AMGO Member Spotlight |
Alexa Iben, MHA
Member Spotlight
Finance Manager and Research Administrator
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
University of Iowa Healthcare
I joined AMGO after being invited by my colleague and AMGO board member, Mary Porter.
As the communications coordinator, it used to be that only the one department administrator from the medical centers were AMGO members, but as a finance manager I think anyone with an administrative role can benefit from being a part of AMGO. I have been a member since 2020. My boss at that time was an active member and brought me into the organization. I just joined right away. It didn't take any convincing.
My advice for members is to use your membership to your best advantage. There are so many people in the organization that have answers for what you have questions to. And I think the more involved you become, the more information you learn, and the better off you'll be at your job. I text people for work advice all the time and ask what they're doing to address an issue. AMGO has been an invaluable networking opportunity for me, both personally and professionally.
Today I serve as the Secretary for the AMGO Board of Directors. For the past two years I've been co-chair of the annual conference planning committee, and I was ready for something new. I thought the Secretary position might be just different enough from my daily job in finance for me to contribute but still learn something new.
A lot of what you get out of attending the annual conference depends on the agenda we have. I get something out of every presentation, but what I take home the most is going to be how can I change something in finance? I'm also the research administrator, so how can I make research better? That’s what makes it so great-- it's not just all finance or operations, you get a little bit of everything.
Come to the conference and see that we're a welcoming group! We want everyone to be involved and continue to come back!
Maggie Bill, MPA |
New Member SpotlightCommunications Coordinator
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
University of Kentucky
I joined AMGO after being invited by my colleague and AMGO board member, Mary Porter. As the communications coordinator for the OB-GYN department at the University of Kentucky, Mary recommended I become an AMGO member and get involved with the communications committee. While I have a diverse communications background, I am new to the healthcare industry. AMGO has provided a fantastic networking opportunity. I’m grateful for the connections I’ve made with skilled professionals who offer valuable guidance, fresh ideas, and support.
Kristin Rosato, MBA
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New Member Spotlight
Each successive conference provided valuable insight and knowledge. The last several years I successfully petitioned Iowa leadership to allow support managers within our department to also attend. To a person, they all realized the value AMGO provides and they have also established relationships with colleagues. I am very grateful for AMGO and the lifelong friendships I have developed from colleagues. I credit AMGO for providing the stabilizing influence to approach all the management issues we admins inherit every day. We catch problems from top admin down and from ancillary staff up every day. However, knowing that I have my AMGO friends just a phone call away provided immense relief. I am proud to be offered Honorary membership status and will plan to attend the conferences to continue the lively interactions. Thank you AMGO and the collective friends within the organization. With all that, I will say RETIREMENT IS AWESOME. Forever grateful, Dale Geerdes |
When I first accepted the admin role at University of Iowa Department of OBGYN, I realized very quickly that success would require establishing key relationships. Those relationships included Hospital leadership, College of Medicine leadership and community leadership. When I first became aware of AMGO, I viewed the annual conference trip as a fun business travel perk. My first conference was in Jackson Hole, WY. The conference was amazing from the standpoint of knowledge presented to understanding that we all have the same issues and the conference relaxed atmosphere. However the key takeaway I gained, was establishing key relationships with comrades at other institutions. Those relationships afforded me a conduit for in depth discussions when ‘insurmountable’ issues arose at Iowa. Knowing others that faced these issues and learning the success and pitfalls outcomes from their experiences proved priceless in negotiations with Iowa leadership.
For me personally, I tend to lean more into areas that I feel most comfortable and sometimes need some good peer pressure to fight that instinct and take on new roles outside of work. Lucky for me, after getting involved with the BOD, I gained some new colleagues who were happy to ‘politely’ push me to do all those things that are somewhat outside of my comfort zone. Thank you, Kara, for ‘encouraging’ me to be a speaker at one of our conferences. Seriously, I appreciate all the AMGO members for what they have taught me and the professional development I have gained from my experiences with the organization. I look forward to continuing the relationships I have built. I’ve worked in OB/GYN for more than 26 years, including a decade in my current role as the Vice Chair of Finance and Administration for the Department of OB/GYN at The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). There I oversee a wide spectrum of responsibilities including finance, education, research, human resources, and clinical operations management. During my tenure at MUSC, I’ve played a pivotal role in the department's expansion and innovative outreach initiatives. OB/GYN at MUSC has opened five OB/GYN outreach sites and is now expanding those services to Gynecologic Oncology. OB/GYN is the first department at MUSC to see oncology patients outside of the Charleston area. We have really been able to help reach patients in rural locations closer to home by setting up three clinic sites across the middle to lower state. Outside of my professional endeavors, I enjoy a wide variety of interests including travel, tennis, and reading, alongside my passion for college football. I really value my time with family and friends, so we always try to have the next visit on the calendar to stay connected. |
I am a proud member of AMGO and currently serve as President on the Board of Directors (BOD). I joined AMGO for the professional networking opportunities, but the organization has proved to be much more than just networking. AMGO provides valuable resources for staying informed about best practices and industry trends, and it encourages members to step outside their comfort zones.