Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerika Mays.
Hi Jerika, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In the Spring of 2020, I went to lunch with a mentor and she mentioned that the Seager Memorial Clinic was looking to hire a part-time Executive Director. She introduced me to the clinic leadership and I ended up going on a tour. The fact that the Seager Memorial Clinic offers its services for free and doesn’t turn anyone away based on their income, residency, or citizenship status made me want to be part of this work. Everyone should have access to high-quality healthcare. Later that year the Seager Memorial Clinic posted the job and I applied and accepted the offer. It will be two years in January 2023.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The Seager Memorial Clinic has 2 part-time staff, myself included, and over 170 volunteers – l physicians and providers, dentists, nurses, medical assistants, phlebotomists, pharmacists, pharm techs, front desk, and others who volunteer their time and expertise. Managing that many volunteers can be tricky sometimes especially when we can’t find someone to fill a shift or there is a last-minute cancellation. Somehow it always works out and our volunteers rise to the occasion! We have the best volunteers!
The Ogden Rescue Mission generously donates space for the Seager Memorial Clinic in the basement. It’s approximately 750 square feet with a waiting area, vitals area, three exam rooms, a dental room, supply room, bathroom, and a medication room. If we arrange our clinic schedules carefully, we are able to make our current space meet our needs, but it’s very tight and we’ve outgrown our space. We often have two or three providers seeing patients at the same time, and it’s crowded.
With the support of the Michel Foundation and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, we were able to purchase a new building for the Seager Memorial Clinic in downtown Ogden. It’s 10x larger than our current space and will allow us to expand our hours of operation and offer additional free services such as preventative dental care and mental health counseling. We just finalized our floor plan and are excited to start renovations and launch a capital campaign in 2023! https://www.standard.net/news/health-news/2022/feb/24/seager-memorial-clinic-expanding-free-services-at-new-location/
On a personal level, I have 4-year-old twins and a 4-month-old at home. Trying to fit it all in – work, motherhood, and housework – can be quite the juggle. I’ve found that as I give my best effort and ask for help, I’m able to carry the responsibilities that can feel really heavy at times.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As the Executive Director of the Seager Memorial Clinic, I work towards the strategic goals set by my board of directors. I’m often writing grants, planning fundraising events, building partnerships, or supporting my Clinic Manager as she oversees everything happening in the clinic. The Seager Memorial Clinic provides physician/provider visits, dental care, mental health medication management, comprehensive diabetes management, custom prescription eyeglasses, immunizations, lab work, cancer screenings, and prescription and over-the-counter medications – all 100% free to our patients.
I love the connection, synergy, and shared purpose that comes when people come together for a common goal. This past November we partnered with the Utah Cancer Control Program, Intermountain Healthcare’s Mobile Mammography, Weber-Morgan Health Department, and Allen-Taintor Dermatology to provide health screenings for over 80 underserved patients as part of our 3rd Annual Health Screening Day. Over 40 volunteers provided life-saving screenings for serious diseases (HIV, hepatitis C, and diabetes) and cancers (breast, cervical, colon, and skin). We also provided much needed mental health screenings, dental cleanings, and immunizations!
I’m a lifelong learner. I learn something new every day. I’ve found that some of my best teachers are people who ask questions or challenge how things are being done. I try my best to listen.
I strive to make sure the people around me feel appreciated because it’s literally hundreds of people giving of their time, expertise, and financial resources that make it possible for us to provide free medical, dental, vision, and mental health care for the underserved.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
This is a good question. Christmas is on Sunday and I just watched the 1984 film – A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge’s former business partner, Jacob Marley, is all covered in chains and weights from a life only lived for himself. He laments, “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!” I think success is making mankind our business; collectively molding environments to help our brothers and sisters on this Earth live healthier lives. It’s living in harmony with one another and all living things.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.seagerclinic.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seagerclinic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seagerclinic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeagerClinic
