Milagros Cruz
Kissimmee
Summary
Clinical healthcare professional equipped to lead and optimize patient care operations. Proven expertise in managing clinical staff, streamlining processes, and ensuring compliance with healthcare standards. Strong focus on fostering team collaboration and adapting to evolving needs. Skilled in performance improvement, patient relations, and staff development, ensuring reliable and impactful results.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Clinical Manager/ RN Case Manager
Amedisys Home Healthcare
09.2024 - Current
- Oversee day-to-day clinical team operations, ensuring high-quality patient care and effective service delivery.
- Organize clinical operations, review patient eligibility for services, and ensure timely processing of clinical workflows.
- Supervise clinical staff and collaborate with clinicians to create and execute patient care plans while ensuring high-quality care.
- Conduct RCA reviews for preventable hospitalizations.
- Promote patient health and independence through teaching and rehabilitative measures Make referrals to other disciplines based on patient needs.
Clinical Quality Specialist II
Orlando Health, ORMC
03.2022 - 04.2024
- Project Lead - Hospital Acquired Infection Strategic Imperative Team - Reduced HAIs by 31% in FY 2023.
- Identified process and practice opportunities for improvement. Assisted with the review and revision of policies and procedures. Assisted in the development of standard work for HAI-intensive reviews.
- Guided nurse leaders in developing PDSA to reduce infections and the standard utilization ratio for urinary catheters and central lines.
Quality Coordinator
HCA Healthcare, Florida Osceola Hospital
11.2020 - 02.2022
- Collaborated with leaders and facilitated the formulation of corrective actions for areas needing improvement.
- Performed Environment of Care (EOC) rounds, clinical tracers, and audits.
- Quality Council Facilitator - Coordinated Quality Council, and assisted with presentations and meeting preparation.
- Developed presentations for Quality Council, Medical Executive Committee, and Board of Trustees meetings. Assisted in the review of the Performance Improvement Plan for 2021.
- Policy STAT Administrator - Coordinated Policy Committee meetings, developed, and maintained approval workflows, supported leaders in revising and uploading policies, and ensured compliance with yearly reviews.
- Achieved a 10% reduction in mortality rates after corrections to accounts. Performed mortality records reviews, collaborated with Patient Accounts, Coding, and Nursing to correct accounts.
- Led patient grievance reviews with the CFO and Patient Accounts Manager to facilitate case closures.
Quality and Safety Coordinator
Hartford Healthcare
10.2018 - 09.2020
- Collaborated with organizational leadership and front-line staff in formulating plans to address identified concerns and recommended strategies to improve clinical performance and enhance patient safety.
- Covered the Intensive Care Units at the bedside, and screening stations, assisted employee health and infection prevention during the COVID-19 surge (March & April 2020).
- Concurrent and retrospective reviews of records to identify opportunities in care and documentation.
- Collaborated with the Chiefs of Surgery to decrease Hospital Acquired Conditions (HACs) and Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs).
- Achieved a 40% Venous thromboembolism reduction for the Region FY 2019 by identifying barriers and putting plans into place with the Dyad teams.
Staff RN | Ambulatory Surgery Unit
Trinity Health Of New England Saint Francis Hospital
10.2017 - 10.2018
- Provided care to patients in the Ambulatory Surgical Unit (ASU).
- Pre-op - Completed patient assessment, evaluation, and medication of patients before surgery.
- Assisted Anesthesiologists in the administration of preoperative regional/peripheral nerve blocks.
- PACU & Phase II Recovery - Provided care for post-operative patients. Verified that patients met all discharge criteria. Confirmed that patients and families received and verbalized understanding of written discharge instructions.
- RN preceptor & Member of the ASU Unit Council Group
Staff RN | Medsurg and ICU
The Hospital of Central CT
11.2009 - 10.2017
- Organized and provided care to patients and families, patient teaching, and discharge planning.
- Ventriculostomy/Swans/IABP/Induced hypothermia/Rotoprone.
- Charge Nurse/ Supervisor – Encouraged staff autonomy, responsibility, and accountability, adjusted staffing as appropriate, coordinated assignments, directed patients' general flow, and reported to the Clinical Manager.
