Jeff Dierking, PMD

Jeff's Story

As a Case Manager, I understand that healthcare is about connecting a patient with what’s needed when it’s needed. Combine this with a caring attitude, my desire to help others, and my thirst for medical knowledge, and it’s a win—often a lifesaving one—for patients in my care.

I’m the first to say that the healthcare system can be chaotic. Each state has its own social service system, and most people don't know what's available. Having the knowledge to connect the right services with an individual is important. I’m doing exactly that at Modern Psychiatry: talking to patients to see how things are going with their care plan and making sure they have what they need to make the plan work. “My goal is to help them make the best of what they're trying to do.”

I come to Modern Psychiatry well prepared. I was actually in my first EMT class during my final two semesters of high school. “I had my EMT certification a month before I received my high school diploma.” And before long, I was on to my Paramedic certification. “I don't know what it was exactly. I just fell in love with it ... the getting out and running calls and helping people.

“As EMTs and Paramedics, we go into chaotic situations all the time. Our role is to bring order into chaos.” In fact, that’s been my mission and motivation throughout my 25-plus-year career. That means getting someone out of that panicked state of mind where they can't think straight and into a logical, rational thought process. “It’s only then that they can understand what you're trying to explain to create the calm and order that helps them move forward.”

My intention is always to understand where individuals are in their lives and what will help them. “A lot of the time, it’s some form of social services. Sometimes, though, it’s as simple as brightening a person’s day. When a person is lonely, a chat over a cup of coffee or tea—even a virtual one—is just what they need to feel safe, stable, and secure.”