Sandra Mahoney
When did you join UTHealth Houston? What brought you here?
I started with UT Houston before the rebranding on Oct. 15, 2001. I was working for Harris County at the time, at LBJ Hospital in the Department of Radiology as a transcriptionist. I worked there for about 8 years and while at LBJ, I worked with most of the faculty at UT Radiology and some of the clerical staff. There was talk at LBJ that transcription was being phased-out and they were transitioning to voice-activated reporting, so there would be no need for in-house transcriptionist. When a position for staff assistant became available with UT Radiology, I applied for it and got it.
Tell me about your work history here.
Since my hire date of Oct. 15, 2001, I’ve only worked in one department and that is Radiology, which is now known as Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging. I worked as a staff assistant from 2001 to 2005 at which time, one of the ladies (Fran) in our procurement area decided to retire, and I asked her to train me to do her job. Every day for about a month, I would train with her during my lunch. One day while training, my office manager, Mary Ann, approached me and said that she heard I was training with Fran and asked me if I wanted the position when Fran retired. Of course, I said “YES.” When Fran retired, I was promoted to senior support specialist and to my surprise, the other lady (Jorene) in procurement turned in her two-week retirement notification on my first day in procurement. At first it was a little challenging, but the ladies in MS Travel and Accounts Payable helped me navigate my way and I owe them all a great deal of “THANKS.” They made things easy and took the time to walk me through the process. Over the years, I’ve been promoted to administrative assistant, administrative manager, and now a clinical informatics analyst. My duties have expanded with more responsibilities and a working knowledge of the University’s policy and procedures.
What are you most proud of accomplishing?
I’m most proud of being able to perform my duties at a level to where our staff and faculty feel comfortable coming to me.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I have my daily routine, but each day is different. I can honestly say “I learn something new every day, and that newness quenches my thirst for knowledge.”
Why have you stayed?
UTHealth Houston is actually a good place to work, offers good benefits and pay. However, there are some challenges, but for me, prayer helps me get through those challenges.
When you are not at work, how do you spend your time?
I enjoy spending time with my family, relaxing, watching good movies or television shows, eating good food, and, of course, SHOPPING!!!