Elizabeth Gonda ’16 Discovered Her Love for Nonprofit Work at Hutchison

Hutchison Now highlights graduates early in their careers who embody how a Hutchison education can lead anywhere you can imagine. We spoke with Elizabeth Gonda ’16, a care manager at Healthfirst based out of New York who serves over 130 people and helps them with healthcare.
What is a typical day for you as a care manager?

My typical day involves reaching out to members on my caseload of approximately 135 elder adults. I complete a variety of assessments with them to address falls, mental health, and social determinants of doctors’ visits, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. I work with members to develop a care plan that is tailored to their healthcare goals. I empower members to best advocate for themselves in healthcare settings, often by using motivational interviewing and strengths-based perspectives. I have a handful of members who I have had on my caseload for nearly a year and have developed a strong rapport and helping relationship with these members.

In addition to maintaining relationships with members, I also collaborate with other professionals of all disciplines, including doctors, lawyers, nurses, and social workers. In the social work world, day-to-day work is often interrupted by an emerging crisis or a situation that warrants additional assistance. This might mean calling 911 while on a call with a member due to a health emergency, contacting a behavioral health crisis team if a member appears to be in mental distress, and filing Adult Protective Services reports for cases of elder abuse or neglect.

How did your Hutchison experience help you get to where you are today?

I discovered that I wanted to work in the nonprofit realm through my involvement in the Wilson Society and my internship with a local nonprofit. Hutchison’s community service requirements gave me ample opportunities to explore different organizations in the Memphis area as well.

You first started learning Spanish at Hutchison and continued studying the language at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Did you ever imagine you would use your language skills to serve people in different communities, from Knoxville to New York? 

My love for Spanish, which began at Hutchison with Señora Carter, inspired me to add Hispanic Studies as a secondary major at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. My knowledge of the Spanish language continues to support my current career goals as well. I have worked with a largely Spanish-speaking caseload throughout my university and professional careers. While in high school, I never thought that Spanish would be such a crucial component in my career, but I am thankful to Hutchison’s Spanish department for providing me with the skills to excel.

Do you have any unique stories of how you have changed someone's life?

When I think about particularly impactful cases, one comes to mind – we can call the member “Anne.” I received Anne on my caseload in January 2023, and she had a number of medical complications, repeated hospitalizations, and falls, as well as conditions such as diabetes, heart failure, fall risk, epilepsy, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. Anne has a daughter who works as her home attendant, and the daughter was continuously overwhelmed by the responsibilities and difficulty getting her mom’s health stabilized. I worked with Anne and her daughter to plan, educate, and prioritize; I spoke to Anne and her daughter multiple times a week. Anne had no primary care physician in place, was non-compliant with medications, and kept falling in the home. I worked with Anne and her daughter to get a PCP in place, educated them on the variety of medical conditions and signs and symptoms to seek medical attention, and ensured that they had the proper durable medical equipment to support safety in the community. 

Fast forward to now, I speak with Anne and her daughter once a month, Anne regularly sees her PCP and specialists, the calls are short and sweet, and there has not been a hospitalization in months. Both Anne and her daughter have thanked me for my diligence and patience while working with them, and I have noticed such an improvement in Anne’s overall well-being.

Social work can take a toll on those in the field. How do you stay grounded?

Implementing boundaries in all areas of my life is how I can maintain an ideal work-life balance. During the work day, I decompress from tough calls by venting to a coworker and listening to calming classical music. I have a list of clients that I can call if I need a little mood boost during the day. There are a few incredibly kind members, some that make me laugh, and many with interesting life stories. One of my clients even has a voicemail set up on each of her phones with an encouraging message, and it truly makes my day when I get to hear it. 

Something I am working on is not thinking or talking about work outside of work hours. I think this is especially difficult since I work from home, and I don’t have a separate space for work and rest. I meet with a therapist regularly, practice yoga and mindfulness, end nearly every day with a journal entry, and spend quality time with my friends.

Elizabeth Gonda ’16 is a Licensed Master Social Worker who serves patients as a Care Manager at Healthfirst in New York City. She graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Spanish in 2020 and a master’s degree in Social Work in 2021.
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