Credentialing & Privileging | 11.02.20
Behind the Camera: Getting to Know the 2020 #MSPWeek Photo Contest Winner
by Sharon Pope, CPCS; and Rosie Morales, CPCS
Since 1992, NAMSS has partnered with hospitals, MCOs, doctor’s offices, university health systems, and government agencies to honor National Medical Staff Services Awareness Week. #MSPWeek promotes awareness for the MSP. Besides offering a toolkit to help MSPs celebrate the week, NAMSS also hosts an annual #MSPWeek Photo Contest. NAMSS connected with this year’s winner, Uvalde Memorial Hospital, to learn the story behind the organization’s photo and how the MSPs have managed the current COVID-19 pandemic.
During these unprecedented times, when the rules and regulations by state and accrediting agencies are being waived or extended to help healthcare facilities keep up, it seems it would be easy to allow less than stellar providers to slip through the credentialing cracks. However, as #MSPWeek kicks off, I feel a sense of pride knowing that our MSS office and our colleagues across the United States are working very hard to make sure this does not happen. We are doing our best to meet those deadlines and continue our due diligence to protect our patients.
Here at Uvalde Memorial Hospital, we have been dreaming of a new facility for so many years. Our dreams came to fruition when we broke ground last year, and we have been anxiously awaiting our new facility’s completion. When this pandemic hit, our worlds were turned upside down; however, we have worked together to do our best to keep going and push forward with our plans.
Our picture’s inspiration was meant to represent our different departments working together to face the uncertain future with courage. We continue with our building project. We continue to come up with new ways to care for patients, while trying to make the experience as seamless as possible for them. Our leaders are meeting often to come up with ways to keep our employees from getting sick, ways to show compassion to dying patients by somehow allowing family members to see them before they pass, and also coordinating orders for PPE we need now and speculating on what we will need in the future and get it ordered. We do all of this, and more, while worrying about our family’s health, our job security, the safety of our co-workers who care for COVID patients, and mourning the loss of family, friends, and co-workers who lost the battle to this virus.
Healthcare is one of those industries that cannot stop when there is a crisis. Our communities need us to take care of them. So we will keep on truckin’ until this latest crisis is just a crazy story we tell to new recruits.
Visit the NAMSS website to access all of the #MSPWeek Toolkit that includes a video, a downloadable poster, ideas for celebrating #MSPWeek, and a fact sheet to share with colleagues.
Sharon Pope, CPCS, has worked at Uvalde Memorial Hospital as a medical staff assistant since 2012, earning her CPCS certification in the spring of 2019. She has worked in healthcare most of her adult life and believes her experience as a medical records clerk, medical transcriptionist, doctor’s office receptionist, and executive assistant for the CEO of the hospital has prepared her well for the job she has now. Sharon enjoys working at a rural hospital, as there is never a dull moment. Sharon is a mother of three adult children and “Mhamo” to two beautiful grandchildren, with another on the way. Life is good.
Rosie Morales, CPCS, has worked at Uvalde Memorial Hospital since 1996. Her first job was as a medical transcriptionist, later transitioning into the medical staff services department in 2012 and earning her CPCS certification in 2019. She enjoys the challenges of her position, especially handling the “emergencies” that seem to come up daily these days. Overall, she is happy to be a part of such a wonderful organization in her little community where everyone becomes family. Rosie is blessed to be married to her high school sweetheart of 33 years! They have raised three children; two are happily married and her youngest is a junior at Sul Ross State University. They currently have two grandboys and are ready and willing to accept more … hint, hint. Rosie is hopeful for the future in healthcare as we venture into the unknown. She feels we should remain steadfast in our beliefs, while remembering to adapt, overcome, grow, and be willing to accept change, as change is inevitable.
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