Valerie Naranjo
Albuquerque,NM
Summary
Enthusiastic and dedicated individual proficient in Customer Service and Service Recovery techniques. An extensive background in healthcare settings serving in various roles such as training, billing, insurance verification, medical records, and leadership. Possesses excellent communication and interpersonal skills to connect with internal and external customer from diverse backgrounds. Organized and dependable candidate with a positive attitude and willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Spec Educator 2
University of New Mexico Hospital
09.2022 - Current
- Share oversight of UNM Hospitals Reward and Recognition Programs for Employee of the Month and Year
- Organize and deliver department specific workshops that support UNMH health system initiatives
- Consulted with Project Managers and leadership to implement immediate training for 31 employees on workflows for Centralized Check-In Go Live and provided ongoing support for team members and leaders
- Design and maintain online learning modules in an effort to streamline Ambulatory Best Practices for frontend staff
- Specialize in networking with various clinical and department leadership to create training programs and resources for new and current team members
- Effectively presented all 8 Frontline Education classes and 2 Organizational and Professional Development courses
- Have successfully trained and onboarded two Spec Frontline Educators
- As Program Coordinator for UNM Hospitals leadership Mentor Program, I facilitate meaningful partnerships for leadership growth and development
- As a trusted resource, I communicate with credibility and confidence during our monthly Supervisor Forum for 100+ leaders on insurance updates, process and workflow changes and resource development
- Collaborated with Health Literacy, Community Engagement and Finance teams to design a Financial Literacy workshop that promotes Service Excellence and equity for customers and employees
- Partnered with Employee Engagement and Organizational and Professional Development in a Relational Pause to foster communication and change amongst departmental leadership
- Proficient in Publisher, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Microsoft Forms
Spec Educator 1
University of New Mexico Hospital
05.2019 - Current
- Facilitated all 8 Frontline Education classes and workshops such as our monthly 3-day Frontline Business Operations Course, providing training to front end staff on the Concept of Continuous Clinic Flow to support best practices
- Regularly attend and act as a liaison on front end processes in Integrated Revenue Cycle and Health Literacy Task Force meetings
- Consulted on the Cures Act committee and education sub-committee where I consulted, developed, and coordinated training and education efforts, according to Federal law around patient health information, that were rolled out organization wide
- Assessed department error trends and implemented training for areas identified in monthly Integrated Revenue Cycle Denials meetings
- Presented during monthly Office Supervisor Forums, providing ambulatory leadership changes, updates, and training on everything related to frontline workflows and processes
- Developed and maintained department specific training programs to onboard new employees with the knowledge, materials, and hands-on-training needed to be successful in their role
- Collaborate with department leadership to build resources for both new hires and trainers with the most up-to-date information
- Partner with department leadership to onboard new staff with their area's responsibilities and how their work supports the department’s mission and specific tasks they will be learning
- Perform regular insurance and registration audits to pinpoint training and coaching opportunities for clinic and department staff
- Created tip sheets, resources, and videos to provide hospital staff guidance on various topics such as insurance plans, Financial Assistance programs, Patient Portal, and Referring Provider fields
- Partnered with Health Literacy to develop courses focused on build awareness about financial literacy and identified a gap within the organization on jargon used by employees when communicating with one another and patients
- Observed and analyzed UH Admitting department in order to recommended trainings and solutions based on errors identified by leadership and educators
- As the coordinator for UNM Hospitals Mentoring Program, I assist in establishing matches for a successful partnership and facilitate quarterly meetings to build rapport and provide support to both Mentors and Mentees
- Presented on how to receive feedback and incorporating fun into your classes during monthly Educator meeting
- Partnered with fellow educators to create and foster meaningful experiences for students as we switched from in-person classes to a virtual learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic through flexibility, innovation, and resilience
- As interim, partnered with a team member to organize and manage the Employee of the Month and iCare Rewards system for the Rewards and Recognition program
- Regularly present, moderate, and support our new employees entering our UNM Health System during New Employee Orientation.
- Collaborated with colleagues to develop and revise training, enhancing learning experience.
- Developed and implemented differentiated instruction strategies for diverse learners, ensuring individualized attention and success.
- Developed and implemented engaging lesson plans to keep learner attention.
