Melissa is Rely Health’s Vice President of Human Resources. She has over 20 years of HR and Operations experience to drive recruiting, retention, benefits, employee relations and talent development. As the Vice President of Human Resources at Rely Health, she has navigated the merger of Healthful and Sympto Health, enhanced compliance programs, and developed robust HR infrastructures from the ground up. Prior to Rely Health, Melissa was the Director of Operations/Co-Founder of Healthful, a patient care navigation company. She received her MBA with a specialization in Human Resources, at the University of Baltimore and holds a PHR certification. In her free time, Melissa enjoys volunteering in her community, family activities, traveling and is an avid attender of Orange Theory Fitness.
My healthcare journey began with building the scribe services division at Vituity, where I saw firsthand the overwhelming challenges patients face in the emergency department. In 2018, we piloted Patient Care Navigators through an innovation grant to help connect patients to follow-up appointments. The success of this initiative led to its expansion into other emergency departments. In 2019, my brother was diagnosed with multiple conditions stemming from alcohol use. The complexity of his health left him overwhelmed about where to turn, who to call, the expenses associated with numerous appointments, and scheduling based on his insurance coverage. Despite my healthcare background, I felt equally stressed and disheartened by his struggles, especially the rejection he faced from care facilities due to his insurance type and case complexity. This experience fueled my determination to provide Patient Care Navigation for all patients. Rely Health navigators have relieved stress for many patients and their families, ensuring they feel supported and successful during health crises. With the merging of Healthful and Sympto into Rely Health, we have expanded our reach to more patients, simplifying access to the care they need.