Main Responsibilities of a Department Secretary at Kaiser Permanente
Ariel's main responsibilities as a Department Secretary at Kaiser Permanente include managing payroll for over 150 staff—"payroll is a big deal"—and ensuring compliance with HIPAA and other regulations, including tracking employee competencies like BLS and TB tests. Additionally, the position involves processing numerous daily referrals and assisting with patient scheduling, showcasing a multifaceted role requiring extensive organizational and administrative skills.
Payroll and Finance, Healthcare Compliance, Administrative Support, Data Management, Time Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ariel Ayala
Department Secretary
Kaiser Permanente
N/A
N/A
General Studies / Not Applicable
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness
Operations and Project Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Managing and processing payroll for over 150 staff members, highlighting the importance of accuracy and attention to detail.
2. Maintaining confidentiality and complying with HIPAA regulations when handling sensitive patient information and paperwork.
3. Ensuring staff compliance with mandatory healthcare competencies, such as BLS, TB, and flu vaccinations, and managing consequences for non-compliance, demonstrating responsibility and attention to patient safety.
Transcript
What are your main responsibilities within your current role?
My main responsibility is ensuring all our office supervisors are well taken care of. Whatever they need, or whatever needs to get done, I help them with it.
I also handle payroll. Payroll is a big deal because everyone wants to get paid, and if you mess up on a time card, you're in trouble. So, payroll is the biggest task.
This is especially true when it's just the two of us in the office, and we have to do payroll for over 150 staff. A significant responsibility is working alongside HIPAA regulations. You need to ensure that all paperwork and files you review are confidential. You're not allowed to discuss them with anyone else.
I also manage competencies. I run a compliance report to make sure everyone is compliant. This includes ensuring their BLS certifications are up-to-date and that their annual TB vaccinations are current. We also have to confirm their flu vaccinations. These are all essential requirements for healthcare professionals to see patients.
If someone is non-compliant because something has expired, we have to remove them from the field. We inform them they will be unpaid because they forgot to renew something or complete a task, even after multiple reminders.
As I mentioned, I wear multiple hats in my office. I ensure all home health referrals are processed. When they need help, I process over 150 referrals a day. I also assist with scheduling, which involves scheduling patients for our clinicians to see in their homes at a specific, timely appointment.
Advizer Personal Links