Heather Onza
Los Angeles,CA
Summary
Newly licensed California Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) with 10+ years of healthcare experience, including 4+ years supporting inpatient case management, prior authorizations, payer determinations, peer-to-peer coordination, and clinical documentation at UCLA Health. Experienced in navigating complex authorization workflows, reviewing records for completeness and accuracy, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, and supporting timely payer decisions. Practical nursing education includes supervised clinical rotations in skilled nursing, rehabilitation, medical-surgical, telemetry, behavioral health, and emergency care. Seeking to leverage established authorization and care coordination experience in an LVN utilization management, clinical review, or care management role.
Overview
1
1
Certification
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Case Manager Assistant III
UCLA Health System
Los Angeles, California
11.2021 - Current
- Reviewed documentation for accuracy and assessed necessity to support timely authorization decisions.
- Maintained consistent follow-up on prior authorization requests to ensure timely processing while patients remained in-house until discharge.
- Coordinated with inpatient team to facilitate peer-to-peer requests for denied authorizations, improving chances of approval.
- Reviewed authorizations from payer to determine approved or denied items.
- Submitted for prior authorization with required documentation to appropriate funding source.
- Gathered records pertinent to specific problems, reviewed for completeness and accuracy, and attached records to correspondence.
- Quickly learned new skills and applied them to daily tasks, improving efficiency and productivity.
- Carried out day-to-day duties accurately and efficiently.
- Performed duties in accordance with applicable standards, policies and regulatory guidelines to promote a safe working environment.
- Attended regularly scheduled case management and staff meetings.
Principal Admit Worker
UCI Health System
Newport Beach, CA
03.2020 - 11.2021
- Managed surgery services for gastroenterologist provider by triaging, planning, scheduling, and coordinating procedures.
- Coordinated patient scheduling, check-in, check-out, and billing payments to improve office workflow.
- Used computer programs and registration systems to schedule patients for routine and complex procedures.
- Scheduled, rescheduled and handled cancelled appointments for patients.
- Handled 60+ callers daily to streamline appointment scheduling and patient inquiries.
- Documented patient medical information, case histories and insurance details to facilitate smooth appointments and payment processing.
- Reviewed and updated patient data for accuracy and completeness, including insurance, demographic and health history to keep information current.
- Reviewed medical histories and current information to provide accurate information to surgeons.
- Responded to correspondence from insurance companies to verify patients' coverage.
- Verified eligibility and compliance with authorization requirements for service providers.
- Verified and updated demographic and other personal information for clients with respect to personal boundaries when asking for important details.
- Scheduled appointments for doctor visits and procedures using desktop calendar software.
- Promptly answered multi-line phone system and greeted callers enthusiastically.
- Completed skilled administrative work to support all office staff and operational requirements.
Front Office Administrator
Newport Fertility Center
Newport Beach, CA
10.2019 - 03.2020
- Answered phones promptly, greeting each caller with professionalism and a polite tone.
- Answer questions and schedule patients for various appointments accurately, timely, and patient-friendly manner
- Recorded patient demographic information, insurance details, payments, and past treatment summaries accurately for each call.
- Completed timely and accurate email correspondence with patients before their new patient visit, including confirmation emails and assistance with online paperwork.
- Transcribe phone messages from patients into actionable items for medical provider follow-up
- Managed confidential patient information and medical records with precision.
- Managed office inventory by restocking supplies and placing purchase orders, ensuring adequate stock levels.
