Karen brings her experience in public health and safety to city council. She is a Board Member, Southern Nevada Health District. https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/about-us/board-of-health/board-members/
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Transplant Services Data Assistant, 2007 to 2009
Karen was responsible for data reporting and regulatory compliance for kidney, liver, and pancreas transplant patients and living donors: She developed an internal monthly tracking report and process to ensure compliance monitoring. She completed analysis and reporting for annual reviews, insurance payers, and electronic and on-site surveys and she communicated with the transplant team, UNOS, physician offices, and IT teams to obtain transplant donor and recipient outcome information. She queried electronic data warehouse as it related to transplant data collection requirements, internally and externally to meet and exceed certifications and mandates.
Salt Lake City Fire Department, Salt Lake City, Utah
Data and information Administrator, 1999 to 2007
Karen was responsible for designing, modifying, and monitoring the department’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and records management system (RMS) software; also responsible for developing continuing quality improvement (CQI) processes and goals. She served as database administrator, identifying and performing system modifications, installing new releases, performing backups, and maintaining security systems. She consulted with department managers to develop CQI goals; advise managers on identifying critical performance indicators and created data collection, reporting, and feedback procedures to improve performance. She coordinated on-going department-wide training for the CAD/RMS; analyzed training needs, developed lesson plans, selected presenters or trains trainers, and arranged classroom logistics and served as facilitator for service improvement and problem solving at various levels within the organization.
Continuing Quality Improvement Coordinator, 1993 to 1999
Karen was responsible for managing the CQI activities of the Medical Division. She established guidelines for Medical Case Review Committee and worked with the committe to develop goals and implement plans for expanded CQI activities. She maintained database of case reviews, generating monthly and special reports, as well as interpreting those reports. She assisted medical director and other fire department officials in researching existing data and collecting needed data for use in preparing abstracts and special studies and designed surveys for data collection and database reports for evaluation. She provided assistance to Continuing Medical Education and EMT courses by developing lesson plans and teaching modules. Developed course and presenter evaluations and pre- or post-test reviews of learning activities and analyzed the results of those documents. She served on the Quality Council team for and facilitated improvement teams for problem solving, development of processes, and strategic planning using total quality management models.
Fresno County Emergency Medical Services, Fresno, California
Data/Research Evaluation Specialist, 1987 to 1992
Karen developed and implemented systems to collect and analyze data related to the delivery of all aspects of emergency medical services in Fresno, Kings, and Madera counties. She developed procedures to collect statistics for evaluation of emergency medical services for dispatch and field care and designed database systems for data management. She collected and reviewed trauma registry cases for accuracy in meeting established registry criteria and prepared monthly standard reports and specialized reports as needed for Trauma Audit Committee. She conducted a thirteen-month major study on the correlation of mechanism of injury to anatomical injury, to evaluate the effectiveness of the American College of Surgeons’ trauma triage criteria. She collected data and prepared specialized reports such as resuscitation efforts, use of vehicle restraints, response times, etc. and re-designed layout of prehospital care report as necessary due to changes in policies and protocols. She assisted other EMS management sections in developing methods to collect and maintain data such as base hospital statistics, certifications issued, and educational experiences and supervised eight emergency medical and clerical employees in support of data collection and evaluation.
Veterans Administration Medical Center, Fresno, California
Budget Analyst, 1982 to 1987
Karen did budgetary analysis, cost projections, distribution of funds, preparation of the medical center’s annual budget plan, monitoring of fund accounts to ensure availability to the end of each quarter, and preparation of quarterly, monthly, and special reports. She designed database files to streamline tedious and automated budget records, distribution procedures, and historical data to more accurately and efficiently prepare the annual budget plan. She analyzed, planned, designed, tested, and implemented a computerized invoice payment database program, accomplished and implemented within an eight-day deadline. She analyzed data processing needs of other departments and designed databases to perform such tasks as: monitoring leave balances for payroll; maintaining cashier’s receivables; processing accounting obligations; and monitoring overtime usage.
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, Fresno, California
Program Representative, 1982
Responsible for independently planning and implementing continuing medical education programs based on identified needs of the San Joaquin Valley. She selected and confirmed chairs for eight one-day and two three-day symposia and arranged for symposia faculty. She established program fees, prepared brochures, established time schedules, arranged payment of faculty honoraria, travel, and other expenses and maintained fiscal accounting of revenues and disbursements.
Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, Fresno, California
Secretary to the Chief Financial Officer and Cashier to the Medical Center, 1981
Karen collected cash and negotiable instruments, made deposits, distributed checks and disbursed funds to employees and patients. She Initiated collections from insurance companies, third parties, and ineligible patients. She transcribed dictation and drafted replies to incoming correspondence, maintained the fiscal officer’s calendar and preparing itineraries for travel and reimbursement requests.
South Central Regional Medical Education Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Administrative Officer, 1980
Karen provided administrative support and assistance to the Program Director and educational specialists, coordinating plans for implementation of each continuing medical education program (averaging 50 per year).
EDUCATION
University of Phoenix, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 2002
Fresno City College Training Institute, Fresno, California, 1989
St. Louis Community College, St. Louis, Missouri, 1978
Belleville Area College, Belleville, Illinois, 1976
CERTIFICATIONS & APPOINTMENTS
Secretary, National Association of EMS Quality Professionals, 1998-2000
Board Member at-Large, National Association of EMS Quality Professionals, 1997
Instructor I & II, Utah Fire Service, June 1997
Instructor, EMT-Basic National Standard Curriculum, September 1996-1998
Certified Facilitator, Salt Lake City Corporation, Utah, April 1998
EMT-Basic, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 1996
EMT 1A Primary, Fresno, California, December 1989
PUBLICATIONS
Efficacy of an EMS Quality Improvement Program in Improving Documentation and Performance, Steven M. Joyce, FACEP, Karen L. Dutkowski, and Timothy Hynes, CEP, presented at the Eleventh Annual Conference and Scientific Assembly of the National Association of EMS Physicians, July 1995, published as a supplement to Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, Vol 10, No 4, Sup 3, October-December 1995
National Association of EMS Quality Professionals Quarterly, serving as editor of publication, 1998-1999.