Accounts Payable Coordinator Relishes Her Role at Strive Health

Prior to joining Strive Health, Araceli Sanches had never before worked in the healthcare industry.

But that hardly meant she didn’t have experience in care.

“I’ve been married 20 years and have a 19-year-old son, a 17-year-old son and a six-year-old daughter,” said Sanches, who lives with her family outside Houston, Texas. “My husband and I also own a ranch, and we have cows, horses, chickens and pigs.”

So, whether it’s raising kids or tending to livestock, Sanches – who joined Strive as accounts payable coordinator in March 2023 – has a long history of understanding the importance of providing the right care at the right time in just the right way.

“Oh, definitely,” Sanches said. “One of the best parts of my job is that I get to communicate with everyone in the company. We have to interact with vendors, colleagues, and other departments to resolve issues and clarify information. I think having kids has definitely helped me learn to communicate with others.”

In her role as accounts payable coordinator, Sanches is responsible for an array of accounting duties at Strive, including processing invoices and managing vendor payments and employee expense reports.

“Pretty much anything that has to do with paying a bill, I’m part of that,” she said.

Sanches says a highlight of her time at Strive so far has been helping to modernize her department’s reimbursement system. It’s now easier to pull expense-related reports and process payments in a timely manner.

“We have a tracker that tracks everything to make sure it’s all paid on time and in the correct amount,” Sanches said. “That’s important, and I’m proud to say we’re on a good path when it comes to making sure payments are going up correctly. Even though I don’t work directly with the patients, I know that what I do in my role every day has a positive impact. And being able to help our Kidney Heroes™ in that way is great.”

Sanches said that working for a company that’s dedicated to improving the full scope of kidney care is particularly meaningful to her. Several years ago, she dealt with an acute health issue of her own that resulted in a less-than-optimal care experience.

“I remember I ended up in the ER and I really didn’t get the help I needed,” Sanches said. “All they gave me was pain meds and basically told me to just go home and figure it out. That was a little devastating for me, to be honest. So, when I learned more about what Strive does, that really made me happy. Because I know that other people are not going to go through what I went through.”

Playing a role in delivering the unique combination of high-touch care and advanced technology that’s led Strive to become the nation’s leader in value-based kidney care is highly rewarding to Sanches.

“I Strive because I take pride in being part of a company that impacts someone’s life in a positive way,” she said. “That’s what I enjoy most about working here. It’s wonderful.”