Described by friends as a sweet, bashful, hard worker, Tina Ellis began working at Oak Ridge Orthopedics 25 years ago. It was October 1989 when she first started in the file room. After a few months, she was mentored by co-worker Jane Hartman, who taught her everything there was to know about coding.
“I learned more from her than any school could’ve ever taught me, says Tina.
Today, she continues her work as a coder. Tina ensures all patient visits are coded correctly before they are sent to the insurance companies to be billed. This is a critical step in our efforts to maintain patient care as a top priority. Tina, along with other coders, works diligently to ensure that the insurance companies are billed correctly the first time – and we all know the importance of that!
When you’ve been with a company for as long as Tina has, you meet so many people and witness many changes. Tina tell us, “Through the years the doctors have come and gone, but I’ve loved working for all of them and miss seeing them on a daily basis.”
Recently, Tina was relocated from the Oak Ridge office to the Central Billing Office in Knoxville. It was a tough move for her after all those years, but she did so willingly and is already an invaluable addition to the staff at the CBO. “The thing I love most about my job is the people I work with- many are more like family members than coworkers, and each one is very special to me.”
A quiet, unassuming woman, Tina’s dedication and commitment span to her personal life in an unexpected way!
“I love Dale Earnhardt Jr., and follow NASCAR closely. Except for rain-delayed races that have been made up on Mondays while I’m at work, I probably haven’t missed watching a race live in 13 or 14 years. One of my favorite days of the year is Bristol Spring qualifying day, when I get to go and watch the drivers go around in circles in person.”
TOC is very fortunate to have dedicated, caring people like Tina Ellis on staff. But we could lose her if Disney continues to expand.
“About the only other place I’d like to live is Alaska- and only then if Disney World was relocated there!”
Let’s hope that never happens! Congratulations Tina on a job well done!
