A career in Health Care Public Relations, Health Communications, and/or Health Service
Media Relations. Job responsibilities should focus on writing, media planning and strategizing,
public relations, problem solving, special event planning, and community outreach and education.
Public Relations and Communications Skills
Areas of Special Interest in Health Care Public Relations
Computer Skills
Master of Arts, December 1998
University of Florida, Graduate School of Journalism,Gainesville, Florida.
Cumulative G.P.A. = 3.50/4.0.
Major: Public Relations.
Course work completed: Electronic Publishing (currently enrolled), Mass Communication Theory, Advanced Writing for the Electronic Media, Public Relations Processes, Advertising/Public Relations Management, Problems in Public Relations, Mass Communication & Society, Research Methods in Mass Communication, Independent Study in Grant Writing, and two professional internships.
Minor: Health Service Administration.
Course work completed: Legal Aspects of Health Service Administration, Perspectives of Health Service Administration, Health Service Organizations.
AvMed Health Plan is Florida's largest not-for-profit health maintenance organization (HMO), with corporate offices in Miami and Gainesville, serving approximately 400,000 members, 10,000 providers, and 130 hospitals. For more information, visit www.avmed.com.
Responsibilities centered on writing press releases for local and state-wide media outlets; writing and producing the numerous publications directed to its widely varied internal and external audiences, including members, employer groups, employees, physicians and other health care providers, and public officials in local and state government. To review AvMed's press releases on-line, click here.
Projects included:
The Department of Veterans Affairs underwent an integration uniting all of it's hospitals, clinics and care facilities in the North Florida/South Georgia region into a single umbrella organization. Ms. Reissener coordinated the integration, and as the intern assisting her, my duties centered on facilitating communications between and within the various service areas, writing press releases, and developing informational brochures on various employee programs. Also assisted the EEO officer in developing focus groups of minority veterans.
Employment While Attending Graduate School:
Document Production/Word Processor (Part-Time), Jones, Edmunds & Associates, Inc., Gainesville, Florida.
Feb. - Dec. 1997.
Responsible for all steps in preparing technical and contract documents for this large civil engineering firm. Duties included word processing, transcription, desktop publishing, editing,proofreading, spreadsheets, digital photography and scanning programs.
Manager, Piercing Pagoda, Oaks Mall, Gainesville, Florida.
May - Dec. 1996.
Managed branch store of national jewelry kiosk chain. Left position because 60-hour workweeks interfered with graduate school.
Sales Specialist, Burdine's Department Store, Oaks Mall, Gainesville, Florida.
July 1995 - May 1996.
Retail sales for Women's apparel, Special Sizes Department. Promoted to Specialist after five months as an Associate. Credited with major increase in sales volume, resulting in 35% increase in allotted department floor space.
Employment While Saving Money For, and Awaiting Admission to, Graduate School:
Travel Writer/Operations Assistant, Holbrook Travel, Gainesville, Florida.
April 1994 - May 1995.
Created promotional brochures, composed detailed travel itineraries, international communications, administrative duties.
Administrative Assistant, University of Florida, ICAAS, Gainesville, Florida.
May 1993 - Jan. 1994.
Assisted graduate research professor with professional and administrative tasks; prepared and edited scientific manuscripts.
Employment While Pursuing a Career as a Singer and Actress In New York City:
Between 1980 and 1990, I had a great time trying to make a career for myself as a Cabaret Singer (Jazz and Torch) and Actress. Unfortunately, I never actually made a living wage. So, like many other aspiring performers in New York City, I worked as an office temp (since I didn't want to be a waitress). I worked in the then emerging fields of personal computing, word processing and desk-top publishing in a wide variety of industries (primarily law firms, accounting firms, stock brokerages, and publishing companies). Following are a few of the many positions I held during this period.
Administrative Assistant, Jerry Kravat Entertainment Services, New York, New York.
Aug. 1987 - Sept. 1988.
Wrote promotional releases and program copy, prepared contracts, travel arrangements for national road shows, maintained financial records.
Research Assistant, Rooney, Pace Inc. (Stock Brokerage), New York, New York.
Feb. 1983 - Jan. 1985.
Assisted stock analyst with research, report writing, desktop publishing, and administrative duties; customer service; maintained library resources.
Print Traffic Controller, Benton & Bowles, Inc.(Major Advertising Agency), New York, New York.
June 1979 - Aug. 1981.
Routed print advertisements from conceptualization through publication; duties included proofreading ad copy; producing/assembling mechanicals; and client contact.