Supervisor
University of New Mexico Hospital
10.2015 - 05.2019
- Oversight of daily staff schedule and work load/assignments
- Assisted in facilitating monthly staff meetings and huddles
- Conducted interviews and involved in hiring process
- Invested in staff through mentoring, and coaching during monthly 1:1’s, leader rounding, and staff meetings
- Led Brown Bag reading group for high performing staff by providing materials and books focused on growth and personal development
- Handled insurance edits, Kronos, performed yearly appraisals and cross trained with our Soarian Edits Resource team
- Collaborated with our Frontline Educator to develop a Train the Trainers program to equip trainers with the necessary tools to effectively and efficiently train and onboard new staff
- Partnered with other leadership to create a Standard Operating Procedures manual and presented in our Ambulatory Business Operations leadership team meetings
- By networking with other leaders through clinic outreaches and continuous communication, I have cultivated positive working relationships to maintain clinic guidelines to ensure accuracy and efficiency of registrations and to effectively resolve any issues
- I was a part of a strategy session with Referral and Authorization Management and fellow departments to streamline department processes and flows
- Conflict resolution between team members
- Assisted in the centralization of new clinics to pre-registration by helping to create new guidelines and attending calendars, training clinic staff in the pre-registration process and maintain on-going communication with the clinic through the duration of Go-Live
- Identified root causes for low employee performance and implemented corrective solutions through additional training and coaching measures to increase job performance and retention
- Participated on an expert panel for the Supervision 101 class and was invited to speak at an ABO Educators monthly meeting for ILS, Frontline and Health Literacy Educators
- Oversaw daily operations of the department, ensuring smooth workflow and timely completion of tasks.
- Applied strong leadership talents and problem-solving skills to maintain team efficiency and organize workflows.
- Handled customer complaints and resolved issues
- Monitored workflow to improve employee time management and increase productivity.
- Evaluated employee performance and coached and trained to improve weak areas.
- Increased team productivity by implementing efficient workflows and setting clear expectations for staff members.
Spec Registration and Eligibility
University of New Mexico Hospital
09.2014 - 10.2015
- Responsible for updating patient insurance and demographic information for outpatient clinic visits with accuracy while maintaining required hourly productivity
- Worked within several insurance portals and Cerner applications
- Answered phones and scheduled appointments for patients needing financial assistance
- Trained and on-boarded our new employees on learning and getting acclimated to our systems and registration processes
- Provided excellent customer service while helping patients maneuver their way through our health system
- Worked closely with department leadership for continued improvement
Team Coordinator
Hospice Compassus
09.2011 - 06.2014
- Responsible for answering phones, managing patient health information, filing and coordinating weekly Interdisciplinary Team meetings for staff and Medical Directors
- Handled patient referrals, admissions, Medicare verification, batch posting, medication entries, and coordinating patient appointments and transportation to hospitals
- Assisted in training new employees and volunteers within the office.
- Managed team workload to reach targets for specific tasks.
- Built strong relationships with customers through positive attitude and attentive response.
Receptionist
Perinatal Associates
01.2010 - 07.2011
- First point of contact for patients with high risk pregnancies
- Managed patient scheduling, appointment coordination with labs, specialists and doctor's offices
- Checked patients in/out, answered telephones, filed, verified insurance and collections
- Provided excellent customer services to our patient’s and outside vendors and customers
- Trained and helped on-board new employees to the clinic in learning processes and programs we used.
- Greeted incoming visitors and customers professionally and provided friendly, knowledgeable assistance.
- Confirmed appointments, communicated with clients, and updated client records.
- Answered phone promptly and directed incoming calls to correct offices.
- Kept reception area clean and neat to give visitors positive first impression.
- Resolved customer problems and complaints.
Youth Pastor
Destiny Church of Albuquerque
03.2006 - 01.2010
- Networking with local churches and youth groups to coordinate events and youth camps
- Met regularly with youth and young adults within our church and community as a mentor and worked alongside a team of other leaders to conduct outreaches in the city with The Storehouse, Albuquerque Mission and several non-profits that provide food, clothing and support to those in need
- Served as chaplain at The Storehouse and Youth Detention Center
- Responsible for leading weekly worship services and developing a youth leadership team that I trained and mentored
- Developed and created weekly teachings and activities for our youth group and assisted in helping to facilitate program for our children’s ministry
- Traveled and participated in several nationwide conferences with focus on social injustices and also growth as a religious leader within the community.
