Hospital Update

Garfield County Hospital District is proud to announce May’s Employee of the Month, Certified Professional Coder Mary Allbright. She was nominated by her co-workers who say, “She has been a dedicated employee for many years.”

Mary is originally from Tacoma, Wash. Her family moved when she was ten years old to Port Orchards where she graduated from South Kitsap High School in 1973. Mary attended Northwest Nazarene University for two years and transferred to Modern Business College in Pasco, Wash., graduating with a Professional Secretary Degree.

One of Mary’s first jobs was working for Cenex Corporation in the Tri-Cities. While in this position, she worked in the warehouse and was trained to operate forklifts and went on to become a Certified Forklift Driver. From there Mary landed a position at Hanford operating out of the Warehouse and the Tool Crib Departments.

In 1993, she and her family moved to Pomeroy where she applied at Ernst Home Center. She was recognized for her vast knowledge and experience in warehousing and was immediately offered their Warehouse Manager position. Later she worked for D&B Supply in another managerial position but then decided to switch professions, opening a daycare. Her home-based business was open from 1998–2000.

Mary became interested in the medical field and began seeking employment with Garfield County Hospital District.

In June of 2001, she was hired in the hospital business department and was placed in the front office. Her initial position encompassed several duties with “many hats,” fulfilling the job descriptions of Admitting, Receptionist, Payroll, Residents’ Accounts, Human Resources to include overseeing employee orientation, and finally taking on projects for the CEO as the Executive Administrative Assistant.

In March of 2004, she became the Clinic Receptionist and transitioned into the Medical Records Department, now known as Health Information Management. While in this position, she took on the duties as the medical coder for the Pomeroy Medical Clinic and discovered her love for coding. Mary pursued a national coding certificate and obtained her Certified Professional Coder in 2005. “Coding creates a story and I enjoy fitting the pieces together,” said Mary. But her favorite aspect of her job is the reimbursement piece. “I like charge capture and deciphering what was done for each patient.”

Mary’s expertise is a significant asset to GCHD. “The work she does is behind the scenes but vitally important to our billing process,” department heads responded.

Mary’s dedication to the district spans almost 20 years in extensive medical billing and coding experience. Her hard-working ethic coupled with her positive attitude are some of her best attributes. “Not only is Mary keeping up on the billing challenges, she covers the front desk, the screening desk when needed, and is willing to rotate working hours to make sure we have coverage, and does it with a smile on her face,” said her co-workers.

She has volunteered as the Vice President of EAC and has spent many hours beautifying the hospital rose garden.

Mary, you are greatly appreciated for all you do!