R E S U M E
Harriet I. Mena
Alto Apolo
Guaynabo, PR 00969
Citizenship: American
Telephone: 787-***-**** (daytime)
787-***-**** (evening)
E-mail: *******.****@**.***
Present Job Title: Secretary
Typing Skill: 50 wpm
Steno Skill: 80 wpm
Languages: English and Spanish
WORK EXPERIENCE: January 26, 2003 to present, 40 hurs per week, Secretary, Surgical Service, GS-07/06, $39,057, Veterans Administration Caribbean Healthcare System, Surgical Service (112), 10 Casia Street, San Juan, PR 00921-3201.
I serve as personal assistant to the Chief of Surgery and the Assistant Chief of Surgery. I prepare routine and specialized material from the Chief and Assistant Chief. As Service Secretary I also assist the Chiefs of Ophthalmology, Neurosurgery, Urology, ENT, Orthopedics, Hand Surgery, Plastic Surgery, GYN in all aspects of clerical work, information seeking regarding their specific needs. These Sections do not have secretaries assigned. I work closely with the Service Chief on matters that are highly confidential (highly sensitive documents such as reports), of situations within the service. I have the ability to adjust to changes or work pressures (considered the nerve center of the office) in a pleasant manner, handling differences of opinion in a business-like and conscientious manner.
I keep a daily calendar of activities for the Chief and Assistant Chief of the Service reminding them at all times. Very important is the fact that the Service Chief has other appointments (School of Medicine, Council on Higher Education, Expertise Witness for Legal Cases) that require keeping track of activities outside VA tour. I prepare agendas and/or secures minutes for Hospital Committee Meeting when Chief, Assistant Chief or their designees must attend (examples: Clinical Executive Board, Residency Review Committee, Executive Resources Management Service, MUE, Quality Improvements committees, Professional Standards Committee, Infection Controls, etc.). Also List of Committee Assignments (approximately 28 hospital committees) is prepared and maintained by me.
I am Timekeeper for Full Time employees, part-time employees, Residents, clerical Staff, On-Station Fee Basis (payment per visits, Operating Room procedures, etc.), consultants and attendings. This includes sensitive timekeeping for the Service Chief when he performs “outside professional activities for remuneration” in the case of donor nephrectomies for renal transplant. Time taken for operative procedures must be made up during the week during working hours with great care. This also includes careful timekeeping of part-time physicians that must reflect correctness at all times. A total of 92 timecards are kept by me. This also includes any changes in tour of duties of the service clerical and technical staff.
All physician appointments are processed by me. This includes giving and receiving all application forms, securing documents needed with the application form. Also, memos of appointment with specific justification, work schedules, personnel action forms, changes to work schedules, resignations, etc. for the signature of the Service Chief or his designee, or for the physicians involved. When these physicians are appointed, I brief them on all hospital procedures including administrative matters.
As Service secretary, I receive all visitors seeking to speak with the Chief and the Assistant Chief. This includes visiting physicians, visitors, surveyors, relatives of patients and patients awaiting surgical procedures or with complaints. Complaints must always be processed with customer service in mind. They must be treated with courtesy, respect and should be provided with the maximum information available without forgetting patient confidentiality. This task includes all of the telephone calls from patients requesting changes in appointments. Some calls are referred to the Sub-specialties clinic areas and others are solved directly with the surgeon/specialty involved.
I provide assistance to the Section Chiefs on needs for reports that are in the computer system for other hospital services and the VISN/Central Office. Specifically, Neurosurgery has two very important reports; one on statistics (every six months) of operative procedures and deaths and audits of neurosurgical deaths. The latter requires securing of the medical records, x-ray jackets, autopsies and providing these to the Neurosurgeon for completion. Upon completion, reports must be typed, copies, signatures obtained and package forwarded to VISN/Central Office.
I am the contact person by all services including the Center Director’s office and the office of the Chief of Staff, when there are specific problems that must be solved. I must screen the calls, decide who and how the problem will be solved and must inform the Service Chief accordingly. I also contact Directors of the various Residency Programs when residencies are going to be inspected. Information (statistics, curriculum vitae, educational activities, etc.) are all obtained, prepared and sent to the Directors before the inspections are performed.
As Service secretary, I prepare the agenda for the monthly Staff Meeting as material to be discussed is received. I prepare minutes of the meeting in the required form for the signature of the Service Chief or designee. Minutes must be prepared with care when patient cases are presented for action or as follow up requested by the Chief of Staff. As Service secretary I also keep staff informed on matters of interest, conferences scheduled, etc. at the meeting or on a day to day basis.
