Desiree Cordova
Summary
Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT) with 13 years of experience in high-volume ophthalmic practice. Demonstrated leadership in clinical refractive and administrative operations, effectively managing referral networks and supervising teams. Expertise in anterior segment care and refractive surgery workflows, consistently enhancing patient outcomes and operational efficiency through staff development and process optimization.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Referral Relations Supervisor
Eye Associates of New Mexico
01.2024 - Current
- Developed and sustained strong working relationships with referral sources across the region to enhance collaboration and referral quality.
- Oversee DR2DR operations and provide direct supervision to referral relations staff.
- Act as the immediate point of contact for external providers requesting expedited patient care.
- Provide training, coaching, and ongoing guidance to new and existing staff on relationship management, referral processing, and best practices for provider engagement.
- Partner with Manager/Director to address staff performance concerns, conduct evaluations, and support professional development.
- Collaborate with Residency Coordinators to support the Residency Program and ensure smooth integration with referral workflows.
- Analyze referral trends and comparative data to assess community satisfaction and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Contribute to leadership team strategy by participating in management meetings and action plan development.
- Contributed to process improvement initiatives that optimized referral workflows and strengthened co-management practices, enhancing overall referral efficiency.
- Coordinate clinical observations by working closely with surgery centers, clinics, management teams, and physicians.
- Serve as a clinical mentor for the Patient Access Department and a training resource for external referral partners.
- Organize CME presentations for referring physicians, leveraging internal physician expertise.
- Build strong relationships with newly hired EANM physicians and facilitate their introduction to key community partners and referral sources.
- Support onboarding of new EANM physicians by facilitating introductions and relationship building within the community.
- Review, edit, and approve employee timecards to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Refractive Surgery Coordinator/Interim Anterior Segment Coordinator
Eye Associates of New Mexico
01.2022 - 01.2024
- Build strong, collaborative relationships with physician teams and ophthalmology representatives to support efficient, high quality patient care across the practice.
- Partner closely with the Anterior Segment Physician Lead to support departmental initiatives and operational needs.
- Collect, analyze, and prepare data and content for presentation during Anterior Segment physician and management meetings.
- Lead quarterly Anterior Segment meetings, ensuring alignment between clinical staff, physicians, and leadership.
- Coordinated educational opportunities, training sessions, and professional development events for clinical staff, enhancing team knowledge and skills.
- Managed lens trials for surgeons, collaborating with Surgery Scheduling Managers and Billing Department to ensure accurate processes and documentation.
- Perform refractive testing for LASIK screenings and support patient evaluation workflows.
- Lead the refractive team on surgery days, ensuring smooth operations and high quality patient experiences.
- Coordinate refractive surgery dates with SightPath and the Surgery Scheduling Manager to maintain efficient scheduling and resource allocation.
- Work with the Surgical Director, Surgery Scheduling, and Billing Managers to develop protocols for new surgeries, technologies, and IOL lenses.
- Collaborated with Clinical Director and clinical management teams to enhance clinic efficiency, optimize workflows, and improve patient throughput.
- Partner with Facilities and IS departments to evaluate, coordinate, and implement new clinical equipment.
Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technician/Scribe
Eye Associates of New Mexico
01.2015 - 01.2022
- Demonstrated proficiency in key clinical skills including retinoscopy/refinement, lensometry, tonometry, pupil and external evaluations, and assisting with LASIK and minor procedures.
- Obtained comprehensive patient histories for all visits to support accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
- Served as a co-management scribe, supporting accurate documentation and communication between co-managing providers.
- Assisted physicians with accurate charting and coding to ensure proper documentation and billing compliance.
- Collaborated closely with physicians and the Surgery Scheduling team to ensure seamless coordination and exceptional patient care.
- Worked with Patient Service Representatives to manage clinic schedules and maintain efficient patient flow.
- Triaged and scheduled urgent patient calls appropriately to support timely access to care.
- Served as a preceptor for new technician trainees, providing hands-on training, mentorship, and support as they adapted to new roles and clinic environments.
- Assessed ocular motility using prism and cover testing techniques.
- Performed specialized pediatric testing, including TAV testing, convergence amplitude assessments, and Fresnel prism placement.
- Contributed to data collection and patient monitoring in an Amblyopia follow-up study.
Support Center Representative
Eye Associates of New Mexico
01.2013 - 01.2015
- Managed high volume of inbound patient and provider calls, providing empathetic support and ensuring timely resolution of concerns to enhance patient experience.
- Utilized electronic health record (EHR) systems for accurate documentation, scheduling, and communication, contributing to streamlined operations.
- Mentored new staff during onboarding, fostering confidence and competence while improving familiarity with workflows and expectations.
Assistant Manager
Wetseal
01.2010 - 01.2013
- Trained, coached, and motivated staff to drive sales performance and support the store’s overall success.
- Assisted in opening new store location, helping team achieve #1 ranking in district.
- Executed all visual merchandising updates in alignment with company standards to maintain an engaging and brand consistent shopping environment.
- Collaborated with management team to minimize shrink and maintain effective loss prevention practices.
- Conducted interviews and contributed to hiring decisions, building a high-performing, customer-focused team.
Assistant Manager
Champs Sports
01.2008 - 01.2010
- Drove consistent store growth over multiple years by optimizing daily operations and enhancing team performance.
- Collaborated with Manager to hire employees aligned with store goals, enhancing overall team effectiveness.
- Facilitated shrink-control and loss-prevention efforts, contributing to successful audit outcomes.
- Maintained brand and visual standards by executing all merchandising updates accurately and on schedule.
Education
New Mexico State University- Global
Central New Mexico University
Rio Rancho, NMNew Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NMHigh School -
Rio Rancho High School
Rio Rancho, NMSkills
- Relationship management
- Team collaboration
- Task delegation
- Coaching and mentoring
- Time management
- Data analysis
- Project planning
- Process improvement
Certification
- Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT), 01/01/22
- Ophthalmic Scribe Certified (OSC), 01/01/23
Timeline
Referral Relations Supervisor
Eye Associates of New Mexico
01.2024 - Current
Refractive Surgery Coordinator/Interim Anterior Segment Coordinator
Eye Associates of New Mexico
01.2022 - 01.2024
Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technician/Scribe
Eye Associates of New Mexico
01.2015 - 01.2022
Support Center Representative
Eye Associates of New Mexico
01.2013 - 01.2015
Assistant Manager
Wetseal
01.2010 - 01.2013
Assistant Manager
Champs Sports
01.2008 - 01.2010
New Mexico State University- Global
Central New Mexico University
New Mexico State University
High School -
Rio Rancho High School