Susan Stephens
Chattanooga,TN
Summary
Accomplished Manager and Operational Leader with over 20 years experience primarily focused in the areas of provider onboarding, HIPAA compliance and security, staff development, project management and the creation and implementation of policies and procedures. In addition to managing the daily operations of two highly functioning departments servings multiple locations. Dedicated to raising the stature and ranking of a growing medical practice.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Operations Coordinator (Remote)
Carolina Neurosurgery And Spine Associates
07.2021 - 11.2023
- Provided direction and guidance to internal teams in order to ensure staff proficiency in areas of physician clinics and scheduling, HIPAA and release of information compliance and standards.
- Introduced new methods, practices, and systems to promote efficiency and consistency in both staff and patient experiences.
- Project manager for SpineFirst, accredited partnership with Atrium Healthcare System that provides standard of care for patients nationally.
- Implemented troubleshooting, root cause analysis and issue resolution with practice management system, phone system, and patient portal.
- Collaborated with directors and in-house legal counsel to evaluate needs and optimize operational plans for HIPAA rules and regulations, compliance and security.
- Provided in-depth data reporting and statistical analysis to assist Executive Board, Providers and leaders to understand numbers and trends for daily operations and strategic planning.
- Discovery, programming, and training for Zoom Phone system implementation.
- Managed review and completed Subpoenas for medical records.
- Analyzed department metrics and performance for operational leadership reporting.
- Assisted patients and vendors with issue resolution to build brand loyalty and cultivate lasting business relationships.
Manager of Appointments and Medical Records
Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates
09.2003 - 07.2021
- Successful onboarding of over 50 providers across six locations through clinic schedule development, marketing, and outreach, to build initial patient base and provider referral base for neurosurgery, orthopedics, neurology, neuro-psychology and Physiatry (physical medicine).
- Collaborated to implement addition of ancillary services and specialty clinic programs including physical therapy, mobile MRI, open MRI, Sports Concussion Program and off-site Brain Tumor clinic.
- Lead for onsite conversion and training of 13 providers including neurosurgery, anesthesiology/pain management, and physiatry to Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates during acquisition of Nova Neurosurgical increasing practice footprint in region with 4 additional locations.
- Developed and managed schedule templates within NextGen practice management system for all providers and ancillary services across all locations
- Managed daily operations of medical records department serving 7 locations.
- Created and implemented standard release of information and forms completion protocol practice-wide.
- Served on HIPAA committee to develop practice HIPAA privacy and security guidelines.
- Project management and implementation for conversion to Electronic Medical Records, internal electronic document processes, Meaningful Use measures, patient portal, Disaster Recover plan, Workman's Compensation Special Exam program, outsourcing of ROI, and government mandated provider share program.
- Skillfully developed departmental goals, objectives, standards of performance, policy and procedures for all practice locations.
- Created and implemented process improvement plans to align with practice goals while successfully managing daily operations of the Appointment Department and Medical Records Department consisting of 16 FTE. Through hands-on employee and policy and procedure development, empowering staff to lead in different areas of the department.
Medical Recruiter
MedDent Solutions
01.1998 - 09.2003
- Streamlined candidate sourcing by conducting thorough research and utilizing various recruitment platforms.
- Enhanced client satisfaction with prompt and professional communication throughout hiring process.
- Negotiated favorable contract terms for both clients and candidates, ensuring mutually beneficial agreements.
- Built strong relationships with healthcare professionals, fostering a robust network of potential candidates.
- Served as on-site recruiter for a major healthcare system.
International Recruiter and Licensure Coordinator
CMS Therapies/RehabWorks
01.1995 - 09.1998
- Recruited for Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Speech Language Pathology professionals internationally to work within the United States
- Assisted in obtaining H1B Visas, Canadian NAFTA Professional Work Visas, and professional state licensure throughout the United States for traveling therapists.
Education
General Studies
East Carolina University
Greenville, NCSkills
- Strategic planning
- Policy and procedure development
- Resource management
- Project management
- Beta site for EHR and practice management system configuration and ongoing development
- Worked independently with minimal oversight
- Effective staff coach and trainer
- Team planning and development
- Valued leader
- Ability to troubleshoot multiple practice software systems
- Microsoft Office software proficiency
Accomplishments
- Collaborated with an integrated team for the development of the SpineFirst Program between Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine and Atrium Healthcare System.
- Used Microsoft Excel to develop benchmarks for practice intake processes and data intensive spreadsheets.
- Creation and implementation of electronic process for receipt and transmission of information practice-wide which included a complete EHR conversion
- Successfully piloted and managed implementation of centralized appointments
- Successfully led and executed the merger of an acquired practice with thirteen providers and onboarded all staff through on-site training, procedural processes and relationship building.
- Created procedural process for the receipt of government mandated electronically shared documents with an emphasis on identifying problem areas and trouble shooting.
- Managed projects which consisted of special programs and new practice operations systems.
Key decision maker in promoting providers of neurosurgery, physical medicine & rehabilitation and orthopedic spine surgery. Also, introducing multiple ancillary services spanning eleven locations and leading collaborative initiatives with major healthcare systems
Education and Training
- NexGen Practice Management System super-user
- NextMD Patient Portal super-user
- InteliChart Patient Portal super-user
- Epic Connect super-user
- Avaya Voicemail Pro programming and recording
- Zoom Telephone
- Xima Chronicall Multimedia software super-user
- Workplace Drug and Alcohol Reasonable Suspicion/Cause Determinations
- Workman's Compensation guidelines for North Carolina Medical Providers
- Successful Performance Reviews
- Principals of Management I, II, III Certified
- Conflict Management Certified
- Employment Law Certified
- HIPAA Policy and Procedure Certified
Timeline
Operations Coordinator (Remote)
Carolina Neurosurgery And Spine Associates
07.2021 - 11.2023
Manager of Appointments and Medical Records
Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates
09.2003 - 07.2021
Medical Recruiter
MedDent Solutions
01.1998 - 09.2003
International Recruiter and Licensure Coordinator
CMS Therapies/RehabWorks
01.1995 - 09.1998
General Studies
East Carolina University
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