Effie Quinones leverages more than 20 years of professional experience in health care, with a wealth of knowledge to her credit. Since 2002, she has excelled as a physical therapy utilization manager with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, through which she maintains responsibility for analyzing each of her patients to determine what physical therapy services they require to optimize their treatment plans. Adjacent to her primary professional endeavors, Ms. Quinones recently established her own business, titled New Beginnings Farm LLC, in 2023. Impressively, the company is in the Pine Barrens in New Jersey, offering log cabin vacation rental packages and agricultural sales on-site.
Ms. Quinones has always exemplified determination and a will to succeed, even from a formative age. As a young adult, she pursued a lifeguarding certificate at the American Air Force Base in Greece. Remaining in Greece for seven years, Ms. Quinones also completed a certification to become an emergency medical technician, solidifying her footing in the health care industry. From there, she served as a lifeguard and a nurse’s assistant in the emergency room of a local hospital. Upon returning to the United States, Ms. Quinones became a mother to her daughter, Katrina, and pursued university coursework and classes to become a physical therapist, proving her tenacity and discipline. To this end, she earned a master’s degree in physical therapy from Thomas Jefferson University in 1995 and a Master of Public Administration in health care management from New York University in 2004.
A member of the Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, Ms. Quinones enjoys spending time with her family and pets, traveling, and swimming. She expects to spend more time in Greece, where she previously lived and worked with her parents. In addition, she is an avid music enthusiast with knowledge of the piano. Looking forward, she aims to return to playing the piano and improving her skills, as the piano is her sole musical outlet. She would also like to experience the continued growth of her career in health care.