WHY SSP IS THE BEST PLACE TO BE

We are THRILLED to be celebrating our 7 year anniversary today!!!  We wouldn’t be where we are without our amazing SSP dedicated and passionate staff.  To honor and acknowledge our employees on this special day, we thought we’d do a little Q&A so our families can learn more about them and their experiences here at the office.  They are the reason why we have such a caring, unique and forward thinking culture at SSP!


What would you say has been your most memorable moment since joining SSP? 

Dr. Cao: My most memorable moment since starting was dressing up as a teenage mutant ninja turtle, to bring attention to MPS III for Jonah's Just Begun.  I got some great reactions from kids in the neighborhood and drivers along 5th ave and Prospect Ave.

Dr. Copenhaver:  My most memorable moment since joining SSP actually happened before I started officially started working here.  I knew I would be joining the office after taking time with my son, and I brought him in for his first newborn appointment with Dr. Wilson-Taylor.  I arrived and of course was greeted warmly by the front desk and nursing staff, and then had a great first visit. At the end, the entire office - doctors, nurses, administrators - all came in the room with a bouquet of flowers and bottle of bubbles to celebrate Elo’s arrival.  It was so kind, and meant a lot to me. From that moment on, I knew I was becoming a part of a very special place!

Erica: My most memorable moments are actually outside of the office when we are all just hanging out at a local bar or taking a kickboxing class together or just singing our hearts out at karaoke.
 
Dr. Acosta:  Participating in the improvisation activity as a group was definitely a great experience where we not only had a great, fun time but also learned about each other and worked on team building skills.  
 
Carolina:  I feel that there have been many, many memorable moments working at SSP and most might not be qualified as memorable by most people but they have made a big part of making my work at the company enjoyable. From the every day early friendly “good morning” I give and get from everyone, to the signs of support when I or anyone from the team has been dealing with hard times in their personal lives, to our Friday lunches where we try to quickly catch up or share bits of our lives. Most memorable in the 5 years I’ve been with SSP: when I tried moving to Chile and the team surprised me with a goodbye painting party and the beautiful heart necklace I wear every day and reminds me that this is my family.  Also important to mention : karaoke, improv class, yoga, kickboxing, and many other team building activities that have made this group grow together. 

Matteo: There are many amazing stories about our team as we are a bit of an ‘unconventional’ bunch. I remember the day we were getting ready for the Brooklyn Pride Festival and 2 people on the team volunteered to build the rainbow arch made of balloons by themselves in order to save money and we ended up with hundreds of floating balloons in our kitchenette for 2 days straight!

Nurse Alex: Most memorable moment would probably be almost dying of heat stroke while doing kickboxing to be honest! 

Can you tell us your favorite funny story about you and your SSP colleagues? 

Matteo: We have our 'First Fridays' where once a month, on the first Friday of the month, we go out to a local bar and just chill and joke around. During one of those nights, Dr. Wilson-Taylor showed us her competitive side by quietly kicking everyone’s butts at one of these arcade games. There was that time when Dr. Cao rapped to the beat of Ice Ice Baby (dance moves included) during one of our many karaoke evenings. I remember finding out some very strange details about my teammates (sorry won’t disclose, but one of them does involve a whip) while sipping on a drink and sharing fries after ‘successfully’ (almost) escaping the Escape Room. And I remember that time when we were screaming our names along with our most outrageous quality during the Improv class we recently took.You might think, these are regular moments but trust me, try to live them with the people you work with and your work life will change forever, LOL.

Lorraine: My memorable moment or funniest story was when we all came together and went to Escape the Room NYC. We were all so excited like kids all over the room trying to figure out the clues to escape the room within one hour. We were all bonding and laughing but at the end we made it out of the room as a team in the nick of time.

Nurse Denise:  One of my funniest moments I would have to say was when we went to the game room playing Jenga and learning the shuffle board game and karaoke!

What is the most important thing you've learned at SSP? 

