Developed operational guidelines for volunteer communications team managing multi-channel campaigns. Implementation reduced same-day turnaround requests by approximately 90%, improving work quality and enabling sustainable collaboration.

Here’s what helps me help you, going forward:

• If you want something to go out on a given day (or a calendar/website change), or want something added or changed to a scheduled newsletter, send final info to my email by 12:00 PM (noon) the day before, at the latest. I cannot guarantee anything past that point can be included in whatever needs to go out. 

• Please send non-finalized graphics, or anything I can’t directly tweak, 2–3 days earlier; they need to be finalized before the noon cutoff. If a graphic isn’t ready by then, I’ll ship the copy alone and add the graphic next time. 

• If something truly urgent comes up (e.g., a congregant death and distributing shiva info), call me directly at [REDACTED], and I can change things around to make sure it gets handled ASAP. That’s the only case where I can guarantee immediate turnaround.

• Follow-ups: once per day per item, please. If you emailed yesterday afternoon and it’s the following evening, nudge away! If it’s only a few hours later? Please hang tight. I probably saw it and just haven’t had time yet. It’s much easier for me to prioritize and keep track of things that way. 

• Keep it to one email thread per event/promo period. I need all relevant info and developments in one place so nothing gets buried. Add new info by replying to that email. Please do not create a different email thread unless it is for a different event. If there are fixes needed for something like a graphic, take a day to review it, make a list, and send it in one message so all fixes can be handled in one pass.

• Strategy/input is great! Please email to schedule a call/Zoom before we start promotions so we can hit the ground running. But if you want to talk to me via a phone call or on Zoom, please schedule that in advance. I am happy to talk, just give me the opportunity to tell you when I can. 

• If you’ve asked me to get something done and I haven’t responded yet, please hold off before stepping in to do it yourself. Jumping in too early can create confusion, duplication, or mistakes. If it’s been several days, feel free to check in with me about it, and if I confirm it’s helpful, go ahead and take it on. That said, if the earlier guidelines have been followed, this shouldn’t come up. 

• As a general rule: if you’re sending something to keep me in the loop or providing materials I can use later, that’s perfect. If you're reaching out with the intent to have me jump on something on the spot, and then checking in again soon after if I haven’t, that’s moving too fast. Please assume my work happens asynchronously, and plan timelines with that in mind.

Created tiered evaluation system for assessing collection site compliance with DOT federal regulation §40.40(c)(4). Framework standardizes quality assurance review and improves consistency in regulatory verification.

DARK GREEN — Best-Practice Compliance

A Dark Green number satisfies §40.40(c)(4) to an exemplary degree. It is either a direct line to occupational health, drug testing, the collector, or an on-site supervisor, or it reaches the clinic’s own call menu where occupational health appears in the first layer. Calling it results in live contact with on-site staff within roughly fourty-five seconds, and those staff can immediately assist with MRO or CCF requests. The number is controlled by the clinic itself and is monitored during all collection business hours. Personal cell phone numbers do not meet this standard, because they are not institutionally monitored during all business hours and cannot function as a stable, site-controlled contact method.

LIGHT GREEN — Functional Compliance

A Light Green number still clearly satisfies the requirements of §40.40(c)(4), but does so in a suboptimal way. It typically reaches the clinic or hospital’s on-site main line or local operator, who answers promptly, understands “drug test/CCF/MRO,” and routes the call appropriately. Only one transfer is needed, any hold is brief, and if voicemail is reached, the request is handled or returned the same day without a second call from the Medical Review Office. The contact is reliable and cooperative, even if not as streamlined as a direct occupational health line, which is the clearest expression of the regulation’s intent.

YELLOW — Technical Compliance Only

A Yellow number eventually leads to someone who can assist, but the path shows noticeable friction. This includes multiple transfers, repeated explanations of the purpose of the call, confusion about drug testing or CCFs, or off-site staff who can only help after searching or escalating. Voicemails that receive no callback and require the MRO to call again may fall here if contact is eventually reached. Contact is possible, but the process is inefficient, unreliable, or dependent on staff improvisation rather than a stable system. Yellow, while compliant with §40.40(c)(4), otherwise exhibits other traits that demonstrate a lack of concern, and thus should be monitored in case this lack of concern dips into noncompliance. 

RED — Noncompliance

A Red number does not meet §40.40(c)(4) because it fails to provide a viable, on-site point of contact during business hours. This includes call menus with no clear path to occupational health or a receptionist; menus that loop, disconnect, or force callers to use online portals that they may or may not have access to; numbers that route to corporate call centers, centralized schedulers, or off-site operators who cannot directly reach the clinic; and any situation where the operator obstructs or refuses routing. Wrong numbers, fax lines, endless ringing, or recordings instructing callers to dial another number also qualify. Personal cell numbers are classified Red unless they are monitored for every hour the site performs collections and functions as the site’s official contact. A Red number does not provide a reliable method for the laboratory, MRO, or employer to directly contact the collector or their supervisor during the site’s business hours and therefore fails §40.40(c)(4).

Challenge:

The document triage workflow required manually renaming each incoming fax file to categorize it by type and sequence number (e.g., "DOT 17," "BAT 5"). With seven document types arriving daily, staff had to mentally track how many files of each type existed to avoid creating duplicate filenames, which crashed the system. Renaming also erased the original fax number, forcing staff to navigate back to cover sheets whenever a form was illegible. The process required constant attention, high keystroke count, and manual tracking.

