Behind the Scenes Andrea Lucero

Oh, how I love a good ol’ burrito.  No matter the gastrointestinal repercussions of my extra bean and peppers concoction, I still eat Mexican food at least once a week! Let’s face it, in the world of being able to access anything from socks with your pets face on them to specialty sandwiches that are instantly delivered via Amazon or Door Dash – it’s not easy to be frugal (or healthy). Yet, as I sit here eating my burrito and scrolling through Instagram, I can’t help but wonder why losing weight can’t be just as easy AND cost effective? Despite eating mostly healthy and having an active life-style, the reality is that I am in my 50’s and my waist line has recently been giving me a very judgy side-eye. Can you relate? 

Perhaps you heard of the new weight loss drugs that are super expensive and nearly impossible to get covered through insurance? Let’s get one thing clear right up front: THEY WORK… BUT ordering them on-line, without judicious medical oversight is beyond risky and paying for them out of pocket through a “real” pharmacy (between $950 and $1400 a month) is not feasible for most of us. However, what would you do if I told you that with a team of fantastic functional medicine providers here at NHC – you too can eat burritos AND safely lose weight? Yes of course you will need a medical work up, blood work, and nutrition panel – but I have the easy job. The tough part is the back-office logistical nightmare called ‘insurance coverage’ and/or ‘paperwork hell’ that often gets us frustrated and sidelined from our dream pants size.

In this Behind the Scenes issue, I am proud to introduce you to the highly skilled, fiercely smiley, and extremely resourceful front/side/back desk gal: Andrea Lucero.

Simply put, this girl gets s*&# done! For those of you who don’t know Andrea, she is possibly the best medical delegate I have ever met. She can be found in the side-hallway office checking people out for their next appointment, on the phone scheduling/rescheduling, or hiding the candy stash from Doc Proodian. But there is so much more that Andrea does both in the office and out.

Andrea is a resourceful and skilled fighter for patient’s needs. Obtaining prior-authorizations for weight loss drug approvals is just one of a bazillion things Andrea is tasked with. What you didn’t know, is that Andrea has a heart for helping people from a very personal life experience. As a high school student and at the pinnacle of the dreaded Covid pandemic, Andrea’s tough, fun-loving, and hardworking hero of a dad became extremely ill. After multiple misdiagnoses, becoming wheel-chair bound, and a massive weight loss, Andrea’s dad had nearly died before he was finally correctly diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.

At just 19 years old, the brilliant and highly academic Andrea chose to stay home from her sophomore year of college to help take care of her much younger brothers. She became the head of her household while her dedicated mom dredged back and forth to the hospital with her dad for chemo/radiation treatments. Andrea states “that was a really tough time in my life, it taught me to never take life for granted.”  Andrea’s dad is now in remission. Thank God. She is nearly finished college and will soon be an amazing Occupational Therapist.

Andrea is her own “Cake Boss” as she loves to bake and decorate cakes, and is surprisingly known as the “yapper” to her close family and friends! Thank you for taking the time to read and get to know yet another member of our NHC family.

Thank you Andrea for your dedication to all of the staff and our patients. If you or anyone you know is interested in medical weight loss management, NHC is your place to go.