Lynda Amell
Victoria,TX
Summary
Goal oriented, dedicated professional, highly motivated self-starter, and decision-maker. Exceptional healthcare administrative skills such as policy resolution, resource and risk management skills. Proven leadership skills with ability to motivate others and encourage peak performance. Skilled in supervising, training and coordinating personnel while improving team efficiency. In-depth knowledge of physiological conditions and direct delivery requirements. Compassionate professional and dedicated to promoting progressive treatments. Accomplished in providing instructions on appropriate treatments and multidisciplinary care. Superior staff relations, organizational, analytical, and quality assurance skills. Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills at all levels. Ability to manage and implement timely and cost-effective completion of multiple projects. Team player and capable of performing independently in a High Reliability Organization. Extremely flexible, reliable, resourceful, and strongly committed to superior patient care. Additional verbal communications skills in Spanish (Medical Terminology). Versatile Business Manager with experience in diverse sectors including technology, healthcare and finance. Demonstrated strengths include strategic planning, team leadership and process optimization. Noteworthy accomplishments include successful business growth through innovative strategies and management practices, driving efficiency and profitability. Known for fostering strong business relationships, ensuring client satisfaction and prioritizing organizational objectives.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Business Manager, Health and Wellness Center
Texas A&M University- Victoria
01.2025 - Current
- Managed departmental budgets and allocated resources for university projects, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
- Developed and implemented policies and procedures that enhanced operational efficiency and streamlined processes.
- Managed daily operations and administrative tasks for university departments.
- Analyzed operational workflows, identifying improvement areas that led to enhanced service delivery.
- Structured HR consulting services to support clients during organizational developments and changes.
Adjunct Instructor
Baylor University
05.2021 - Current
- Facilitated fieldwork seminar discussions
- Conducted sessions for adult education
- Developed professional competency training
- Oversaw pediatric fieldwork placements
Lead Occupational Therapist
Post Acute Medical North Hospital
01.2023 - 01.2025
- Specialized in Outpatient Orthopedic Upper Extremity injuries.
- Collaborated with Community Orthopedic surgeons to develop and grow a profitable program.
- Led A staff skilled base training program.
Department Head, Rehabilitation Department
Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune/Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Center
01.2019 - 01.2023
- Leading 47 staff members and 3 specialty clinics over 5 geographical locations in evidenced-based rehabilitation practices, expert evaluation and treatment of over 4,000 patients at a 60% lower cost compared to civilian equivalent while maintaining a 6% no show rate and a 98% customer service rating.
- Generated 24,887 patient encounters, contributing to $2.2M in RVU revenue.
- Collaboration with pain management and the intrepid, yielded a 10% decrease in network deferrals.
- Led the planning and development of Physical Therapy assets for 2 Medical Home Ports, 1 Branch Clinic, and the Camp Geiger Rehabilitation Center in collaboration with Sports Medicine.
- This will increase access to care by 3-5 days and available appointments by 30%.
- Proposed joint collaboration with Fayetteville VA to reduce therapy referrals to network, aiming to recapture $2M in annual network costs.
- Spearheaded pilot program for Rehabilitation Telehealth appointments, increasing appointment accessibility and enhancing productivity by 5%.
- Committee Chair, OT of the year.
- Credentials Committee completed 30 credentials packages.
Program Director, METC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
MEDICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING CAMPUS
01.2016 - 01.2019
- Navy Service Lead, OTA program
- Assistant Professor, Uniformed Services University
- Adjunct Instructor, University of the Incarnate Word
- Full Time Instructor from February 2017 to 2019.
- 150 hours of direct instruction in the Occupational Therapy curriculum per class iteration, and 450 hours per academic year.
- Facilitated three clinical reasoning projects each class iteration, enhancing student understanding of diagnosis reviews, case studies, and activity analyses.
- Coordinated events, activities, and academic needs for educational affiliate University of the Incarnate Word, ensuring seamless program delivery.
- Instructor Evaluator for the Medical Education and Training Center x 12 months, of all Non CCAF programs.