- Built lasting relationships with youth and parents or guardians.
- Collaborated with church leadership to develop strategies for growing the congregation's youth ministry program.
- Utilized various teaching techniques to effectively communicate biblical truths to young people in an engaging and relevant manner.
- Ensured a safe environment for all participants during activities by adhering to strict safety guidelines and protocols.
Billing/Collections
Perinatal Associates of NM
04.2001 - 04.2006
- Responsible for managing patient accounts including billing and collections, patient authorizations, and coordination of care between physicians, patients and insurance companies
- Involved in handling patient healthcare information as well as patient and physician scheduling, and filing
- Liaison between specialists, doctor’s offices, labs and hospitals for appointment scheduling and obtaining patient records
- As a trainer within the clinic, I would train and onboard new employees on the clinic processes and provide continuing support for them in their new role.
Front Desk Clerk
Los Alamos Children’s Clinic
10.1999 - 03.2001
- Duties included filing, scheduling patient appointments, answering multi-line phones, copying, and checking patients in
- I was then promoted to check-out clerk where I checked patients out, collected payments, created billing sheets, and communicated with insurance companies to obtain prior authorizations for patients we referred to other facilities.
- Handled guest complaints professionally, resolving issues quickly to maintain high levels of satisfaction.
- Greeted guests at front desk and engaged in pleasant conversations while managing check-in process.
Front Desk Clerk
Los Alamos Family YMCA
03.1996 - 03.2001
- I was responsible for answering phones, checking clients in, handling new club sign ups, managing a cash drawer, opening and closing the facility, and helping to run afterschool and summer camp programs.
- Greeted guests at front desk and engaged in pleasant conversations while managing check-in process.
- Handled guest complaints professionally, resolving issues quickly to maintain high levels of satisfaction.
- Monitored front desk telephone lines attentively for prompt response to incoming calls while multitasking effectively during busy periods.
- Developed strong relationships with guests through friendly interactions, anticipating their needs and exceeding expectations.
Manager
Holiday Inn Express
07.1998 - 10.1999
- I oversaw staff schedules, facilitated meetings and trainings for staff, made deposits, handled disciplines, interviewed and hired new staff and I had oversight of the property ensuring we were up to code and maintained a clean and presentable hotel
- Handled customer complaints, oversaw group reservations for our meeting room and ordered supplies
- I also worked our front desk checking in reservations, making reservations and answering a multi-line phone
- Maintained professional, organized, and safe environment for employees and patrons.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by resolving disputes promptly, maintaining open lines of communication, and ensuring high-quality service delivery.
- Onboarded new employees with training and new hire documentation.
Education
Communication
CNM
Albuquerque, NM12.2019
Social Work
CNM
Albuquerque12.2009
Social Work
CNM
Albuquerque12.2004
Social Work
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque12.2002
Social work
University of New Mexico in Los Alamos
Los Alamos, NM05.1999
Skills
- Customer Service and Service Recovery
- Leadership: Delegation, motivation, accountability, conflict resolution
- Teamwork: Flexibility, collaboration, networking
- Active listening
- Communication: Oral and written communication
- Presentation Competency: Facilitation, teaching, content creation
References
- Abigail R. Ortiz, (315) 921-5595
- Carol Hilton, (505) 925-6631
- Anthony Romero, (505) 903-9664
Timeline
Spec Educator 2
University of New Mexico Hospital
09.2022 - Current
Spec Educator 1
University of New Mexico Hospital
05.2019 - Current
Supervisor
University of New Mexico Hospital
10.2015 - 05.2019
Spec Registration and Eligibility
University of New Mexico Hospital
09.2014 - 10.2015
Team Coordinator
Hospice Compassus
09.2011 - 06.2014
Receptionist
Perinatal Associates
01.2010 - 07.2011
Youth Pastor
Destiny Church of Albuquerque
03.2006 - 01.2010
Billing/Collections
Perinatal Associates of NM
04.2001 - 04.2006
Front Desk Clerk
Los Alamos Children’s Clinic
10.1999 - 03.2001
Manager
Holiday Inn Express
07.1998 - 10.1999
Front Desk Clerk
Los Alamos Family YMCA
03.1996 - 03.2001
Communication
CNM
Social Work
CNM
Social Work
CNM
Social Work
University of New Mexico
Social work
University of New Mexico in Los Alamos
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