Since joining the Duke Cardiac MRI Center nearly three
months ago, Jameca Dupree - a PDI graduate -has already produced significant
improvements for John Vargas and the entire department.
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| Developing the skills and talents of current Duke staff to fill critical job needs through internal promotion or transfer has several advantages over hiring other candidates. PDI office staff development program participants come out of the program with: |
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A strong commitment to Duke - providing staff with opportunities to develop and grow within Duke is a leading driver to job satisfaction and retention |
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More than 260 hours of classroom training and 120 hours of work experience gained through the internship component of the program |
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New and refreshed administrative and computer skills |
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Reliable references from current supervisors, mentors, internship hosts, instructors and PDI staff |
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Ability to contribute quickly because of strong knowledge of Duke |
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Continued support from the PDI staff and his/her mentor as they transition into the new position including additional training if required. |
Based on their skills and experience, PDI graduates are eligible for a variety of job classifications, particularly between levels 5 - 8, including administrative secretary, staff assistant/specialist, clinic interviewers, data technician, clerk positions, health information systems, health unit coordinators.
For more information about hiring a graduate of the Professional Development Institute, please call 684-5406,
stop by the Institute's office located at 3616 Duke South (Yellow Zone), or
visit the Professional Development Institute Web
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Hiring Managers at Duke Tapping into PDI for Talent
John Vargas admits that prior to looking for someone to fill a clinic service coordinator position in the Duke Cardiac MRI Center, he was only somewhat familiar with Duke's Professional Development Institute. Today, he's one of the PDI's biggest advocates.
After interviewing seven graduates from the PDI's office staff development program, Vargas, operations manager for the Duke Cardiac MRI Center, was impressed by the level of talent and dedication that all of the individuals embodied.
"To successfully complete the program while performing their current job and balancing the demands of their personal lives showed a real commitment to excel and advance," Vargas said. "What impressed me even more about the candidates is a skill that is probably essential to any job, which is the ability to be trained to learn a new job. While education and experience are good things to look for in an applicant, if you can find someone who has the ability and willingness to be trained, and has shown a track record of success as they apply their new skills, I believe that is a stronger indicator of future achievements than education or experience combined."
During the intensive 40-week office staff development program, the participants take classes on computer programs, business writing and financial systems, and polish their customer service, office etiquette and career-planning skills. Participants also engage in internships to apply the skills they have learned in a supervised work environment and partner with mentors at Duke who help provide valuable insight and experience about job responsibilities.
"Every step in the program's selection process, from the written application to the individual and panel interviews, was designed to find those individuals at Duke who would be highly motivated to excel and advance," said Sally Allison, manager of the Professional Development Institute. "The program equips participants to meet the challenges of advancing in a career at Duke. To have made it all the way through the rigorous, comprehensive program while handling the normal stress of busy work days and life outside of work shows that participants were something special from the start."
Vargas can second that notion after hiring PDI graduate Jameca Dupree. In her new role as clinic service coordinator, Dupree's primary responsibilities include scheduling, billing, and maintaining patient charts. Since joining the department nearly three months ago, Dupree's drive to succeed has already produced significant improvements for the entire department.
"One of the areas we needed to improve was our effort in reaching patients two days before their appointments to remind them about their appointment, or to remind them of any specific instructions they needed to follow prior to coming to the clinic," Vargas said. "In the short period of time Jameca has been working with us, she was able to come up with a good process to ensure that patients were notified and we had documentation in our scheduling system about the notification."
With the new process in place, the department has seen positive changes in their productivity and customer service. They have decreased the number of patient no-shows, as well as the number of patients showing up for tests who had not followed the appropriate pre-test requirements, meaning they would have to reschedule their appointment and come back another day.
"This is a complex job to learn, but in a short period of time Jameca has managed to meet all of our expectations and then some," Vargas said. "The process changes she has put in place have helped save time, and now she continues to ask for new assignments and is always looking for additional ways to improve the delivery of our services. I am confident that throughout her career, Jameca will continue to have a positive impact on our department and Duke overall because of her desire to succeed and the skills she developed through the Professional Development Institute."
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