- Implemented Army and Navy Service curriculum for identified service-specific critical tasks, aligning educational standards with operational requirements.
- Achieved Executive Medicine Additional Qualifier Designator to enhance professional qualifications.
- Secured Health Care Administration Additional Qualifier Designator following rigorous evaluation.
- Held position of Vice President for San Antonio Wardroom Association, managing member engagement.
- Secured role of Assistant Professor at Uniformed Services University to contribute to academic programs.
- Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
Assistant Department Head, Physical Medicine, and Rehabilitation
NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER PORTSMOUTH
01.2012 - 01.2016
- Division Head for Occupational Therapy Services/ Occupational Therapist
- Occupational Therapy Champion for Tidewater Enhanced Multi Service Market.
- Expertly managed an OPTAR of 300,000 for Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Medicine to include 97 staff members.
- Contributed to development of Mental Health program for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder patients, improving treatment options.
- Critical in the expansion of a Traumatic Brain Injury program collaborating with psychiatry, neuropsychology, recreation therapy, and nutrition services.
- Expanded Pool Therapy Services for Occupational Therapy division, resulting in 10% increase in patient engagement.
- Secured $10,000 for upgraded equipment in Occupational Therapy division, enhancing service delivery.
- Completed 9 months of dedicated service in Afghanistan working closely with U.S. and coalition force hospitals and clinics treating mild traumatic brain injury from blast injuries, and many musculoskeletal acute injuries.
- Actively involved in 2 current ongoing military research studies.
- Productivity and Coding Enhancement Champion for Navy Medicine East.
- Roster of Accreditation Evaluator for the American Council of Occupational Therapy Education.
- Created a Lunch and Learn critical skills training forum for Type II providers.
Division Head, Occupational Therapy Division/Occupational Therapist
BETHESDA NATIONAL NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER
01.2009 - 01.2011
- Earned and advanced AQD specialty designator of “Upper Extremity Neuromuscular Evaluator and Screener.
- Most helpful in military operational billets.
- Expertly managed $36K budget, supervised 7 staff members, and streamlined an interdisciplinary “Hand Clinic” that services 200+ clients a week.
- Only uniformed member who participated in American Occupational Therapy Association planning conference for the 2011 National Conference.
- Actively involved in clinic process improvement regarding patient flow, communication, and space utilization with productivity by 20% over a nine-month period.
- Selected to provide Occupational Therapy Services at the Pentagon twice a week.
- Within 6 weeks of becoming the Departmental Joint Commission Officer, 15 staff members brought from 0% compliant to 100% compliant in training record audits, conducted staff training, and provided weekly education tips to all staff.
- Numerous Hours dedicated to Public Relations, and outpatient clinic collaboration to improve productivity and awareness.
- Coordinated weekly training and education classes for 40 multi service (Army and Navy) staff members.
- Instrumental in the successful merge of Walter Reed Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center Bethesda Occupational Therapy Departments.
Division Head for EDIS Iwakuni and Sasebo locations/Occupational Therapist
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI
01.2007 - 01.2009
- Provided Interventional services to Department of Defense Schools in Iwakuni, and Sasebo Japan with geographical location 3 hours apart.
- Mentored and trained all Occupational Therapy staff are newly arriving.
- Coordinator for the documentation system used for all 6 EDIS sites located throughout Mainland, Japan.
- Traveled to all sites for periodic training and updates.
- Provided active-duty orthopedic Occupational Therapy support services at the local Branch Health Clinic including training of General Duty Corpsman and family practice doctors.
- Completed Field Medical Training School for Officers (Military Field Training).
- Awarded Junior Officer of the Quarter (1st).
- Command Managed Equal Opportunity Program Coordinator, conducting training, surveys, and making recommendations to the Commanding Officer.
- Dual Billet, EDUCATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONAL SERVICES, AND BRANCH HEALTH CLINIC
Division Head Occupational Therapy/Occupational Therapist
NAVAL HOSPITAL CAMP LEJUENE
01.2005 - 01.2007
- Treated patients with various orthopedic, neurological, poly-traumatic and systemic conditions.