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Dr. Cao:  I’ve learned that life goes on regardless of our jobs/careers.  I’ve been privileged to be an observer in the lives of many of our families who go through strife and make it to the other side stronger and more resilient.  As far as our office, ALL of us have gone through challenges.  The ones that check the junk at the door and focus on giving good service inspire me the most and actually process their circumstances the best.

Dr. Copenhaver: The most important thing I have learned while working at SSP is open communication and getting to know my work family.  Every day, every situation is made better and easier when we know where we are all coming from, and can be honest about what we need and expect.  It is a great place to be a part of!

Matteo:  The most unexpected and amazing thing I have learned while working with this crazy bunch at SSP is that with everyone’s contribution, it is possible to create an environment where open communication, psychological safety and trust can power up a team that strives to deliver amazing experiences one human interaction at a time. Since the introduction of our SSP Company Culture and Core Values we have seen incredible changes in the team dynamics, and those changes have positively affected the way we interact with each other and with everyone we interact with. We have discovered the power of strong relationships. 
 
Lorraine: The most important thing I learned at SSP are our 10 core values. These core values have guided me not only here at SSP but outside in my everyday life to improve and make things better.

Erica: The most important thing I've learned at SSP is the smallest things make the biggest difference. It’s so important to be present in the moment and really make those connections with whoever you encounter.
 
Nurse Denise:  Being a part of the SSP family has taught me how to work as a team. Working as a team maximizes shared knowledge in the workplace and helps you learn new skills from one another that you can use for the rest of your career.
 
Nurse Alex: The most important thing I've learned would be how to work together as a team, coming from being the only person in a shift to working in a full team has been a big transition!

Dr. Acosta: How important it is to work as a team to provide the best experience for our patients.

Tara: The most important thing I've learned at SSP is our Core Values. My Favorite core value 10. Be True To Your Unique Self. I believe in that value because there can only be one you.

Nurse Taima:  What I have learned at SSP is that a simple gesture can go such a long way. Being a little more patient and understanding that parents are under emotional stress watching their babies cry, goes a long way.
 
Carolina: Company culture and core values define our relationships as a team and with our customers allowing us to provide that “great experience”.

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What makes working at SSP so special to you, and why? 

Matteo:  The people! Our SSP Team has special powers! They empower you, they support you and they push you to grow, be better, achieve the goals while allowing you to have your weak moments and to be human.

Dr. Acosta: Working at SSP you feel like you are part of a  family where you are respected and love for who you are. It’s also an environment where you are encouraged to grow into the best version of yourself.
 
Tara:  What makes working at SSP special to me is FAMILY, I leave my family every morning not to come to work . But to come to my work family to do some work.  Some work places people dread coming to work every morning because it's not a happy environment. I'm Happy at SSP.

Dr. Wilson-Taylor:  The thoughtfulness of the SSP is what drew me to the practice as a parent. My children were patients of Dr Cao’s before I joined the SSP team. And I was always impressed by the staff who made an effort to get to know me and my children. The administrative team creates smart scheduling in order to meet the needs of the patients, the front staff is always friendly, the nurses take time to make the children feel comfortable. I have worked in other institutions and my children have seen a few doctors over the years. So I know by comparison, the staff at SSP is great. As a parent, I appreciate the efforts of the SSP family.
 
As a physician at the practice, I am grateful to have worked with so many wonderful families. It is truly a privilege to know that families purposefully select our practice because it mirrors the diversity of our city. I have always wanted to be a pediatrician and I have never regretted that decision.
 
As an employee, I like the fact that we have had opportunities to get to know each other outside of work. The opportunities to go shuffle boarding, practice yoga or have our Friday lunches together is important to create a united staff and is invaluable.

Carolina: Working at SSP is special to me because of the people and relationships I’m able to develop with my neighborhood community.

Nurse Taima: What makes working at SSP so special is working with a great team...we couldn’t ask for better leadership. We care about each other respect, cheer, and share amongst other things. We are a family.
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