July 12, 2008 07:07 pm
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By CHARLES MINSHEW
charles.minshew@gaflnews.com
CORDELE — After 15 years of working in the banking industry, Trina Barber decided in April 2007 that it was time for a change of scenery.
She wanted to go to a place where every decision was made locally. Barber found herself at Crisp Regional Hospital (CRH) soon after.
Before banking and her work at the hospital, Barber earned her Associate’s degree in business administration from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton.
When not working at the hospital, Barber may be spending time with her husband of 12 years, Donnie, and her nine-year-old daughter Madison. She is also a member of the Cordele Rotary Club.
Barber wears at least four different hats at CRH. Her daily work can be divided among community relations and marketing, volunteer services, the CRH Development Foundation and physician recruitment.
“It’s not the same job every day,” Barber said.
Most of Barber’s responsibilities fall under the department of community relations and marketing. She makes sure the public is aware of happenings at the hospital.
Sometimes she gives student or media tours of the hospital. Construction on the new ICU unit is of particular interest right now, she said.
Barber also helps coordinate community and company health fairs at various times throughout the year.
All media contact goes through Barber, including updates on patient conditions for the newspaper. She often writes press releases that are distributed to media outlets.
Barber said, “Coming into the hospital and realizing what the hospital does for the community has been eye-opening for me.”
As director of volunteer services, Barber keeps hospital volunteers such as the familiar “pink ladies” and “redcoats” updated about daily activities inside the hospital.
Even though there are at least 40 volunteers at the hospital who work varying shifts six days a week, they don’t take up much of Barber’s time. She said the group has its own internal organization. The volunteers run the hospital’s gift shop and deliver gifts, flowers, mail, and copies of the Cordele Dispatch to patients daily.
As a physician recruiter, Barber is also helping the hospital meet the needs of the community. She said hiring a physician is not a fast process.
According to Barber, a physician affects the community and the community affects the physician. From the first meeting through onsite visits all the way to the final contracts, an average hiring process can take as long as six months.
So far, Barber has helped in the recruitment process for three new physicians at the facility. She said physicians are hired only when needed. Some physicians come in on scholarships and others are recruited at different recruitment fairs.
In addition to the three positions that essentially involve the day-to-day operations of the hospital, Barber also works with the Crisp Regional Development Foundation. The foundation began operation in the 1980s and is a nonprofit organization.
Barber organizes meetings and completes administration work and mailings. She also coordinates the annual golf tournament and provides all publicity for the foundation.
Even though each of her jobs requires a lot of her, Barber said that her job is about “people-work” more than it is about paperwork.
“I really enjoy it,” Barber said. “Coming from a non-healthcare background I am better able to explain medical issues to the average person.
“The community is supportive of the hospital,” Barber added. “It’s easy to share good news.”
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