Dedicated to her profession

Danae Ciccone joined Fletcher Health and Rehabilitation Center in Tampa, FL. in July 2015 as a case manager. Her job covers all aspects of admissions, discharges, care assessments, and care-plans for both long-term and short-term residents.

Her first job right after high school was a dental assistant for five years and later worked for over 17 years in restaurant management. “I loved interacting with people whether it is the staff or customers,” she adds.

Danae wanted her life to move in a different direction and after much deliberation and discussion with her husband. “I decided to pursue a nursing career. I enrolled at the Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) and after eight long years of struggle, I finally completed my prerequisites for a nursing career. During my course, I got pregnant twice and had to take time off to bring up my kids. I had to juggle and find the right balance between career, family, and a job,” Danae says. She will begin her resident nursing (RN) course at PHSC next summer. Good luck Danae!

Working at Fletcher, Danae is getting to learn all about the healthcare industry. In her current role, she handles all the insurance companies like United, CarePlus and Hillsborough County Health Care Plan and many others. Her duties are to examine whether long-term or short-term residents qualify for care at Fletcher. “Right from the residents admission to discharge. I provide the residents and their family members the necessary support while reviewing their insurance plans. Whether they need nursing or physical therapy, reviewing the nurse’s notes, laboratory results, and other related care plans for the residents. I compile all this information and send them to the insurance companies for their assessments,” she notes.

“It is always challenging when you work with the insurance industry. They have rules, regulations, and requirements that one has to meet and ensure that the resident’s care is covered by their insurance,” Danae adds.

Danae loves the challenges and the rewards that comes with her job. She loves that she can make a difference in the lives of the residents and their families. “My office door is always open for the staff, residents, and their family members. I’m here to listen to their problems or how their loved one is being cared for by us. I would walk through our care center and offer my words of wisdom for everyone,” Danae says.

“My Core Value is integrity. You got to have honesty and compassion for this job. I had a gentleman who was admitted at our care center and his wife worked long hours was not able to attend to his needs. I made sure he was taken care of. Understandably, his wife was under a lot of strain and I was glad I was able to relief that stress,” Danae recalls.

Danae has a 11-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter. On her days off, her family would spend time on the beach or watch their favorite movies. “Our Core Values are what we all live by and I apply those values to both my family and work,” Danae enthuses.