Jacob Cueva

Jacob Cueva, Procurement for Baxter in Ecuador:

• How did you join Baxter RCS?

It was a long-awaited anecdote, Baxter opened a temporary vacancy to which I decided to apply confident that, with my knowledge and experience, I could stay longer than I had expected this three-month vacancy. So, the goal of working hard to keep that temporary vacancy extended was met and now I'm a permanent contributor, that was my way into Baxter!

• Have you already heard of Baxter RCS?

Yes, unfortunately I had a very close relative who had kidney failure problems and I always saw the Baxter logo on his medications. Then, when I entered the process, I began to analyze, read and soak up everything that Baxter entailed, so, from there, the emotion of entering to work with the company began.

• How long have you been working at Baxter RCS?

I temporarily stayed for 3 months and after that I became a permanent collaborator. So, in total I've been 1 year and 2 two months.

• What is your role within Baxter RCS?

I am Purchasing leader at a national level for the 4 RCS clinics in Ecuador.

• You were recently recognized at our Talent Awards Ecuador award ceremony for your commitment and dedication in your work, for appropriating the objectives despite the challenges faced by the country, for your passion with which you accompany us to build the Best Place for Work, honoring our mission of Saving and Sustaining Lives, first, congratulations on this achievement, and second, tell us what you felt personally and how this recognition impacts your professional growth?

Thanks for the congratulations. I feel that it is an acknowledgment of the effort to make things happen, and also of the hours of continuous effort that were put into this tough year of a pandemic, so, personally, it is an acknowledgment of all that extra mile that perhaps I am giving to let things happen. In the professional aspect, having an award within an organization of the magnitude of Baxter has a direct impact on the growth of the person and I think it will also be a leverage to grow within the company.

• What do you think is our differential value in RCS for its collaborators?

I believe that the issue of leadership is essential for things to happen, and having a team of leaders who empower their collaborators is what all organizations should have, that is, leaders who guide their collaborators to stop being passive and that they be collaborators with more initiative and decision-making power to execute things. So, this means that we have a fairly robust team in general, leadership is that differential factor of RCS in Ecuador!

• How has your relationship been with the different areas of RCS?

I think it's been a very collaborative relationship since day one. They have received me with open doors, there are changes, there is dialogue and there is action by each of the members of the different areas of RCS.

All areas, from their own complexity, have been very collaborative with the processes that I lead or direct here in Ecuador, this generates added value for my area of experience and is very enriching!

• What would you say to you 15 years ago?

I would tell him: “Your effort was worth it, thank you for persevering in your vision of the future, never lose sight of the goal when worrying about obstacles that may arise. Do not change anything and keep thinking and believing that you are going to go far”.

• Do you have or have you had direct contact with patients in your Renal Unit? How has the Patient Experience been transformed in our care processes at RCS in Ecuador?

I have contact with the patients before they enter their therapy or when they leave, I usually leave my office, greet the patients and see their faces, but that is all the contact I have with them.

From my position I have first-hand knowledge of what our patients' needs are in terms of the type of service they are receiving, so this year I have seen how the real approach of RCS, towards treating patients and their comfort, has had a constant evolution.

So I think that the evident transformation that RCS in Ecuador has had for its patients has been the focus on their day-to-day needs.

• Taking into account the sociocultural context of your country (Ecuador), how would you describe the work of RCS in Ecuador?

I do not know if there is a word that describes what Baxter RCS does in Ecuador from the political-social context, because Baxter suffers from non-payment problems, but Baxter does not miss a single day of attending to its patients. That means then that we are more than a business and become a company to Save and Sustain lives as our mission says.

• Do you have any motivational message you want to share with us?

Let's get rid of what we consider to be our own benefit and focus on thinking differently for the benefit of our patients. This is going to lead us to obtain the results that we as a Baxter RCS team seek within the plans for this year.

Featured Phrases:

• Let's get rid of what we consider to be our own benefit and focus on thinking differently for the benefit of our patients. This is going to lead us to obtain the results that we as a Baxter RCS team seek within the plans for this year.
• I believe that the issue of leadership is essential for things to happen, and having a team of leaders who empower their collaborators is what all organizations should have.