Octavia Kellam
Aberdeen,MD
Summary
Seeking professional growth and career enhancement opportunities within the Veterans Administration
Professional with strong background in nursing leadership, focused on delivering high-quality patient care and operational efficiency. Expertise in team collaboration, staff development, and resource management. Known for adaptability and achieving results in dynamic healthcare settings. Proficient in clinical skills, patient advocacy, and regulatory compliance.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Nurse Ambulatory Care Service
Veterans Administration Washington D.C., Medical Center
Washington D.C.
07.2023 - Current
- Operational/Administrative responsibility 167 FTEs covering the following areas; seven PACT Clinics, Women’s Health Department, Occupational Health, Cardiopulmonary Rehab Clinic, Diabetes Educators, Wound Care Clinic, Specialty Medicine and Specialty Surgery Oncology Clinics.
- Selected Accomplishments
- Opened “Close To Me” Oncology Clinic serving CBOCs
- Established new outpatient wound care services improving the organization from the last in VISN 5 to zero HAPIs.
- Moved SAIL data Stress Discussed from 5th quintile to the 1st. (Best Practice)
- Certified LEAN Black Belt
- Created VISN 5 Ambulatory Care Chief Nurse Forum- standardized nursing practices across VISN 5
Nurse Manager
Veterans Administration Washington D.C., Medical Center
Washington D.C.
06.2021 - 07.2023
- Administrative responsibility for daily operations of the Primary Care Outpatient PACT Clinics Occupational Health Clinic, Cardiopulmonary-Rehab Clinic
- Selected Accomplishments
- Increased Veteran Access to care by 33%.
- Established score cards for Nursing Quality Performance Metrics
- Improved Veteran’s Experience by 32% utilizing SHEP data, WOW & HOW Rounding Tool and Veteran’s Thank You Cards
- Increased staff satisfaction by 50% “Work life Balance”
- Improved Nursing Leadership Co-creator Nurse Manager’s Boot Camp
Acting Chief Nurse Ambulatory Care Services
Veterans Administration Washington D.C., Medical Center
Washington D.C.
11.2021 - 03.2022
- Administrative responsibility for Ambulatory Care Service 234 FTEs (NPs, RNs, LPNs, ICTs & HTs). Specialty Clinics, Primary Care Clinics, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC), Women’s Health Clinic Employee Occupational Health Clinic
- Established strong relationships with physicians and other healthcare professionals for optimal collaboration and patient care coordination.
Nurse Manager
Veterans Administration Maryland Health Care System
Baltimore, Maryland
09.2017 - 06.2021
- Administrative responsibility for assessing and planning daily operations for the Primary Care Outpatient Clinic, (32 PACT Teams) Women’s Health Clinic, Mental Health Outpatient Clinic SMI, Homeless PACT Teams and PACT Wound Care Clinic.
- Selected Accomplishments
- Developed processes (audits/SOPs, rounding tool)
- Improved access, which enhanced the overall Veteran’s experience in Primary Care to include all six CBOCs
- Lead for Veteran COVID Vaccine Clinic (2020-2021)
- Chair -Nurse Manager Peer Council (2018-2021)
- Successful Joint Commission survey with zero findings
- Mentoring Nurse Managers
- Chair Organization’s Nursing Strategic Plan - Improve Performance (2015-2020)
- Poster presentation NOVA Annual Conference
- Developed Nurse Manager’s Succession Plan
Nurse Manager
Veterans Administration Maryland Health Care System
Glen Burnie, Maryland
09.2015 - 09.2017
- Administrative responsibility managing interdisciplinary services (Mental Health, PACT, Dermatology, Optometry, Lab, and Pharmacy-D services) for the CBOC
- Selected Accomplishments
- Increased Veteran access to 20 additional appointments/week by developing 4-Day 10-hour alternative work schedule
- Implemented patient experience model to improved clinic’s SHEP scores by 60%.
- Decreased nursing turnover to zero vacancies
- Improved nursing retention – Clinic with waiting list for nursing employment (RNs, LPNs & MTs)
- Created CBOC Orientation for nursing (all six CBOCs)
- Leadership Development Institute (LDI) Graduate- 2019
- LEAN Green Belt Certification
- Created Ambulatory Care Service Nursing High Performer Program
Director of Nursing
Medstar Health-Baltimore Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
01.2012 - 01.2015
- Administrative responsibility for Orthopedics, Oncology, MICU. Oversee 220 FTEs. Budget 2.2 million
- Developed and implemented quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient outcomes.
- Managed departmental budgets, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and staffing.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to improve care coordination and patient satisfaction.
- Analyzed data trends to inform strategic decision-making in clinical operations.
Nurse Manager
University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center
Towson, Maryland
01.2006 - 01.2012
- Administrative responsibility for 76 bed medical surgical unit and 32 bed oncology unit.
- Analyzed patient outcomes data to identify trends and inform strategic planning efforts.
- Facilitated training programs to improve clinical skills among nursing staff members.
- Oversaw budgeting processes, ensuring adherence to fiscal policies while maintaining service quality.
Clinical Nurse Leader
Sinai Hospital Baltimore Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
10.2000 - 01.2005
- Emergency Department.
- Established performance metrics to evaluate service effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
- Managed daily operations of the clinic, ensuring smooth functioning of all aspects of patient services from scheduling appointments to billing processes.
- Conducted performance evaluations and recommended appropriate merit increases.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to address complex patient needs effectively.
Education
Master Business Administration -
University of Phoenix
MarylandBachelor of Science Nursing -
East Carolina University
North CarolinaSkills
- Quality improvement
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Customer service
- Effective communication
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Operational efficiency
- Strategic planning
- Continuous improvement
Timeline
Chief Nurse Ambulatory Care Service
Veterans Administration Washington D.C., Medical Center
07.2023 - Current
Acting Chief Nurse Ambulatory Care Services
Veterans Administration Washington D.C., Medical Center
11.2021 - 03.2022
Nurse Manager
Veterans Administration Washington D.C., Medical Center
06.2021 - 07.2023
Nurse Manager
Veterans Administration Maryland Health Care System
09.2017 - 06.2021
Nurse Manager
Veterans Administration Maryland Health Care System
09.2015 - 09.2017
Director of Nursing
Medstar Health-Baltimore Maryland
01.2012 - 01.2015
Nurse Manager
University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center
01.2006 - 01.2012
Clinical Nurse Leader
Sinai Hospital Baltimore Maryland
10.2000 - 01.2005
Master Business Administration -
University of Phoenix
Bachelor of Science Nursing -
East Carolina University
QUALIFICATIONS
Business professional with proven success in managing multidisciplinary teams in both clinical and administrative settings. Champions a culture of safety founded on systems approach of evidenced based health care solutions. Proven track record in driving quality improvement initiatives and optimizing patient care delivery systems. Strategic planner, effective team builder in restructuring nursing operations while maximizing productivity.