The administrative and operational team in UT Southwestern’s Office of Advanced Practice Providers (OAPP) was honored with the Team Achiever Award at the 2024 Admin Awards – Dallas-Forth Worth and Southwest Region. The seven staffers accepted the recognition during a gala held in Dallas on Nov. 8.

The Team Achiever Award recognizes professionals for skilled project management that enhances organizations.

UTSW’s OAPP administrative team manages a range of responsibilities including professional development, fellowship programs, wellness initiatives, and mentorship programs catering to more than 1,000 APPs across UT Southwestern. Administrative support assists providers in enriching their skill sets, benefiting patient care, research, and community efforts across North Texas.

In their nomination, OAPP department leaders highlighted the administrative team’s efforts to improve efficiency and APP satisfaction with the continuing medical education (CME) process. The team is credited with streamlining the submission process for the program, which receives more than 3,200 submissions annually.

From left: Teeaira Talifarro, B. Sc., Program Coordinator; Vanessa White, Program Coordinator; Darrylynn Sargent, Senior Administrative Assistant II; Ebony C. Glenn, Program Coordinator; Madison Hardy, Senior Administrative Assistant II; Alyse Chambers, M.H.A., Administrative Associate; and Quisha M. Roberts, M.B.A., Administrative Manager. 

CME hours are required for APPs to retain their certification. Therefore, the logistical improvements made by administrators, including reducing processing time and reduction in processing errors, made it an imperative project for OAPP. Additionally, efficiencies gained in this mission area have also resulted in administrators’ ability to improve their focus on other departmental priorities.

“This Team Achiever Award is a well-deserved acknowledgment of a team that embodies excellence, respect, and the spirit of health care service at UT Southwestern,” said Christopher Roe, M.B.A., D.N.P., CENP, ACNP-BC, Interim Chief Nursing Officer, Director, Adult Specialties, OAPP. “Every initiative this team undertakes reflects their belief in creating an environment where APPs feel valued, prepared, and empowered to serve our patients.”