Solution:

Implemented a color-coded labeling system using XNView's built-in label feature. Documents are categorized by color during initial review (e.g., red for DOT tests, yellow for rapid tests, green for breath alcohol tests). Staff apply labels with simple keyboard shortcuts, then sort by color for batch processing. The system keeps the original fax metadata intact and eliminates counting.

Result:

Processing time reduced by approximately 70%. The workflow shifted from constant monitoring and manual tracking to a single-pass categorization process. Staff complete triage in periodic check-ins rather than sustained sessions. File naming conflicts eliminated, fax numbers preserved for reference, and keystrokes per document significantly reduced.

Developed comprehensive phone menu structure to reduce call volume and improve information accessibility. System provides self-service options for common inquiries, as well as preparing callers in order to have the most productive experience.

Welcome Message and Menu

Welcome to [REDACTED]. Your call is important to us, so please listen carefully so we can best assist you. 

For business hours, and contact information, please press [1]. 

If you are calling because you recently took a drug test, press [2].
If you are an employer or a collector, press [3]. 

To repeat this message. press [9].

[1]: General Information

[REDACTED] is open for walk-in-only drug testing from [REDACTED]. Its office hours are [REDACTED] We can receive documents for processing via email at [REDACTED], or via fax at [REDACTED]. For direct assistance, you can contact us at [REDACTED]. To go back to the main menu, press [9]

[2]: Donor  Menu

If you are calling in response to a voicemail you received,  press (1). 

If you are calling to verify a prescription, press (2).

For questions and general status updates, press (3). 

To go back to the main menu, press [9]. 

(2-1): Donor Interviews

Please have the chain of custody form you received during your drug test in front of you and locate the Specimen ID. If you no longer have a copy of your chain of custody form, please contact the collection site that administered your test, ask for your Specimen ID number, and then call back. Your Specimen ID is located at the top of the form, under the barcode. When you have your specimen ID, press 1. 

(2-2): Prescription Verification

In order to verify any prescriptions, the MRO office must first receive the lab results for your test. Your specimen is typically delivered to the lab the day after your test was administered, and results can take up to a week to process. We will contact you as soon as lab results are received. There is no way to expedite this. 

If you would like to confirm that your specimen has been received by the lab and that this process is underway, please have the chain of custody form you received during your drug test in front of you and locate the Specimen ID. If you no longer have a copy of your chain of custody form, please contact the collection site that administered your test, ask for your Specimen ID number, and then call back. Your Specimen ID is located at the top of the form, under the barcode. When you have your specimen ID, press 1. 

(2-3): General Questions

If you are calling on behalf of someone else, please hang up and have the person who took the test call us directly. We cannot speak or give information to anyone besides that individual. 

Drug tests can take up to a week after receipt by the lab to process. Negative results are sent to your employer immediately after processing. If your result is non-negative, the MRO Office will contact you for a donor interview. Only an MRO can discuss results with you, and only when a non-negative result is received. We will contact you if a donor interview is needed, and before the result gets sent to your employer. Otherwise, for confidentiality reasons, we cannot disclose results over the phone. 

If you still have questions, please have the chain of custody form you received during your drug test in front of you and locate the Specimen ID. If you no longer have a copy of your chain of custody form, please contact the collection site that administered your test, ask for your Specimen ID number, and then call back. Your Specimen ID is located at the top of the form, under the barcode. When you have your specimen ID, press 1. 

[3]: Employers And Collectors Menu

If you are calling for a status update, press (1). 

For other questions and concerns,  press (2). 

To go back to the main menu, press [9]. 

(3-1): Status Updates

Drug tests can take up to a week to process once received by the lab. If you are waiting for the results of multiple tests, receiving one result before another does not indicate the result of the pending test.  It is not an indication of any issue, unless you have been waiting for more than one week. 

If a test is still in processing, we can confirm that the test has been received by the lab. Please have its Specimen ID number ready. When you do, press 1 to speak with a representative. 

(3-2): Other Questions or Issues

If you are calling about a specific test that has already been sent for testing, please have its Specimen ID ready before pressing 1 to speak with a representative. Press 1 to speak with a representative. 

Designed standardized correspondence template for regulatory compliance documentation. Template ensures consistent communication with collection sites while meeting federal MRO guidelines.

Greetings,

This letter is to notify your clinic that the Medical Review Officer has not yet received a CCF2 for the following test, and that it is currently pending cancellation.

Donor ID:

Specimen ID:

Company:

Date of Collection:

Per DOT regulations, collection sites must transmit Copy 2 of the CCF to the Medical Review Officer within 24 hours or the next business day after the collection. According to federal MRO guidelines, if a lab result is received without the MRO copy of the CCF, the MRO must contact the collection site. 

On (insert date), we received the lab result for this test and have subsequently made the following attempts to obtain a CCF2:

1) Date:  Method:  

Comments: 

2) Date:  Method:  

Comments:

We still have not received the CCF2 for this test.

This is our final notice: If a legible CCF2 is not received by the end of the day on (insert date), the Medical Review Officer will cancel the test and notify the employer of the reason for cancellation. You may send it by email to [REDACTED] or fax it to [REDACTED]. Please ensure that your scan is legible before you send it. If what we receive is illegible and a legible copy is not provided, the test may still be cancelled.

Once the test has been cancelled, the MRO may be able to reinstate it if the CCF2 is sent within 60 days of its cancellation.

Please review your procedures and take corrective action to ensure this does not recur.

[MRO Name and Signature Here]