With the state the world is in these days, we are learning to appreciate more and more of the people so many have taken for granted. They are now our heroes during these horrible times, it doesn’t matter how rich or popular you may think you are. I appreciate the amazing individuals who are stepping up to help, by going to work to ensure we get food, clean up after us, pick up our trash, work in the fields, our nurses, doctors — the list goes on and on. Many of those heroes are working at minimum wage jobs, and cannot afford to even have health insurance themselves, taking the chance of catching the coronavirus. Thankfully, they are still helping the rest of us by supplying what we need during these scary times. A huge thank you to every one of these angels who risk their lives for ours.
I am proud and excited to introduce you to my dear friend, Ivy Rooney, who is not a stranger to working with people during a major epidemic. She has committed her life to working with HIV/AIDS in the pharmacy business since she was 18 years old. It was August of 1991: Ivy started a job at a national closed-door pharmacy in Hillcrest that offered national and local delivery to patients living with HIV/AIDS. It was there, at 18, she had the opportunity to experience and learn what has now become her life’s work. This beginning gave Ivy skills like filling, billing, typing, packing, counting, mailing and customer service. Ivy told me that the countless hours of phone conversations with patients is where she learned the most valuable part about working in a pharmacy: compassion. She listened to these individuals that were affected by this horrible disease (HIV/AIDS) as they spoke of their lovers, lives, freedom, hope, shame, and regrets. It was then she knew and committed herself to stay until there was a cure, because these life experiences she heard all mattered.
As a Mexican-American, born in Chula Vista, California, Ivy grew up in Otay Mesa, California on a lonely street near the Otay border. Her family was one of the only families living on that street, which was surrounded by vegetable and egg farms. Her parents were raised in San Ysidro, California, and wanted to move their family to a home that had a place for the children to play outside. Because of the move, her family was now able to have dogs, chickens, pigs, goats, rabbits, a cow and a pony, which kept them busy. Ivy literally grew up outside in a T-shirt and underwear, never wore shoes and rarely combed her hair. It was a carefree time growing up in a peaceful environment. Ivy is the second oldest of five siblings. She shared responsibilities and they created many memories together as a family. One of the many things Ivy remembers most vividly during her time living there, was the people that would come and knock on their back door and ask for food and water. Her family lived about two to three miles from the Mexico border and many families were crossing or working the fields that surrounded their home. These families were thirsty and hungry, and as kids, Ivy and her siblings were happy to make burritos, sandwiches, Tang, lemonade, water or share whatever food they had. It was a humbling experience for Ivy and her family, being able to help these families with a sense of compassion that has stayed with her to this day.
Ivy’s schooling consisted of a combination of public and private schools until the 10th grade where she landed at Chula Vista High School until she graduated in 1990. She then started her love affair working in the pharmacy business in 1991. In 1999, she met her husband and they married in 2003. They have two children together and her husband has two daughters from a previous marriage. They have raised all four children together. He works as a general contractor and built the home they live in, making it a beautiful and loving environment to raise their family. Feeling very blessed to have a family, she has worked extremely hard to provide for them all while teaching them equality and compassion as they grow up.
It was 1996 when Ivy went to work for a gentleman by the name of Steve Pattison at Fifth Avenue Pharmacy, where she became the store manager. At the time, it was the only proudly gay-owned pharmacy in San Diego. It was there that she was fortunate to have more incredible changes in her life’s journey. Working at this new pharmacy opened doors and connections to customers that are still a part of her life today. It also taught her the value of customer service, of which Steve had high expectations, and instilled that quality in everyone who worked for him. People matter to Steve and Ivy, not just as customers but because their patrons were counting on them for their medicine and many became friends because of that bond. One of the many things Steve enforced was a strict do-over policy when something was not done correctly; always making sure his customer got what they needed. Ivy respected and admired Steve because he always pushed her to be better and never give up. While working for Steve, Ivy completed her college degree and graduated from San Diego State University in 1998, a proud achievement in her life.