Patient Biller III
UC Davis Health System
Sacramento, CA
06.2018 - 06.2019
- Audits cosmetic and deceased accounts for possible insurance or patient refunds
- Review each account to ensure charges and payments are posted appropriately and reconcile per contract
- Correctly calculate and write-off any non-covered amount for hospital and professional accounts in EPIC billing systems
- Review global credit balance to determine if charges are missing
- Obtain spreadsheet of all global problem accounts and send to Service areas on monthly basis
- Gathered documents and prepared patient refund request forms to facilitate reimbursement
- Resolve all bad debt credit balance accounts for hospital and professional accounts in EPIC
- Reviewed bad debt report and remittance advice to verify accuracy of account assignments and ensure proper posting of payments or adjustments
- Received and responded to e-mail inquiries related to collection agency referred accounts, and initiated appropriate action
- Contact patient, guarantor, and/or responsible agency to secure payment in full, establish payment arrangements according to department policy
- Review, resolve and follow-up on accounts for multiple reports for all hospital and professional accounts in EPIC
- Review A/R financial audit reports, re-circulating error file reports, posting error reports and reconciliation reports
- Responds to correspondence from patients, insurances, and attorney offices via phone, fax, writing, or e-mail
- Research for missing payments, and apply missing payment to correct account
Patient Biller II
UC Davis Health System
Sacramento, CA
08.2017 - 06.2018
- Review all incoming bankruptcy requests and place appropriate holds on accounts using EPIC, Invision and Signature billing systems
- Once discharged, adjust all accounts included in bankruptcy filing using correct write off codes for hospital and professional accounts
- Updated insurance information on workques, USCB bad debt recall reports, and managed hard copy correspondence to maintain billing accuracy.
- Follow up on accounts on a monthly basis
- Notate all action in EPIC, Invision and Signature billing systems
- Respond to requests from ambulance companies for patient demographic and insurance information to facilitate timely billing processes.
- Handled billing requests from the Risk Management department and forwarded them to the supervisor for approval
- Review each piece of return mail; add return mail status code in the EPIC billing system
- Update new address if provided, generate new statement and mail to patient with new address
- Forward all customer service, collectors, and clerical support mail to be scanned and routed appropriate EPIC workques
- Maintained accurate records of daily ACD calls and walk-ins to ensure proper tracking and follow-up.
- Answer incoming telephone calls using multi-line telephone system and route all callers to appropriate areas
Clerical Specialist
Health Net Federal Services
Rancho Cordova, CA
02.2016 - 08.2017
- Provides general clerical support services to Government Contracts department, team, and programs
- Schedule and manage calendars of Vice President, Directors and Managers
- Managed administrative functions, including complex calendar management with focus on proper allocation of executive availability
- Coordinates travel arrangements and prepares travel expense report for Government Contract Directors
- Planned and executed meetings for management team
- Performed data entry with a focus on accuracy and detail
- Processed documents for checks, invoice and expense reports
- Assembles materials and documents for contracts, decisions, and other processes
- Executed specialized tasks to support operational processes
- Enters and retrieves data from online, network, and desktop computer systems
- Created and maintained spreadsheets in MS Excel to track check requests, purchase requisitions, and correspondences
- Runs Correspondence Reports and Government Contract Deliverables daily
- Maintains records and process forms
- Maintains files requiring classification using Government Database System
- Monitored and organized information from paper and electronic files to ensure efficient retrieval and management
- Distributes documents within department and to other locations
- Acted as administrative liaison for purchasing, facilities, and operations, facilitating communication between internal teams and external stakeholders
- Promoted team productivity by keeping supplies organized and well-stocked
Administrative Assistant
River Bend Nursing Center
West Sacramento, CA
05.2013 - 02.2016
- Provides administrative support to Administrator and Department Managers with demonstrated ability to improvise, improve procedures, and meet demanding deadlines
- Assisted Director of Staff Development in posting job opportunities on Craigslist/Indeed, screening responses, and preparing new employee files to streamline hiring process
- Liaison between all departments to ensure proper communications and reporting practices
- Organized weekly staff meetings, logging minutes for corporate records to improve communication and documentation
- Maintains strict confidentiality on patient, agency, and employee matters
- Managed office inventory by restocking supplies and placing purchase orders to ensure uninterrupted operations
- Centralized medical records system in order to manage inputting and retrieving activities more effectively
- Review and audit admission and telephone orders given by physicians and nurses
- Generate and correct reports as requested
- Adapt to short-notice shift changes and cancellations by organizing replacement staff to maintain the required level of health care
- Prepared packages for shipment, pickup and courier services for prompt delivery to customers
Medical Receptionist
Goodman Eye Center
San Francisco, CA
07.2011 - 06.2012
- Acted as primary contact for vision correction surgery patients, managed vendor relations and co-management processes.
