieves - the "Other Half" of HH!

Patti Nieves is the other half of Heartwood Health, and an essential half at that. Her skills range from interpreter, to outreach specialist, to hypnotherapist (that’s right!). Patti lives in the Santa Clara area with her partner of nearly 30 years and their two dogs. Hispanic outreach, volunteering, and health care have always been close to her heart.

With her background as a pharmacy technician, Patti started working at Stanford Children’s Hospital in the 1980s when the field was still in its infancy. While working in a sterile environment, compounding various medications, and producing intravenous fluids, Patti became an expert in the field of pharmacy preparation.

Patti moved on to the work that would ultimately define her; working as a unit assistant in a hematology-oncology unit. Spanish is her first language, and Patti soon found herself flip-flopping between her role as a unit assistant and an interpreter when Spanish-speaking families came to the hospital and needed assistance to better understand their disorder, complexities and the medical directions they were given. When a good friend decided to start a company specializing in hemophilia and other chronic disorders, Patti decided to work in the hemophilia industry full time. As her role developed, she began volunteering for the Hemophilia Foundation of Northern California, assisting with the development of outreach and advocacy programs especially within the Hispanic community. It was while volunteering that Patti and I first met and I was immediately struck by her dedication and compassion for the work that she was doing educating, supporting and advocating for those with a chronic illness, while accessing the complexities of the health care system.

Patti worked for her home health company through four different acquisitions, but as it grew bigger and eventually became “corporate America”, she decided to make a change. She didn’t want to be confined by the corporate limitations and impersonal practices. With our shared viewpoint and goals of reaching out to a broader population, Patti and I then ventured on to start Heartwood Health together.

Patti’s immediate goal for Heartwood Health has been and continues to be making sure we are visible to the community that needs us to understand the type of work we do, providing support and guidance as they manage their health. Patti says it best:

“We want people to understand that we’re not just a typical company, that we are really truly here to help individuals and families. It is the most important part of what we do and who we are. We want our clients to understand and be aware that we are the company that really does care.”