Ivy continued to work for Steve for several more years, and even moved to Palm Springs to help him open and run The Community Prescription Center-Palm Springs. After two years, she came back to San Diego in 2000 to open Community Prescription Center-San Diego. In 2009, this very alive, honest, community-based pharmacy was absorbed by a large corporation. Ivy stayed a few more years, but ultimately made the choice to leave. She needed to be working forward, and not backwards, to really feel like she was making a positive difference to the people she had committed her life’s work to. Ivy wanted to be a part of the community she loved and grew up in, and to be surrounded by the customers she knew counted on her.
In 2012, Ivy found her new home with Hillcrest Pharmacy. She started as the store manager, then was promoted to director of operations, vice president of sales, and now serves as CEO. Professionally, working for Hillcrest Pharmacy is what Ivy is most proud of. This was the first time she worked for a woman and found in her so much encouragement and support. The owner of Hillcrest Pharmacy, Susan Baeza, gave Ivy what she needed to grow, which meant everything to her. Now she had the opportunity to envision and apply her knowledge and ideas from all her years of experience. Along with Susan’s support and vision, they have since opened Hillcrest Pharmacy North and Mi Farmacia San Ysidro. Their entire staff feels a strong responsibility to the community as well as to each other.
It is now 2020 and there is still no cure for HIV, but as she promised, she’s still here and still believes there is hope for a cure. Since Ivy started working in this field, there have been so many treatments for people living with HIV/AIDS and to prevent HIV. Because of treatment, we have scientifically found that “Undetectable Equals Untransmittable,” an inspiring chance at getting to zero. Hillcrest Pharmacy was the one of the first to adopt the U=U statement in San Diego County.
As a straight ally to the LGBTQ+ community for all these years, I would frequently bump into Ivy at so many events. Hillcrest Pharmacy has, for as long as I can remember, been a huge supporter of so many organizations over the years. We are so lucky to have such support from Susan, and Ivy, for their commitment to give back. Ivy, you work for an amazing woman — she stays in the background and avoids attention but her powerful gift of giving is truly appreciated by all who benefit from her generosity. Thank you, Susan!
Because Ivy works for such a wonderful woman, she has had the opportunity to give some of her time to support different organizations that help the HIV community. The last three years, she has been involved in organizing the San Diego Women’s HIV Conference, she has found it fulfilling and an honor to work with a committee comprised of different organizations around the county. The committee is comprised of members from Christie’s Place, UCSD Mother Child and Adolescent Program, AVRC, Family Health Centers, CASA South Bay, County of San Diego and The LGBTQ+ Center and they collaborate year-round for a successful conference. She is also part of the Eliminate Hep-C San Diego Committee. Ivy, as always, is looking into how she can be more involved in groups that would be interested in helping HIV, hepatitis C, and trans patients navigate the challenges of health care, especially considering a perspective of pharmacy. Hillcrest Pharmacy is dedicated to providing support for various organizations in the community. They feel they should be partners and stand alongside their customers. Ivy does her best to attend and support as many community events as possible. Commitment and reliability is essential to the way she dedicates herself to the community.
I asked Ivy, why do you support the LGBTQ+ community the way you do? “Well, I have had the fortune of being entrenched in this community for the last 30 years,” she told me. “Mostly, I admire the honesty and commitment it takes in finding yourself when faced with adversity and the strength to be true and proud of who you are. I love the willingness to celebrate our differences and understand that we are all humans and need to love each other. It is something I teach my children to be, and I guess I find this to be true more so in the LGBTQ+ community or is it just because I never leave Hillcrest? I don’t really know, that’s really the only way I can explain it, you love who you love, plus all the stories I hear! Gurl, you know I love some stories.”
I personally love this woman, I love my big hugs and the fun we have when we do get to catch up. Our community has found a person who not only takes care of us with her job, but stands up for our rights and fights for equality for every human being. Ivy is truly an angel among us. Thank you for never going back on your promise to stay until there is a cure for HIV/AIDS. God willing that day will come in our lifetime. The good news is that Ivy is not going anywhere even if they find that cure, because we love her too much to ever let her go.
I asked Ivy for a quote to share with us: “This is not my quote, but I firmly believe that ‘Si, se puede!’ (Yes, we can!), a slogan originated by civil rights icon Dolores Huerta. I believe that if all people can join hands, we can accomplish anything.”
To contact Ivy: [email protected]
619-260-1010 www.hillcrestpharmacy.com
