30 years in the Auburn clinic, PSR shares her top tips

One day at work, Patient Service Representative Judy Pickett-Lopez noticed a young man in the clinic’s waiting area kept looking at her kind of funny.

“Do I know him?” she thought.

Sure enough, he stopped by the desk and said, “I used to come into Pediatrics with my mom. Do you remember me?”

Then it clicked. Of course she knew him. It’s just now he was all grown up.

Pickett-Lopez has worked at the same building in Auburn, California, since 1991. She has been with UC Davis Health since 1996, when the health system incorporated several practices there, including the OB-GYN office where she worked.

“I got great benefits and didn’t want to leave!” she said. She wanted to continue growing and learning from great doctors who were willing to take the time to teach her.

Since then, she’s lent her skills to Pediatrics, Cardiology and Internal Medicine—all under the same roof. When she calls patients with appointment reminders or adjustments, they often know her by voice. “Judy, is that you?”

What motivates her

Auburn is a tight-knit community in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. Technically part of Placer County and the greater Sacramento metropolitan area, Auburn has a rich indigenous legacy, Gold Rush history and distinct culture all its own.

Pickett-Lopez enjoys being one of the links between her community and their health care. She has seen the town grow exponentially over four decades, but the things she loves about her job haven’t changed.

Her punctuality, kindness and dependability have earned the trust of both patients and colleagues, creating a welcoming and reassuring environment."—Alysa Oden, Auburn clinic manager

The Auburn primary and specialty care clinic has a smaller staff than most of UC Davis Health’s other offices.

“It’s more like a family than anything else,” she said. Her colleagues have each other’s phone numbers. If somebody's in trouble, they come together and try to help.

"Judy brings a wealth of knowledge, reliability and compassion to the patient experience," said Alysa Oden, Auburn clinic manager. "Her punctuality, kindness and dependability have earned the trust of both patients and colleagues, creating a welcoming and reassuring environment. We are grateful for her many years of dedication and commitment."

‘Enjoy the patients’

Besides checking patients in and out, she makes lab and radiology appointments, calls patients about follow-up items and reaches out to those who haven’t been seen for a few years. Occasionally she has to get creative when people show up and demand to be seen by a doctor.

“It's important that the patient feels like they've been heard and respected,” she said.

Most of the time, she’s able to work with the physicians and staff to help the patient that day—even if it’s just securing a sooner appointment.

“I try to put myself in their position. Everybody is going through something. I would want somebody to help me,” she shared. “I give credit to the Lord Jesus Christ who helps me do this job every day.”

She has one piece of advice for UC Davis Health employees looking to stay for the long-term: Enjoy the people you work with and enjoy the patients!