Today we’d like to introduce you to Lakesha Gordon.
Hi Lakesha, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I moved to Minnesota when I was six, from Waterloo Iowa. I grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota, with my mother who I look up to because of her Love for God, herself, and others. I also have an older sister and younger brother, who I’m extremely close with. Family is important to me. I’ve always enjoyed assisting people and comforting others. I’ve always had the heart to see and listen to others in need. I have an attitude of if only I could support. I had to learn over the years that I can’t save or help everybody. When I first realized that I wanted to support people I was in 8th grade Middle School and had a volunteer assignment. I chose to volunteer at a nursing home and was placed in the beauty parlor. I was fond of taking out hairpins and asking questions. It’s also where I learned to set my first dining room table; which makes me smile because it came in handy working as a dietary aide in nursing homes years later.
I had my daughter when I was 19. She is now an amazing teenager, who continues to always inspire me in all things in life. Before having my daughter I was attending school to become a middle school teacher. At the time my daughter was a baby going to school full-time was not an option. Instead, I decided to get certified as a Personal Care Assistant (PCA). This is something that I always suggest to young women other than phlebotomy if they enjoy working with people. For several years I worked at different nursing homes and in-home services where I catered to working with Seniors and people with disabilities. I had a great support system from God, family, and friends. That support allowed me to continue my goals and dreams while working as a PCA. I studied to become a Holistic Practitioner specializing in Holistic Nutrition. I develop a passion for understanding the mind, body, and spirit connection. When I think about the physical body I usually automatically think of the woman’s body. I’ve had the pleasure of being a Certified Prenatal Exercise instructor as well as a Birth Doula. Eventually, I stopped working as a PCA. That led me to Phlebotomy.
I became a certified Phlebotomy Technician in 2016. I’ve worked in a variety of settings in Clinics, Plasma Centers, and Hospitals. I had always experienced being a caregiver to patients going into those settings. I remember how frustrating it could be for everyone depending on the client and situation. I remember having one or two hours to get the patient prepared only to be seen for 5 minutes or less. I realize now as a Phlebotomist I was now on the opposite side. I was hearing the same complaints among the patients and the people assisting them. Some of the complaints were: they wished someone could come into their home and how hard it is to make their parent’s appointments let alone their appointments. They were also worried about losing wages because of long waits. Another complaint was not getting the answers they needed from staff. Throughout the course of my years of being a Phlebotomist, I had thoughts of how I can go into a patient’s home and collect lab orders. Each year the desire got stronger to help patients take their health seriously and in their own hands. I wanted people to know that they can do this not only by exercising and eating healthy but by getting lab tests to prevent disease at early and benign stages. That’s important to me. It’s more than just drawing blood for me.
I wanted to help the patient who had standing orders and may have had to go to the doctor several times a week or month. It’s really such a thing as white coat syndrome which is the anxiety of being around doctors or in medical facilities. This can have an effect on important test results. I wanted to be able to help alleviate that. If I could help medical facilities and their teams by allowing them to focus on other important tasks rather than doing laboratory service that may not be their expertise. I wanted to assist them with that. I was intentional about learning about the different tests being ordered. Although I may never give test results, I have patients ask what the test is for. I wanted to be able to explain and know why not only for the patient but to help draw the back-and-forth calls to the Doctor’s Office. If I don’t know something I research it. With the help of God, my mobile Phlebotomy business coach Khalil Thomas and lots of prayer and planning, I started Trinity Care Mobile Lab in 2022.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a smooth but slow steady start for me. The struggles that I have come across are the struggles that I expected. It’s the struggle of people really understanding why my service is important or how it could benefit them.
It’s the struggle of larger companies that accept insurance. I’m still at the building trust stage. If I’m being honest about that, building trust can take longer due to a few factors. I’m a new businesswoman and a young African American woman.
As you know, we’re big fans of Trinity Care Mobile Lab LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Trinity Care Mobile Lab is a convenient lab service. I like to call it a luxurious service because we bring our services to you. It’s based on three important values: community, unity, and love. You can’t have one without the other. The mission is to service all communities with the exact same love and care bringing awareness to health and wellness by providing lab services to prevent disease at an early benign stage. We specialize in working in Senior communities and Maternal health, and because of this, we partnered with various laboratories that offer specific tests to these communities. We are known for being professional, and kind, and for so many gentle Phlebotomists. What sets Trinity Care Mobile Lab apart is we go anywhere convenient for the patient, car, work, parks, fairs, events, etc. We collect all samples of blood, stool, urine, and saliva. We offer 99% accurate gender reveal testing at 6 weeks. We are partnered with laboratories that specialize in PCR molecular testing. For our services, patients have to have Physician orders.
Patients who don’t have Physician orders, they’re able to order lab tests through Trinity Care Mobile, the laboratories and Physicians we are partnered with. It’s important for everyone to know that we never see or have access to results. We collect specimens and my partner lab sends results to patients via an online portal. In the next few months, we will be adding drug testing to our services. I’m most proud of how God continues to allow me to do what I love to do, show up, support, and educate others.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
My lesson is having consistency and cutting out what seems small but big distractions. I have learned to be more intentional about watching my diet. Your diet isn’t just what you eat but also what you watch, read, and who you follow and spend your time with. Dieting can be a challenge.
There’s an acronym I came up with to help me. D.I.E.T. Do. It. Even. Today!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://trinitycaremobilelab.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086281371586&mibextid=ZbWKwL