- Delivered therapy to a diverse population with varied diagnoses and complex treatment plans.
- Developed a comprehensive plan of care with all team members to achieve optimal outcomes.
- Administered outpatient therapies for various musculoskeletal disorders and wound conditions.
- Consulted Nursing Assistants on managing progression and declination of patients.
- Advised the nursing staff in appropriate splinting and positioning of range of motion devices.
- Utilized moist heat, cold, light, ultrasound modalities, massage, and stretching techniques.
- Provided specialized care in ADL, sensory, visual/perceptual and cognitive rehabilitation.
- Supervised, trained, scheduled, coordinated and evaluated all staff members.
- Completed Field Medical School for Officers.
Naval Officer /Medical Service Corp/Administration
NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER SAN DIEGO
01.2002 - 01.2005
- Coordinated patient care services and administrative operations.
- Supported resource management programs to optimize the healthcare administration processes.
- Supervise, train, schedule, coordinate and evaluate up to 30 team members.
- Examine planning, qualitative/quantitative goal setting, delegation and accountability issues.
- Offer innovative approaches for leveraging an ethnically diverse and multi-cultural workforce.
- Create various policies and procedures to increase office efficiency and productivity.
- Plan, organize and maintain monthly personnel assignment schedules for the enlisted staff.
- Researched JCAHO accreditation and OSHA safety standards in preparation of inspections.
- Develop and implement policies to optimize quality assurance and risk management protocols.
- Communicate with patients and senior staff to resolve various medical care issues.
- Process, update and maintain the team members' evaluation, disciplinary and merit records.
- Created recognition programs, incentive and service awards that increased employee morale.
- Establish various protocols for improving employee relations while maintaining confidentiality.
- Initiate new hire orientations regarding job responsibilities and unit's policies and procedures.
- Counsel staff members regarding career development opportunities to improve retention rates.
- Developed educational materials to support staff training on regulatory compliance standards.
- Type and edit correspondence, directives, initiatives, policies, procedures and budget reports.
- Utilize a DMLSS system to prepare, update and finalize healthcare administration documents.
- Organize process, maintain and file various confidential documents and sensitive materials.
- Significantly increased efficiency by reorganizing filing systems and editing internal forms.
- Track all daily command evolutions and generated status reports for senior command review.
- Assisted the POMI office in deploying the USHS Mercy Hospital Ship to Asia for a humanitarian mission.
- San Diego, CA
Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR/L)
SKAGGS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
01.2001 - 01.2002
- Evaluated and Treated patients with various orthopedic, neurological, polytraumatic and systemic conditions.
- Delivered therapy to a diverse population with varied diagnoses and complex treatment plans.
- Developed a comprehensive plan of care with all team members to achieve optimal outcomes.
- Consulted Restorative Nursing Assistants on managing progression and declination of patients.
- Advised the nursing staff in appropriate splinting and positioning of range of motion devices.
- Administered outpatient therapies for various Musculo-skeletal disorders and wound conditions.
- Utilized moist heat, cold, light, ultrasound modalities, electrical stimulation, and myofascial release techniques.
- Provided specialized care in ADL, sensory, visual/perceptual and cognitive rehabilitation.
- Delivered therapeutic care to all populations of rehabilitation patients in an outpatient and inpatient setting.
