Staff profile: Perla Quiroz
Perla worked in various roles at the Multnomah County Health Department off and on for many years. When her position was eliminated due to a funding shortfall, she became a self-employed interpreter.
Because of her work with the county, she had many clients in need of her services, but Perla felt the pull to be part of a community-focused organization. She answered a help-wanted ad from Project Access NOW. And we’re so glad she did.
Perla’s primary responsibilities are to manage the calls that come through our pharmacy line and to help coordinate the Pharmacy Bridge program. She also answers the main line and provides support to the care coordination team. Perla likes the fact that her responsibilities are in line with her future career objective to become a pharmacist. She’s currently taking classes to complete the prerequisites to enter a pharmacy program.
In addition to her role with Project Access NOW and her school work, Perla works weekends at Parkrose Family Dentistry.
Perla’s interests outside of work and school include being a mother to her three boys, aged 9, 13, and 15. She also enjoys music and performing as part of the Aztec dance group, Ollin Yoliztli, which translates to “new fire dance and movement for life.” The group performs all over the metro area at events throughout the year. And each spring, she performs as a member of an informal acting troupe of former college classmates that produces plays for communities all over the state, to raise funds for various women’s and Latino causes.
When asked what motivates her to work at Project Access NOW, Perla says, “I’ve been there. I know what it is like to need help. There have been people in my past who have helped me and I consider them to be angels. I want to be that angel for someone else.”
(January 2012)
