After my second day at my new job at the hospital, I am returning home, exhausted but more aware of my position and the issues that bog down this hospital’s administration.

My main job is in credentialing – the verification of the licensure and qualifications of physicians and other health workers currently employed at the hospital, as well as applicants. As the definition may suggest, there is a lot of filing, phone-calling, and handling paperwork in this division. No doubt, as my boss explained clearly, this is a crucial aspect service quality maintenance and improvement. Although I had hoped to be involved in a job that entails more creativity and innovation, I am starting to feel more comfortable in this new role. In my previous office jobs at Princeton and other internships, I found that such busy work does help me develop meticulous attention to detail and, more importantly, patience – which I often lack in such chores. I also hope to learn how to look past the small tasks that are under my responsibility and see the value in the long-term goal of this project.

The overall project is multi-faceted and quite impressive. The eventual outcome is gathering all the necessary paperwork (potentially the most time-consuming task) and entering all of this data into an electronic system called “Morsey System Online” (MSO). MSO will allow the hospital to go paperless in many aspects of its administration – collecting and processing applications, as well as maintaining updated record of all health workers’ licenses and privileges. As a system available to everyone on the Trinitas network, MSO will also ease communication of crucial information regarding the health workers – among division directors, as well as between administrators and health workers. Friendly to the environment and to the people. :)

Today I received several return calls and voice of frustration from nurses whom I have been repeatedly calling about missing documents. Many of these nurses claimed that they had already sent these documents and demanded to know why they were not in file. Using my short time in office as an excuse, I explained that I did not know and politely asked them for these documents. Some responded that this is always the excuse they receive – with quick staff turnover rate and little carryover of knowledge and expertise to the new hires.

I am excited about the prospect of eliminating such miscommunication and frustration once MSO is up and running. After all, these health care providers have more important responsibilities in the hospital than sending paperwork multiple times. I’m starting to better understand the importance of effective administration in a hospital – and most of all, adequate funding to hire and maintain an effective and efficient staff.

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