- Branson, MO
Education
Master of Arts - Health Services Management
Texas A&M University- Victoria
01-2002
Bachelor of Science - Occupational Therapy
06-2001
Associate of Applied Science - Occupational Therapy Assistant
01-1991
Skills
- Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint
- Adobe Acrobat
- Workday, Atrium, Canopy, Fusion, Canvas
- Policy writing and implementation
- Budget management
- Workflow analysis
- Departmental operations
- Educational leadership
- Staff mentoring
- Analytical thinking
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Safety protocols and procedures
- Strategic initiatives
- Reliability
Personal Information
Title: ACOTE/RAE member for the American Occupational Therapy Association, Certified by the American Heart Association as a Basic Life Instructor, Certified by the National Council on Strength and Fitness as a Personal Trainer, Received an AOTA Certification in Electrical Stimulation and Ultrasound, Received an AOTA Certification in Aquatic Programming
Awards
- Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- Senior Officer of the Quarter (3rd) NMCP
- Fleet Marine Force Warfare Device
- Awarded two Navy Commendation Ribbon and Award
- Awarded four Navy Achievement Ribbons and Awards
- Junior Officer of the Quarter (1st) Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
- Received six Letters of Appreciation from Department of Defense Schools
- Letter of Commendation from NAVMEDCENSD C/O for superior contributions
- Recognized as the Blue Jacket Sailor of the Quarter for exemplary performance
- Corpsman Excellence Award for exceptional performance and dedication
- Three Letters of Appreciation for outstanding teamwork, leadership & dedication
Professional Development
- AMDOC
- BMDOC
- Senior Leadership Course
- Management of Burns and Multiple Trauma Injuries
- Philadelphia Hand Conference x 4 years
- Advanced Medical Department Officer Course
- Navy Instructor School
- Coding and Reimbursement
- Upper Extremity Conditions
- Tricare Financial Management Course
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Course
- Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX)
- Department Head Management Course
- Clinic Management Course
- Front Desk Course
- DMLSS
- SLCADA
- Kronos/Timekeeping
- Thoracic Sequence (2)
- Driving Simulator Training
- Dynavision Training
- Treatment of mild traumatic brain injury
- Certification in Modalities
- Splinting for mobilization and immobilization
- Applications in Kinesio taping
- BTE: Evaluation and Clinical Applications
- Conference: Biomechanics and Anatomy of Tendons
- Field Medical School for Officers
- Patient Administration
- Completed a U.S. Navy Course in 7 Healthy Habits of Highly Effective People
- American Occupational Therapy Association (6)
- American Hand Society (3)
- BLS Instructor Course
- Completed a U.S. Navy Shipboard (Sick Bay) Augmentation Training
- Completed a U.S. Navy Fleet Hospital Field Training
- Completed a U.S. Navy Certified Course in Hazmat and Electrical Safety
- Attended an AOTA conference on Lobbying and Licensure
- Attended an AOTA conference on Occupational Therapy in the New Millennium
- Attended an AOTA conference on Myofascial Release Unwinding (Massage)
- Attended an AOTA conference on Medicare Reimbursement
- Attended an AOTA conference on Treatment of Motor Skills
- Attended an AOTA conference on Stroke Recovery
- Attended an AOTA conference on Neurology Approach to CNS Dysfunction
Research
- Assistant Investigator: Comparison of the DANA to the ANAM in the Evaluation of Cognitive Changes after concussion (current).
- Administrative Support: Balance Master Vs BESS post-concussion testing and outcomes
Timeline
Business Manager, Health and Wellness Center
Texas A&M University- Victoria
01.2025 - Current
Lead Occupational Therapist
Post Acute Medical North Hospital
01.2023 - 01.2025
Adjunct Instructor
Baylor University
05.2021 - Current
Department Head, Rehabilitation Department
Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune/Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Center
01.2019 - 01.2023
Program Director, METC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
MEDICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING CAMPUS
01.2016 - 01.2019
Assistant Department Head, Physical Medicine, and Rehabilitation
NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER PORTSMOUTH
01.2012 - 01.2016
Division Head, Occupational Therapy Division/Occupational Therapist
BETHESDA NATIONAL NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER
01.2009 - 01.2011
Division Head for EDIS Iwakuni and Sasebo locations/Occupational Therapist
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI
01.2007 - 01.2009
Division Head Occupational Therapy/Occupational Therapist
NAVAL HOSPITAL CAMP LEJUENE
01.2005 - 01.2007
Naval Officer /Medical Service Corp/Administration
NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER SAN DIEGO
01.2002 - 01.2005
Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR/L)
SKAGGS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
01.2001 - 01.2002
Master of Arts - Health Services Management
Texas A&M University- Victoria