Family Nurse Practitioner Leonor Lourido, or “Leo,” is the new medical care provider at the City’s OnSiteClinic. She started seeing patients in July andLeonor Lourido says she already likes the job and the people.
Lourido's parents are from Cuba and she grew up in Miami. After graduating from high school, she served in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Afghanistan. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of South Carolina and went to graduate school at the Medical University of South Carolina. She has lived in the Carolinas for more than 28 years and describes herself as “Cuban-American with a Carolina heart.”
Lourido has worked at Providence Hospital in Columbia and Centro Médico Latino in Charlotte. She now works for Atrium Health. She says she was attracted to the position at Gastonia’s employer-based clinic because “helping employees achieve optimal health in their work environment is very efficient for both the patient and the employer.” She says it also gives her an opportunity to educate people about living healthy lives and preventing illness and injury.
Outside of work, Lourido enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, exercising and hiking. She continues to serve in the Army National Guard.
Angela AlberoLourido is taking the place of Angela Albero, following Albero’s promotion to oversee 15 clinics including the one for City of Gastonia employees. Albero actually began in her new role as an Atrium Advance Practice Provider in 2015 and became Chief Advance Practice Provider almost two years ago. She kept working at the Gastonia clinic until the supervisory responsibilities “grew exponentially,” as she puts it. In the new role, Albero will evaluate the services being provided at the 15 clinics in the two Carolinas, look for ways to improve the services and train the clinic providers in new processes and protocols.
Albero says she believes employer-based clinics are extremely important because they provide affordable care with a convenient location and hours for employees. She says the clinic’s accessibility and value are incentives for preventive care. “We know very well that preventive care is more impactful than reactionary care, or treating a disease after it has developed,” Albero says. “If we can ensure easy access to high-quality care, we can truly help improve preventive health and wellness in our communities and help reduce overall health care spending,” she says.
For just $3.00 per visit, employees can be treated at the OnSite Clinic at City Hall for acute care needs such as allergies, colds, flu and sprains, and also for management of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Employees can also go to the clinic for preventive care such as routine health screenings and immunizations, and to receive advice on lifestyle habits such as nutrition, exercise and tobacco cessation. “We want employees to see the clinic as a place to obtain full primary care services,” Albero says.
To make an appointment, call 704-836-0015 or schedule online.