All correspondence is received by me and I open, screen and forward accordingly either to the Chief for immediate action or anyone else for action before the Service Chief receives it. This includes correspondence from the School of Medicine, VISN/Central Office, other hospital services and the community.
As Service secretary, I file all documents in the office filing system. Files must be kept up to date and documents must be secured at the call of the Service Chief or his assistant. This includes files for each Surgery Section, Hospital Committee Minutes, Residency Training Programs, Space and Equipment, Organizational Matters (Joint Commission, IG inspections, etc.) and General Correspondence. Service policies must be keep up to date, making changes as they occur (physician daily assignments by specialties, OR Apportionment, calendar of surgical Activities, etc.). Also included in these files are the updating of Service Memos.
I coordinate distribution of work to the rest of the clerical staff. I also assist the Health Supervisory Health Systems Specialist in the collection of data for other station reports and such as: Business Plan, Staffing Plan and Variance Reports, Performance Provider Profiles, DSS mapping reports, Fiscal Reports and others as necessary.
I review documents prepared for the signature of the Service Chief in conformance with regulations, grammar, format, and special policies the Service. I advise and instruct subordinate sections through discussions with employees concerned to obtain higher degree of compliance with general service polices and correspondence regulations.
As Service secretary, I coordinate with the Center’s travel clerk, travel arrangements for the Service Chief (and any other full-time staff members) before and upon their return gathers all documentation necessary for travel vouchers for payment.
I secure for Surgical Service staff equipment needed for conferences and/or presentations (slide projectors, overhead projectors, etc.).
WORK EXPERIENCE: June 98 to present, 40 hours per week, Clerk Stenographer, GS-5, $26,527, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Surgical Service (112), 10 Calle Casia, San Juan, PR 00921-3201. I perform as Secretary to the SICU Interdisciplinary PI Committee in the coordination and recording of meetings. I prepare and distribute the agenda. I distribute notices, minutes and any other documents among committee members, transcription and composition of minutes. I collect data to prepare minutes and other documents needed. I maintain accurate file for the committee. I take dictation and transcribe accurately from the Administrative Officer to the Chief, Surgical Service, Assistant Chief, Surgical Service and other staff physicians of general surgery and its sub-specialties. Dictation is mostly of highly complicated medical terminology. I operate a Work Processor using Work, Excel, Power Point, Windows NT, Windows 95 and DHCP. I have knowledge of other office automation equipment. I cover for the Surgical Service Secretary when Secretary is on scheduled or unscheduled leave. I cover for other clerical positions at the Service when it becomes necessary (Clerk-Stenographer and Program). I type requisition work orders, personnel actions, request lectures, reports, travel expenses forms, etc. I compose correspondence on brief notes, oral instructions and dictations. I perform part of the filing of the Service. I maintain an up to date file of VACO publications. I file hospital committee minutes. I answer and place telephone calls, take and relay messages. I prepare and distribute throughout the hospital staff an on duty roster for attendings, residents and medical students for most surgical specialties. I serve as receptionist to screen visitors. I receive and direct visitors. I attend patients’
complaints. I interview patients and visitors and try to solve problems with the least assistance. I distribute incoming mail and inter-office communications to physicians and service personnel. I type 50 wpm and take dictation at 80 wpm. I also make travel arrangement for physicians. I also request office supplies. Supervisor: Ms. Griselle Gutierrez, 787-***-****
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS:
I have always had good evaluations. I received a certificate from the Medical Center Director for serving as a narcotics inspector.
WORK EXPERIENCE:
October 1989 to June 1998, 40 hours per week, Administrative Assistant, $500 per month, Dr. Hector Ortiz-Rivera, Bayamon Medical Plaza, Suite 804, Bayamon, PR, I received patients, interviewed them for record purposes, assisted doctor with patients, billed health insurances, charged deductibles, reconciled checkbooks, paid office, visited difference health insurance companies, billed patients, stocked office with supplies, took dictation from doctor and supervised the secretary and covered for her when absent. I also supervised a housekeeping employee. I used WorkPerfect, FAX machine and Xerox machine. Program operation sessions. Supervisor: Dr. Hector Ortiz, 787-***-****.
EDUCATION:
Bachelor Degree, Secretarial Sciences, 1991 University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, Rio Piedras, PR.