As the operational services division (OSD) director, Keviar Warner is responsible for overseeing a very diverse group of operational program specialists. Her team excels at providing exceptional customer service to ONC\u2019s program offices and internal and external stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a team OSD\u2019s most important initiatives relate to programs that cut across ONC. Team responsibilities include, but are not limited to, new staff arrival\/departure on\/offboarding; travel and purchase card support services; IT support; maintenance of ONC space and facilities; and provision of staff safety and physical security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although I began my career in the federal government and changed course for a career in the private sector for many years, I ultimately returned to government service at ONC. I made a personal decision to transition to a life of public service after hearing a series of speeches by Barack Obama, the first African American president. During those addresses, President Obama underscored the importance of a life of civic and public service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2010, I joined ONC as a government contractor as the executive assistant to ONC\u2019s deputy national coordinator and transitioned to the executive assistant to ONC\u2019s national coordinator. I also served as a procurement liaison with the procurement and grants division. Subsequently, based on the totality of my public and private sector experience, I applied for a permanent position as OSD director. It was my firm belief that as a federal employee I would further contribute to ONC\u2019s goal of advancing health and healthcare for all anywhere, anytime. I have been with ONC for the past 13 years and have no regrets converting to a life of civil service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My private sector experience equipped me with many areas of expertise. I believe the most important qualities I bring to ONC are those of proactiveness, patience, and a unique problem-solving ability. My many years of experience as the OSD director taught me that when responding to an emergent or crucial request, the team\u2019s response must be prompt, based on current and accurate information, and adequately measured in relation to the situation. A quick response without due diligence and one based on hasty or knee-jerk decisions helps no one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During my tenure with ONC, my team\u2019s most unprecedented accomplishment was their situational response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Within a few weeks in early 2020, my team seamlessly transitioned over 180 ONC federal and contracted staff from a 100 percent onsite workforce to a maximum virtual work presence. My team took on this herculean effort with enthusiasm, dedication, hard work, long hours, and efficiency. They made sure ONC staff had access to needed government-issued remote IT equipment; implemented advanced protocols for technical assistance, including managing IT application access and updates; and upgraded the ONC IT support ticketing system to ensure shorter response times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My team\u2019s ability to quickly respond to a once in a lifetime situation and to ensure work efforts to advance ONC\u2019s core mission of securing health IT anywhere, anytime to improve health and healthcare for the American public were not interrupted. This effort is one of the proudest moments of my ONC career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best part of working for ONC and what inspires me to stay and prosper at ONC is the opportunity to work with, in my opinion, some of the most talented staff in government. ONC senior leadership affords me the ability to express my creativity and institute new ideas, processes, and procedures to make our organization more effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throughout my career in the federal and private sector, I have learned two things characterize an organization\u2019s success. The ability to recruit innovative newcomers with ground-breaking ideas and maintain uniquely qualified and talented staff. ONC\u2019s success over the years reflects its strong commitment to these principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recently, I introduced a new process improvement initiative to streamline operational service processes, identify procedural gaps, and realign efforts to enhance OSD program and process efficiencies that will positively impact our internal and external customers. This effort will involve revising OSD documented policies and procedures; conducting follow-up meetings with customers to resolve and implement necessary program and process revisions; and create a Lessons Learned <\/em>document, detailing implemented changes to inform and educate ONC staff. Constantly improving OSD program and process efficiencies will positively impact all the ONC services we provide. OSD\u2019s work creates an operating environment that supports management and technical staff as they work to advance ONC\u2019s mission to secure health information technology and improve health and healthcare for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I reflect on my time as OSD director, I am reminded of the two most important mottos I ask my team to keep in mind as they deal with the unique trials, tribulations, and challenges they encounter in providing exceptional operational support services \u2013 \u201cdon\u2019t suffer in silence\u201d and \u201cstay ready so you don\u2019t have to get ready.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As the operational services division (OSD) director, Keviar Warner is responsible for overseeing a very […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":619,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_selected_menu":"","_show_breadcrumbs":"true","_blog_show_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"archived-category":[],"featured":[],"topics":[609],"class_list":["post-23002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","topics-about"],"acf":{"blog_authors":[{"blog_author_profiles":"198753"}],"hp_news_hide":false},"yoast_head":"\nWhat are the core values of ONC that are important to you?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n