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The Office Excellence Award, presented by the Post-it® Brand, is a quarterly award given to an administrative professional who goes above and beyond to keep their office running smoothly, and improve their office environment. This quarter’s winner, Amy Ray, is an administrative assistant and residency/fellowship coordinator at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, where she has worked for 17 years.
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When asked what she enjoys most about her role, Amy says, “I enjoy making a difference in people’s lives, even if it is something as simple as giving directions or saving them one extra phone call to find what they need.”
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We found out that Amy truly does make a difference in people’s lives, but it’s not always by doing something simple. She was nominated by her colleagues, who say she is amazingly organized, trustworthy, diligent and does an amount of work that is normally done by at least three people in similar offices. As the administrative assistant and residency/fellowship coordinator, she helps support eight full-time and five part-time academic physicians, as well as medical students in the otolaryngology residency program, and coordinates everything from residents training within her program, covering everything from travel to licensing to appointments and patients.
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It’s not surprising that Amy’s role has its share of challenges. Supporting such a large number of people would be difficult enough in and of itself, but each of the physicians work in different locations. In addition, simply having enough time to do everything that’s required in this role is a challenge. “There are so many tasks to get done,” she says, “and oftentimes not enough time to complete everything as planned.”
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Thanks to an arsenal of personal strengths, experience and organizational tools, Amy is able to handle this kind of pressure on a daily basis. She dedicates blocks of time to work on each aspect of her role, and tackles things one at a time. She also patiently adjusts her working style to fit the needs of the physicians she supports. Some are great with email reminders, while others require phone calls or paper notes.
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Organizational tools, including Post-it® Products, are central to keeping things running smoothly. “They really are second nature to everything I do,” Amy says.
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She uses Post-it® Super Sticky Notes to create reminders and checklists, and to keep everyone in the loop on the status of patient communication before it’s scanned. Post-it® Tabs make it easy to find things like passwords or to mark important travel information in notebooks. Additionally, Post-it® Flags on paperwork serve as reminders for doctors to sign.
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Perhaps the thing that serves Amy best in her role is her incredibly determined attitude. If something has to be done, she finds a way to get it done. By planning ahead and anticipating the needs of the people she’s supporting, she makes their jobs easier. And while that’s not necessarily simple, it certainly makes a big difference in their lives. Congratulations, Amy!
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Amy Ray grew up in California and enjoys spending time with family and traveling in her free time. She joined the LSUHS Otolaryngology department in 1998 and has remained working there ever since. She’s watched the department grow and expand throughout her time there and has seamlessly adapted each year to keep things running smoothly. Her unparalleled organization skills are a key asset for all physicians and students she supports.
