'Paying It Forward' with Piedmont Health's Tracy Belles

Welcome to “Paying it Forward,” a monthly interview series made possible by Piedmont Health. In this series, we hear from the folks at Piedmont about the importance of community health centers – and why they chose a career in community health.

This month, Aaron welcomes Tracy Belles, the intake coordinator for Piedmont’s PACE program, whose offices in Pittsboro and Burlington work with nearly 300 families combined – with room to grow.

“We want to embrace individuals who want to remain in the community, live in their homes, (and) stay as independent as possible,” Belles says of PACE (which stands for “Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly”). “We partner with them, we help them with resources, and we do that through a team-based approach: we have a whole care team (to) surround them and also to support caregivers who are caring for them.”

Click here for more information about the PACE program at Piedmont Health Services.

It was Belles’ own personal experience that led her to her current job: she used to work with children, but after serving as a caregiver for her mother, she says she realized she wanted to focus on working with elderly patients and their caregivers.

“A lot of people don’t think they can do it,” she says of caregiving – which can be extremely taxing and stressful. “But PACE has an approach where we just want to embrace you (and) follow this journey with you…

“I was a caregiver, so I’ve walked many of the (same) journeys: you burn out and nobody’s there asking you, ‘are you okay?’ You know, my mother was very well cared for, but I was burning out at all ends when I was doing it…and when I interviewed at PACE, one of the things that stuck with me is (how) the team stays with you on this journey. And I was like, ‘oh, my goodness, you would have been there.’ I would have known people. They would have been there supporting me. My mother would have been comforted by the people around her. I would have been able to spend more intentional time with my mother versus getting to the appointments, getting her dressed, all these things where PACE can come in and help. I would have had a break to be able to do the things I wanted to do, keeping myself healthy, because I knew that she would’ve been cared for. So that really hit home for me.”

Now, Tracy Belles has the opportunity every day to provide that care and support to patients and caregivers and families, with first-hand knowledge about how important and life-changing it can be.

“The most rewarding thing is seeing the participants when they come in, and I can go out and engage with them and see the difference that we have made,” she says. “Listening to the phone calls from caregivers and understanding how we’re supporting them, and the relief you see on their face. They light up my day. I love every aspect of the program. I’m truly blessed to be employed there.”

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news and local voices in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday morning, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck chats with government officials, UNC scholars, business and nonprofit leaders, area musicians, and others in our community as they share their thoughts, their experience, and their expertise on the central issues of today. Click here to listen back to all of Aaron’s conversations – and tune in to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” at 7:30 a.m. on 97.9 The Hill to hear those conversations live.

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‘Paying It Forward’ with Piedmont Health’s Tracy Belles

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