Going the extra mile with positivity
Employee Spotlight | Rashetta Foster
When you first meet Rashetta Foster, you immediately notice her energy and positivity. “I try to make every day as enjoyable as possible, for me and for everyone around me,” she says. “Why not have some fun?”
In the last year, Rashetta found the perfect place to channel her love and care for people – Open Door’s family planning team. The Title X clinic family planning clinic is part of Open Door’s downtown Muncie health center and offers low- to no-cost birth control, healthy pregnancy planning, STI testing, and women’s health exams.
Rashetta joined Open Door in 2022, bringing with her nearly twenty years’ experience in home health care, nursing homes, and hospice. That work that was meaningful, but also mentally and physically draining.
When she made the switch to Open Door, she started out as a medical assistant in primary care. She enjoyed it there, but when a position opened in family planning, she just knew it was the right place for her.
“I love working at Open Door. And I love what I am doing now. I plan to stay until I retire,” says Rashetta.
Her favorite part of the job is possibly one of the hardest, working with teenagers who come to Family Planning unsure, scared, and overwhelmed. Some are seeking birth control for the first time, some are navigating pregnancy, and others are investigating hormone replacement therapy. Rashetta has a knack for making patients feel respected, heard, and comfortable with talking about such sensitive topics.
“They look at me like a mama bear,” Rashetta says. “I hold their hands, answer their questions, and assure them we are here to help. Adding a personal touch can make all the difference. I want them to know that we really care about them.”
She is compelled to go the extra mile with her patients because she knows what it’s like to feel disrespected. “I’m a single mom of two boys. There were times that I needed food stamps. The people who were supposed to help me made me feel like I was beneath them. I never want anyone to feel that way.”
In 2023, Rashetta was recognized with Open Door’s annual “Encourage Uniqueness” Award. “She is a great co-worker and person,” said nominator and fellow medical assistant Celeste Lee. “She is a part of Open Door’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council, and she always encourages everyone to be themselves and celebrates everyone’s uniqueness.”
Molly Graybeal, nurse practitioner in family planning, agrees. “I am thrilled that Rashetta is in family planning,” says Molly. “She greets everyone, no matter their background, with a smile. Her respect for our patients is obvious in how she listens and creates a judgment-free zone so they feel comfortable sharing openly and honestly.”
When she’s not caring for patients, you can find her spending time with her two sons, serving as a medical advisor for her grandparents, and walking or biking on the Cardinal Greenway. “I love nighttime riding in the summertime,” says Rashetta, a lifelong Muncie resident. “Muncie looks totally different at night! I also love to bike to Mansfield Park and, of course, get a treat at Hunnicutt’s Dairy Bar.”