Morgan Carter, the Neurology Department’s clinical operations manager, works to make every visit to one of our providers as smooth, quick, and complete as possible, whether that means implementing an initiative to increase access, connecting a patient with multiple providers, connecting with our outpatient clinics, or all of the above. In this week’s “Spotlight” interview, Carter talks to us about how the Neurology Department improved access to care since she came here four years ago, how she works at the system and individual level to improve care, and enjoying the outdoors and her son’s sporting events when she’s not at Duke.
What are your responsibilities within the Neurology Department? What does a typical day for you look like?
As Clinical Operations Manager for Neurology, my responsibilities include providing administrative support related to scheduling guidelines, provider templates, access initiatives, and overall clinical operations. I work closely with Duke Health Access Services to ensure that our scheduling questionnaire/guidelines and provider schedules which include multiple visit types, are accurate, so that patients are scheduled with the appropriate division and provider. I supervise the staff assistants within the Department and act as a liaison for Neurology outpatient clinics and Neurology Access Center.
In my role, each day is very different. Some days are filled with meetings, while others are spent reviewing provider schedules, submitting tickets for updates, creating documents and reviewing reports, searching for patient appointments, reviewing stats and entries made within QGenda, sorting out questions from schedulers and/or providers about patient referrals, and navigating through daily email requests.
You came to the Neurology Department just over four years ago. What’s the biggest way the Department has changed since then?
Looking back over the past four years, the Neurology Department has grown so much and we continue to grow. We have added several new providers and implemented numerous scheduling and access initiatives that have really made a positive impact within our department and patient care.
How does your current job compare to your previous position within the Duke Asthma, Allergy, and Airway Center?
In my previous position with Duke Asthma, Allergy & Airway Center, I was the Service Access Manager for the clinic. Working in the clinic setting allowed me to oversee clinic workflows from check in to check out. This experience was really helpful when making the transition to Neurology, as I continue to work closely with clinic leadership, in regards to workflow, room allocation, policy/procedures, and maintaining provider schedules.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Although most of my conversations with patients take place behind the scenes, I enjoy having both the patient and family contact. Anytime I can help facilitate an earlier appointment for a patient, I think I am just as happy and grateful as the patient is.
Rolling out new initiatives that will make our scheduling process more consistent and accessible for patients is always a win. I also enjoy working with the staff assistants throughout the department and witnessing all of the hard work they do behind the scenes to ensure that our patients have a positive experience with Neurology.
What’s the toughest part of your job?
The toughest part of my job is keeping up with all the emails!
What passions or hobbies do you have outside of Duke?
Outside of work, my family and I enjoy exploring different campgrounds, being outdoors and going hiking. We also spend lots of time on the ball field cheering on my son in his many sporting events!
Carter enjoys a family hiking trip to Occoneechee State Park.
Carter and her son Ethan holding his trophy after winning baseball championship game last fall.