Why I Came, Why I Stayed: Maria Vasquez-Macias says that her team is ‘one of the most committed groups of people’ she’s ever worked with

In “Why I Came, Why I Stayed,” you’ll get to know people who are making a difference every day at Methodist and how they contribute to providing The Meaning of Care. To explore career opportunities at Methodist, visit bestcare.org/jobs.

Maria Vasquez-Macias
Environmental Services (EVS) Coordinator
Methodist Jennie Edmudson Hospital

Tell us more about yourself and your background with Methodist.

My journey with Methodist started in 2015, when I was just trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I was taking college classes at the time, and I had to complete volunteer hours for school. That's how I first came to Methodist. I started volunteering inside the gift shop at Methodist Hospital as a volunteen. At that time, I didn't really know what Methodist would eventually mean to me. I was trying to figure out my life and what I wanted my future to look like.

In 2017, I began working at Methodist Women's Hospital as a housekeeper. I worked as a housekeeper for only six months because I cared a lot about what other people thought of me. When I would catch up with friends or make new friends, I worried that they would think I wasn't doing enough with my life.

When I met my husband, Javier, in 2019, he helped me open my eyes a little. I realized that I’d been worried about how other people saw me and I wasn't giving myself enough credit for everything I was doing. I had my own goals, my own path and a life I was building. We got married in 2021 and got pregnant with our first son in 2022. I was working nights at Amazon during that time and mentioned to my dad that I didn't think I could work nights anymore because it was hard on me. My dad, Adan Macias, who has worked housekeeping for 17 years at Methodist, encouraged me to give it a chance. He started at Methodist Hospital, transferred to Methodist Women's Hospital when it opened in 2010 and in 2021 transferred to Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital.

What brought me back to Methodist was wanting something more stable for myself and my growing family. I knew I needed a change, and seeing my dad build a 17-year career with Methodist showed me that this could be somewhere I could build a future, too. At the time, I didn't know where that decision would take me, but I knew Jennie Edmudson could offer the stability and opportunity I was looking for.

What is it about Methodist that keeps you coming back?

What keeps me coming back to Methodist is the growth and opportunities I’ve experienced since being here. When I came back, I started as a housekeeper, and at the time I didn’t fully understand how important our role was in the hospital. As I learned more, I realized that housekeeping is so much more than cleaning. We play an important part in patient safety, infection prevention and making sure a room is ready for the next patient.

Eventually, I started taking steps toward becoming a coordinator. At first, I thought it was mainly a supervisor role, but I quickly learned that it was so much more. It’s about coaching, supporting your team, helping them grow and being someone they can depend on. Coaching has become one of the biggest things I’ve learned in this position. I’ve learned that everyone is different, and being a leader means taking time to understand your employees and helping them become better at what they do, rather than only pointing out what they’re doing wrong.

The team we have now is a big part of what keeps me coming back. They are one of the most committed groups of people I've ever worked with. We've gone through some difficult staffing challenges, and I've watched people step up, work overtime, stay late, come in on their days off and help each other get through it. Even the people who simply show up every day and do what is expected of them make a difference. Seeing that commitment has made me even more proud of what we do. I came back to Methodist looking for stability, but along the way I found an opportunity to grow, become a leader and see how important EVS really is to the hospital. That's what keeps me coming back.

Do you have any favorite Methodist memories?

Working in EVS, we try our best to create memories together as a team, whether it's volunteering to clean up a park, celebrating our wins or simply celebrating someone's birthday. But one of my most meaningful memories is a very personal one. When I became sick and had to be admitted to the hospital, I got to experience Jennie Edmundson from a patient's point of view. I saw how every person who entered my room played a different role in my care, from the nurses and doctors to dietary, EVS and everyone in between. It made me realize that even though our responsibilities are different, we all have the same purpose of taking care of the patient. It opened my eyes even more to how important EVS really is. A clean and comfortable room may seem like one small part of a patient's stay, but when you're the one lying in that bed, you realize how much those little things matter.

Have you had a mentor at Methodist?

My director, Lupita Hernandez, has had a big impact on my time here at Jennie. She is a strong leader and someone I have learned so much from. When I became a coordinator, she saw potential in me that I didn't always see in myself. There were times when I didn't understand something right away, but she never gave up on teaching me or finding another way to help me understand. She has pushed me to grow, become more confident in my role and understand what it truly means to be a leader. A lot of the leader I am becoming today comes from what I've learned from her.

What should people know about Methodist?

There are so many opportunities here if you're willing to learn and grow. I came back looking for stability for myself and my family, and four years later I've gained so much more than that. I found a career in EVS, became a coordinator, learned what it means to be a leader and met people who have helped me grow along the way.

I also want people to know that every role at Methodist matters. It takes all of us working together to care for our patients, whether you're a doctor, nurse, housekeeper, working in dietary or in any other department. I used to worry about what people would think when I told them I worked in housekeeping, and now I'm proud to say I work in Environmental Services. I've seen firsthand how important our work is, and I've learned that where you start doesn't determine how far you can go. Sometimes you just have to give yourself the chance to see where an opportunity can take you.