TRIm comparo

1. Jack Amory
Hlth 4190 Internship
Mr. Eskew
9 July, 2015
Shadowing Reflection
Comparing my day spent with Dustin Cox, the office coordinator at both
Wellspring Primary Care and Traveler’s Rest Internal Medicine, to my time at
Upstate Cardiology, I found that the most notable difference between the
administrative roles at each location centered on the size of the operation.
Wellspring and Traveler’s Rest serve a considerably smaller pool of patients and
thus need less office space and employees. Because of this, when there is an issue
that needs to be addressed, Dustin is the first person to go to. When Wellspring’s
EMR system suddenly went down for instance, Dustin was tasked to contact EPIC in
order to try and sort out the issue. If a similar scenario happened at Upstate,
Charlene would likely be in charge of remediating the problem. Another example is
the drug recall Dustin and I encountered that day. It was Dustin’s job to contact the
supplier in order to return the medicine and order a new batch. While Mr. Eskew
also serves a multitude of roles at Upstate, his time is best served tackling more
corporate level administration duties, such as the recent contract renewal with Bon
Secours. The difference here is the respective magnitude of each practice and how
specific roles are delegated within the system. Upstate requires a managerial team
to handle the wider range of problems that come with running a large office; there is
no way one person could manage the practice in its entirety. Overall, Dustin was

2. required to play a very hands on role within both practices. Whether it was taking
calls, checking in patients, working with nurses and physicians, or even coordinating
lunch for the staff, there was always something Dustin needed to assume
responsibility for.
During the day Dustin and I also went over and reviewed the revenue cycle.
Since it was something I was not entirely familiar with, we went through each step
of the process and how it applies to his line of work. Furthermore, once the system
was back online, I was able to learn the basics of CPT coding and the EPIC EMR
system. It was important to become acquainted with these processes, as they all are
parts of what I will encounter on a daily basis in my future career.
I was thoroughly impressed with what Dustin has done with his career thus
far. As the office coordinator for two practices, he has to be flexible and capable
enough to work with the needs of each clinic. It is his job to ensure that every
employee is happy, healthy, and has the tools that they need to be provide the best
quality care possible day in and day out. This shadowing experience reinforced the
importance of inter-staff communication, adaptability, problem solving skills, and
personal happiness in the workplace. In my near-future career I hope to achieve a
similar level of success that Dustin has undoubtedly earned.