Service Line Project Management

Laurie Trongone, MPA, RNc

Vineland, NJ ***** 908-***-**** *********@*******.*** Linkedin.com/in/laurietrongone

SUMMARY

Operations Executive with 20+ years of leadership experience in the health care industry specializing in the service line model. Strong knowledge and understanding of the clinical and business aspects of the market. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to develop and execute strategic direction for growth through improved quality of care and loyalty building. Experience in all aspects of healthcare including basic, intermediate and tertiary care organizations.

SKILLS

Leadership Strategic Planning Project Management Contract Management Negotiation Operations Management Change Management Women’s Health Pediatrics Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) Power BI Clinical Operations Reliability Role Model

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY PERINATAL COOPERATIVE, Pennsauken, NJ Sept 2023 – present

The SNJPC is a nonprofit state-licensed maternal and child health consortium which coordinates and supports maternal-fetal and newborn care throughout the seven-county region of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties.

The Cooperative's activities are directed toward improving the health of pregnant and birthing individuals, infants and families and decreasing perinatal morbidity and mortality.

Perinatal Consultant

Responsible to:

Provide overall direction for the planning, management, and evaluation of all regional perinatal-focused projects.

Assess hospital-based perinatal care systems and inter-hospital transport.

Develop a regional perinatal database and data collection tools to facilitate regional quality improvement activities and provision of perinatal professional educational programs.

INSPIRA HEALTH NETWORK, Mullica Hill, NJ Feb 2018 – Nov 2022

Inspira Health is a nonprofit 750+ bed multi-hospital system serving Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, and Camden counties in southern New Jersey. Inspira employs more than 1,300 physicians and nearly 6,000 employees.

Assistant Vice President, Women’s and Children Service Line

Led, developed, and implemented a comprehensive strategic plan for the overall growth of the service line in three hospitals, and 200+ ambulatory service centers and physician medical groups.

Negotiated contract with an Obstetric Hospitalist group for 24/7 coverage in one of the system’s hospitals to improve safety, quality, and customer experience while strengthening the hospitalists relationship in the hospital with existing contract for improved quality and financial stability.

Decreased costs $750K by outsourcing the Maternal Fetal Medicine program to a quaternary hospital system, providing a higher level of care to patients, and improving collaboration among providers and subspecialists.

Improved patient financial reimbursements by instituting a clinical documentation integrity (CDI) program for the Neonatology teams. Provided physician and coding staff education which improved documentation and coding and decreased insurance claim denials.

Increased the level of care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery by decreasing the gestational age of the neonates admitted, which improved the contribution margin of the department.

Opened three outpatient obstetrical offices and two urogynecology offices and assisted with the recruitment of providers to improve geographic access and meet the organization’s goal of seeing new patients within 14 days which improved customer loyalty.

Strengthened the partnership between pediatric and neonatal providers through monthly multidisciplinary collaborative meetings resulting in higher quality of care for the departments of Pediatrics and the Intensive Care and Intermediate Care Nurseries.

Participated in ongoing reviews of the market, market demographics and outmigration mitigation.

Improved quality of care by developing a multidisciplinary team to review and address transfers in and out of the organization for the opportunities to decrease outmigration.

Improved quality of care through an initiative to decrease maternal morbidity and mortality by a DVT prophylaxis reduction bundle that aligned with Tammy Murphy’s Nurture NJ program, reducing the rate of DVT’s from 37% to 23.1%.

Participated in the Certificate of Need process as well as the LOCATe assessment for the 3 delivering hospitals to increase the level of care designation.

Coordinated and oversaw employee temperature screenings during the COVID pandemic.

Maintained and negotiated contracts for the services provided to the Women’s and Children’s service line.

ATLANTICARE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, Pomona, NJ Nov 2011 – Feb 2018

Assistant Vice President, Women and Children (2016 – 2018)

Provided a strategic vision and plan for the Women’s and Children’s service line. Pursued growth opportunities through the development of new programs and services.

Transitioned partnership with Cooper Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists to in-house AtlantiCare physicians, negotiating the new contract which improved the quality and standardization of care.

Negotiated transition of specialty neonatal / pediatric hospital services from Nemours Children’s Hospital to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, for improved patient access and insurance coverage.

Collaborated with the Center for Childbirth to participate in the March of Dimes March for Babies campaign, raising thousands of dollars to help fight the prematurity crisis.

Expanded neonatal services and increased the case mix index by caring for more medically complex neonates. Resulted in increased revenue and decreased patient outmigration.

Negotiated acquisition of multiple Obstetrical practices to increase AtlantiCare Physician Group and add office locations.

Added a pediatrician to Urgent Care Center staff during peak times, to improve quality of care and patient experience.

Director of Nursing, Center for Childbirth (2011 – 2016)

Directed nursing services for the Maternal Child Health division consisting of Labor and Delivery, Post-Partum, Newborn Nursery, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Perinatal Outreach, and the Maternal Fetal Medicine departments.

Instituted Mother-Baby nursing including rooming-in and breastfeeding initiatives which increased breastfeeding rates and improved maternal bonding, leading to greater customer satisfaction.

Increased market share by leading the Maternal Child Health Department to be awarded the “Baby Friendly” designation, a five-year journey, and led the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to receive the Beacon Award designation for quality of care.

CHRIST HOSPITAL, Jersey City, NJ Nov 2007 – Nov 2011

One of the six hospitals in Hudson County, New Jersey operated by Care Point Health.

Director of Nursing, Maternal Child Health

Managed nursing organization for Maternal Child Health division, including Labor and Delivery, Post-Partum, Newborn Nursery, Pediatrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine, with 6 direct reports and a team of 100.

Led quality initiatives addressing indicators such as “Hypertension in pregnancy bundle” by instituting an algorithm which addressed blood pressure management and treatment, decreasing maternal morbidity and improving neonatal outcomes.

Built budgets around the AWHONN Obstetric Nursing Staffing standards which required additional staff and a change in the model of care.

Increased the level of care from Newborn Nursery (Level 1) to Intermediate Care Nursery (Level 2) by integrating 4 beds managed by Newark Beth Israel Neonatologists. which improved the quality of care and kept moms and babies together in complex cases.

Improved nursing efficiency and patient satisfaction by leading the renovation of Labor and Delivery, Mother Baby, and Pediatric units, designing the rebuild with the architect, updating nursing model, and collaborating with construction and engineering.

EDUCATION / CERTIFICATIONS

MPA, Public Administration, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ

BS, Nursing, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ

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