Nurse
Mariya Gozenpud, RN
Registered nurse care coordinator
IndependenceFirst Inc.
Mariya Gozenpud, RN, is what some would call a “triple threat.” She is a nurse, an engineer and a businesswoman – a combination that has already come in handy in her career.
Gozenpud is a registered nurse care coordinator at IndependenceFirst Inc., an organization that provides services to promote independent living for people with disabilities.
Gozenpud advocates for her clients to ensure they receive the support they need to continue living within their homes and their communities.
“The most important tool I have in caring for clients is the relationships we build,” Gozenpud says. “I am the connection for the client to all the various pieces needed to keep them safe and comfortable living where they choose.”
She’s known for going above and beyond for clients. She has even created a pulley system for a client who lives alone that allows the client to pull herself upright in bed, transfer to a commode next to her bed for toileting, and then transfer herself back into bed on nights she doesn’t have a caregiver present to assist her.
Gozenpud is also a mentor with a wealth of knowledge and can navigate the complex system of care authorizations. She educates colleagues on how to best serve a population of individuals that require long-term care and guides them through her methods of fighting for insurance authorizations. This tried and true wisdom has proven invaluable to the dozens of nurses, hundreds of consumers and countless lives she has touched.