When Val Magyar started at The Bellevue Hospital (TBH) as a part-time ward secretary in the Med/Surg department on July 30, 1973, she never imagined that she would still be a part of TBH's family 47 years later. Val is the current leader of the Health Information Management, Case Management and Social Services Departments and is the longest tenured employee at TBH. She will be retiring from her position at TBH on Thursday, July 30.
After working in the Med/Surg department for a year, Val applied for a Medical Records Clerk position in the Medical Records Department and got the job. From 1974 - 1981, Val had a variety of responsibilities within the department including clerical positions, transcription, coding, analysis, utilization review, and release of information. During that time, she was also pursuing an Associate Degree in Medical Record Technology from 1976-1978 at Firelands College.
In 1981, Val was offered the position of Supervisor of Medical Records and remained in that position until 2000. As the Supervisor of Medical Records, she also became in charge of hospital registration, quality improvement functions, medical staff office functions and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) functions. It was during this time period that Val pursued a Bachelor Degree in Medical Record Administration, graduating from The Ohio State University in 1990.
In 2000, Val and her husband Bill bought Twin Lakes Golf Course in Bellevue, so she left her position as Medical Records Supervisor to help run the golf course. However, with a passion for medical records, she remained on contingency staff at the hospital, performing transcription functions part-time.
Val and her husband ran the golf course until 2007. She then came back to work full-time at the hospital in Patient Financial Services for a few years, and in 2009 made her way back to the Medical Records Department - now known as Health Information Management - as the leader of the department.
To Val, TBH is her "home away from home." The opportunities she has had over the years to learn and grow is what has inspired her to stay at TBH for 47 years.
"After so many years, you become part of the fabric of TBH," said Val. "There is truly a family atmosphere here, where not only do we care deeply about the patients we serve, but also about the individuals we have the pleasure of working with every day. We are The Bellevue Hospital Family."
Some of Val's favorite memories during her time at TBH have been the celebrations that the hospital has held after Joint Commission Acreditation surveys, many of which she was directly involved with. But, above all, her favorite memories of TBH is the privilege of giving birth to two of her children at the hospital.
Throughout her tenure, Val has seen several changes to not only the hospital, but to heathcare and medical records in general.
"The biggest change I have seen in the medical field during my career was definitely the emergence of the electronic medical record," said Val. "It has been a game changer for healthcare professionals across the board."
In her retirement, Val plans to spend more time with Bill, her husband of more than 30 years and her children and grandchildren. But, as she leaves TBH, she leaves advice that all of us can appreciate and use:
"Put your heart and soul into whatever you choose to do in life. Always strive to do the right thing and stay true to yourself. Before you know it, the years will have flown by and you will wonder how time went so fast!"