- Answer phones, handle front desk calls, and take accurate phone messages.
- Welcomed patients and customers at the front desk with a friendly demeanor.
- Schedule routine exams, pre-operative, post-operative appointments, fill openings, and maintain cancellation list.
- Process patient paperwork, new, and existing patients.
- Confirm appointments and prepare files for the following day.
- Collected fees at check-out, ensuring accurate processing of patient payments.
- Sorted and delivered incoming mail to ensure efficient communication flow.
- Compile and send out surgery packets.
Education
Diploma - Practical Nursing
Smith Chason College
Los Angeles, CA09-2025
High School Diploma -
Maranatha Christian Academy
Wahiawa, HI01-2005
Skills
Prior authorization
- Inpatient case management support
- Payer authorization review
- Clinical documentation review
- Peer-to-peer coordination
- Denial follow-up
- Medical records review
- Insurance eligibility & benefits
- Care Coordination
- Medical terminology
- EMR/EHR systems
- EPIC
- HIPAA & Regulatory Compliance
- Provider & Payer Communication
- High-Volume Workflow Management
- MS Word, Excel & Outlook
Certification
- Licensed Vocational Nurse, California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT) | License #[Your Number] | Exp: [MM/YYYY]
Clincial Experience - LVN Rotations
West Haven Healthcare – West Covina, CA
Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation
- Provided direct patient care, including activities of daily living (ADLs), vital signs, and patient assessments.
- Administered medications and treatments under instructor supervision.
- Assisted with wound care, infection prevention, and documentation.
- Collaborated with the interdisciplinary healthcare team to support individualized patient care plans.
Kennedy Care Center – Los Angeles, CA
Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation
- Delivered compassionate nursing care to geriatric and rehabilitation patients.
- Performed medication administration, blood glucose monitoring, and routine treatments.
- Assisted with mobility, fall prevention, and patient safety interventions.
- Documented patient care accurately while maintaining HIPAA compliance.
Meadow Creek Post-Acute – Paramount, CA
Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation
- Provided nursing care for post-acute and long-term care residents.
- Assisted with medication administration, wound care, catheter care, and enteral feeding as appropriate.
- Monitored changes in patient condition and promptly reported findings to the supervising nurse.
- Educated patients and families on basic health maintenance and safety measures.
San Gabriel Valley Medical Center – San Gabriel, CA
Medical-Surgical | Telemetry | Behavioral Health | Emergency Department
- Cared for patients with acute and chronic medical conditions in a fast-paced hospital setting.
- Performed patient assessments, obtained vital signs, and assisted with medication administration and treatments.
- Monitored cardiac telemetry patients and recognized changes requiring prompt nursing intervention.
- Assisted with emergency department triage, patient admissions, specimen collection, and treatment preparation.
- Utilized therapeutic communication techniques while caring for patients experiencing behavioral health conditions.
- Collaborated with registered nurses, physicians, and the interdisciplinary team to provide safe, patient-centered care.
Timeline
Case Manager Assistant III
UCLA Health System
11.2021 - Current
Principal Admit Worker
UCI Health System
03.2020 - 11.2021
Front Office Administrator
Newport Fertility Center
10.2019 - 03.2020
Patient Biller III
UC Davis Health System
06.2018 - 06.2019
Patient Biller II
UC Davis Health System
08.2017 - 06.2018
Clerical Specialist
Health Net Federal Services
02.2016 - 08.2017
Administrative Assistant
River Bend Nursing Center
05.2013 - 02.2016
Medical Receptionist
Goodman Eye Center
07.2011 - 06.2012
Diploma - Practical Nursing
Smith Chason College
High School Diploma -
Maranatha Christian Academy