District's VP of Field Operations delivers an in-depth profile of the Mailroom Staff
From left to right: Risa Kaplan, Print and Mailroom Coordinator; Donna Mistretta, Print and Mailroom Manager; Marina Mora, Print and Mailroom Coordinator; Miriam Ferrin, Print and Mailroom Coordinator; Emely Robinson, Print and Mailroom Coordinator; and Karen Harris, Vice President of Field Operations.
The Health Care District Mailroom Staff
Profiled by Karen Harris,
Vice President of Field Operations
“Where is the mailroom?” I asked as I arrived to the Health Care District’s Home Office. Over the course of my two years working for our health care system, I had never been to the mailroom. I soon learned that their office is located directly across from the IT Department where I have visited on many occasions.
During several major holidays, the brightlycolored decorations on the Mailroom’s single, large window caught my attention but I never knew exactly what department sat just beyond that artistic wall. Now I can say the mystery of the hidden Mailroom has been solved. And let me tell you, each of the talented mailroom professionals that I met take their jobs supporting all of the Health Care District’s departments very seriously. I quickly learned that dating, sorting, stamping, distributing and putting postage on snail mail is just a small part of what they do.
Marina Mora, Print and Mailroom Coordinator
With a broad smile, Marina Mora invites me to her desk where she is reviewing a stack of new District Cares membership cards. She and her co-workers print them, along with Trauma, Maternity Care Program and Option 3 health plan member cards, on two special printers. Marina proofreads each of the District Cares cards to ensure the necessary information is listed properly, such as the C. L. Brumback Primary Clinic location that is assigned to each new member. Once the review is complete, she and her colleagues ensure the cards are mailed out the same day. Marina has worked for the Health Care District for four years. She was expecting her first child when she moved to the United States from Ecuador in 2002 after her husband applied for and won the Diversity Immigrant Visa, also known as the green card lottery. The couple started out in New York City and relocated to West Palm Beach the following year.
Along the way, Marina learned how to speak English and she’s the proud parent of a 15-year old son and 13-year old daughter. She is also the Hispanic voice on the Health Care District’s phone system messages.
Miriam Ferrin has worked for the Health Care District for five years. I watch her hands fly back and forth as she stands at a large table covered with stacks of folders, brochures and information sheets printed in English, Spanish and Creole. Miriam quickly inserts each of the printed materials into a “Patient Centered Medical Home” folder that serves as a welcome packet for new Brumback Clinics’ patients.
Miriam is a native Floridian with three grown children and three grandchildren. She tells me that she loves scrapbooking and painting wood.
Miriam Ferrin, Print and Mailroom Coordinator
During the winter holidays in 2012, Miriam designed the Mailroom’s office display that was so popular with staff it was coined the “Macy’s” window. That kick-started a year-round holiday decorating tradition, which for the Print and Mailroom staff has been a great team-building exercise.
Risa Kaplan, Print and Mailroom Coordinator
Sitting quietly at her computer, Risa Kaplan is programming hundreds of voice-automated calls in both English and Spanish to remind Brumback Clinics’ patients of their upcoming appointments.
I learn that approximately 1,500 calls are reviewed and programmed every three days. Risa has also worked for the Health Care District for five years and she’s appreciated for her attention to detail. She was born and raised in Queens, New York and after 39 years relocated to Florida for the warm climate and lower cost of living.
The team’s newest member, Emely Robinson, joined the Mailroom in August 2017. She serves as the Health Care District’s home office receptionist. Some may remember Emely when she worked in the Health Care District’s Records Department in 2013. She has a three-year old daughter and is also attending college to earn her Bachelors in Applied Science in Supervision and Management.
Leading the team is Donna Mistretta, a 25-year Health Care District veteran. Donna shares with me how the Mailroom’s responsibilities have grown over the years. This department is busy, whether staff is maintaining quality standards in their printing and clerical support services, updating mailing lists, tracking mail and shipments, or designing and providing direct mail services that include sending educational materials to patients and members.
Emely Robinson, Print and Mailroom Coordinator
Donna Mistretta, Print and Mailroom Manager
This staff strives to be timely and has implemented cost-efficiencies, such as printing projects on demand and implementing a project request form (posted on SharePoint) for departments that need their services. The staff is also cross-trained and they rotate assignments every two weeks.
On top of all of that, these ladies are design divas, taking the art of window decorating to a whole new level. They just put the finishing touches on their spooky Halloween window display. So now that you know where to go, put your walking shoes on and pay a visit!
Past Mailroom window displays for Valentine's Day, Fall, Christmas and their December door display.
The October 2017 Mailroom window display