- RN Preceptor – Introduced new staff RNs to the goals, policies, procedures, and position expectations, coordinated clinical assignments, and competency validation.
- Patient Experience Committee Member – Reviewed Press Ganey Scores, identified improvement areas and collaborated with staff, patients, and families to enhance the patient experience.
- ICU/CCU Newsletter Editor – Collaborated with nursing and medical staff to draft articles about current activities, education opportunities, celebrations, and community engagement.
Substitute School Nurse
Consolidated School District
10.2013 - 10.2014
- Provided care, conducted health screenings, coordinated referrals, and served as a liaison between school personnel, families, community, and healthcare providers.
Medical Assistant|Safety Officer|Access to Care Coordinator
Community Health Center and Lexington Cardiology
01.1995 - 01.2009
- Primary Care, Community Care, Women's Services, Pediatrics (School-Based Health), Endocrinology and Cardiology.
Education
MSN - Nursing Leadership and Management
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, Utah08.2023
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Goodwin College
East Hartford, CT12.2015
Associate of Science - Nursing
Goodwin College
East Hartford, CT08.2009
Medical Assistant - undefined
Connecticut Business Institute
East Hartford, CT09.1995
General Studies - undefined
University of Hartford
West Hartford, CT06.1995
Skills
- California and Florida Multistate
- RN License
- Telemetry Certified
- Training & Coaching
- Patient Safety
- Project Management
- Data Analysis
- Performance Improvement
- Certified RN Preceptor
- REDCap, EPIC, Meditech, Cerner
- Microsoft Word, Excel, SharePoint, PowerPoint, OneNote, Power BI
- American Heart Association, BLS
- Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing, 2016
- Decreasing Urinary Catheter Utilization In Acute Stroke Patients Sigma Theta Tau Conference Orlando, Florida April 2024
Accomplishments
· Played a key role in reducing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) by 31% through process improvement and standard work development.
· Achieved a 40% reduction in Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) for the region by implementing targeted interventions.
· Contributed to a 10% reduction in mortality rates by identifying and correcting documentation errors.
· Contributed to a 6.25% decrease in falls with injury through policy revisions and standardized fall prevention practices.
· Championed patient safety initiatives like implementing the SHOUT airway risk assessment tool and revising the System Falls Policy.
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Clinical Manager/ RN Case Manager
Amedisys Home Healthcare
09.2024 - Current
Clinical Quality Specialist II
Orlando Health, ORMC
03.2022 - 04.2024
Quality Coordinator
HCA Healthcare, Florida Osceola Hospital
11.2020 - 02.2022
Quality and Safety Coordinator
Hartford Healthcare
10.2018 - 09.2020
Staff RN | Ambulatory Surgery Unit
Trinity Health Of New England Saint Francis Hospital
10.2017 - 10.2018
Substitute School Nurse
Consolidated School District
10.2013 - 10.2014
Staff RN | Medsurg and ICU
The Hospital of Central CT
11.2009 - 10.2017
Medical Assistant|Safety Officer|Access to Care Coordinator
Community Health Center and Lexington Cardiology
01.1995 - 01.2009
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Goodwin College
Associate of Science - Nursing
Goodwin College
Medical Assistant - undefined
Connecticut Business Institute
General Studies - undefined
University of Hartford
MSN - Nursing Leadership and Management
Western Governors University
Similar Profiles
BARUC MONROY CASTILLOBARUC MONROY CASTILLO
Account Executive at Amedisys Home HealthcareAccount Executive at Amedisys Home Healthcare
Julie WalkerJulie Walker
Director of Clinical Operations at At Home Care HospiceDirector of Clinical Operations at At Home Care Hospice
Mary ShankweilerMary Shankweiler
Branch Manager at Angels Home HealthBranch Manager at Angels Home Health
Aliany LopezAliany Lopez
Bartender/Server at Miller's Ale HouseBartender/Server at Miller's Ale House
Jennifer Hodges RutherfordJennifer Hodges Rutherford
Director Quality Assurance Auditing and Compliance at Hilton Grand VacationsDirector Quality Assurance Auditing and Compliance at Hilton Grand Vacations