My name is Marlena Valdez; I am a Diné from Northern Arizona. I’ve lived and worked in the community of Ignacio for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe since 2008.  I work at the Southern Ute dental clinic as a receptionist/scheduler. I have worked for the Dental Clinic for the past five years. As a front desk person, I answer phone calls, schedule appointments for patients, check insurances, submit pre-determinations, send referrals, as well as build the schedule for our dentists.  

My day-to-day duties ensure that our office runs smoothly, so we can provide our best, and most immediate services to patients and Tribal members that need care. I do my best to ensure that all our patients are a priority, and when they leave, they feel like superstars. I make sure our patients feel safe during the entirety of their visit, as we know sometimes visiting the dentist can feel scary. We all have a common goal here, and that’s to help our patients feel their best.  

“Marlena fills an integral role for us at the Dental Clinic,” said Tribal Health Director, Lizette Langefels. “She not only provides kind and courteous service to our Tribal members, but she cares for and assists our staff. Marlena ensures all is in order as we move forward.”  

“Marlena has great ideas, and she takes pride in her job. We look forward to growing with her in whatever way fits her best,” Langefels said. 

My most memorable moment in working within the Tribal Health Department is witnessing everyone pull together during the COVID-19 Pandemic, one of the most scariest times in all our lives. Watching everyone within the organization pull together to ensure that our patients stayed as healthy as possible, those moments gave me hope when all else seemed hopeless. 

My favorite part of working within the Tribal Health Department, more specifically the Southern Ute Dental Clinic, is knowing that I have built good bonds with many patients, when I have patients who take time to stop and talk with me for a minute to tell me about their day that is so rewarding–knowing that these patients feel comfortable with me.  

I would like to give a shoutout to my husband Jeremiah Valdez and all of our babies for all their continued love and support.  

Having worked for the Health Center previously, I’ve learned that having compassion, active listening, and being a shoulder to lean on gives our patients the confidence to continue their dental health care, and that is what I thrive to do. Ahe’hee’