I am the manager of the Health Information Management (HIM) department. I started here in November 2006, helping in the Outreach department. After a few months, I was hired as a medical records clerk where I had the privilege of working with an incredible team and manager, Billie Owen. Following her retirement, I stepped into the manager role.
The role of the HIM department is to maintain and safeguard the confidentiality of medical record information in accordance with the patient’s right to privacy, legal requirements, and appropriate ethical considerations. When I first started, we used to pull paper charts from large racks every day, one by one, for each provider and their scheduled patients. The next day, we would return them to the racks in alphabetical order after adding the new progress note handwritten by the provider. Now, just about everything is digital through our Electronic Health Records system, making our work much more efficient.
I love assisting our patients, especially those who face language barriers, giving them the comfort and clarifications needed, supporting them as much as we can or redirecting them to the correct department depending on their needs. I also have valued working with the same team for almost 19 years. Over time, we’ve built strong relationships and we know each other very well. Teamwork is key. I am very grateful for each member of our team, supported by our direct supervisor and other staff members who encourage us every step of the way.
Sometimes the paperwork overload can be frustrating. Backlogs can happen from a lack of proper labels or identification. In addition, we often get a large volume of record requests from lawyers, the courts, auditors (ranging from 1 to over 200 patients on each request), and direct requests from our patients. It can be a lot of work, but it is important to our patients to help them and get the information they need to ensure they have the care they deserve!
Last year, I was chosen to participate in and graduated from the Suffolk University Boston-Moakley Center for Public Management and Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers program in Community Health and Community Health Center Management. This program is tailored to the unique administrative and operational challenges faced by health center professionals and I’ve been able to apply what I learned to better serving our community. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family. I’m passionate about skincare, makeup, and traveling. I’m looking forward to exploring more places in the future.