Meet the Expert: Marc Victor, Transplant Call Center Representative

One of the first opinions people get of Mayo Clinic is from our telephone staff. Our staff are courteous, kind, and informative for the patients and families who call Mayo Clinic. In Arizona, they field hundreds of calls a week from patients in need of information, appointments, and who need to speak with their care teams. We couldn’t manage our workload without the dedicated and knowledgeable phone staff at all three transplant locations.

Today, we wanted you to meet Marc. Marc is a Transplant Call Center Representative from our Arizona Transplant Center. Marc has some great insight for you about his role, responsibilities and his love of golf and music.

Describe your team’s job and role on the care team.

As a Transplant Call Rep we field incoming calls from established transplant patients. We also take calls from callers who are interested in being referred to Mayo Clinic Arizona for a potential transplant. We take calls from labs who need updated orders for patients or are relaying critical lab values for patients. Local doctors will also call who may have a transplant patient in their hospital or clinic who they need to discuss with a nurse coordinator or transplant doctor. Transplant patients may also call who need an urgent medication or are having severe symptoms.

What is the best part about your work:

I enjoy communicating with the other transplant call reps on our Teams Chat about work related questions any of us might have, as well as some funny GIFS to lighten the mood. Probably the most rewarding part is taking a call from a stressed out or worried patient and helping them through the call to get the result they need. It’s very rewarding to hear ‘thank you’ from a caller that started out somewhat stressed or upset and ended up grateful at the end of the call.

What are some reasons patients would find themselves in need of your help?

As a Transplant Call Center rep, we take calls from patients with a variety of needs. It can be as simple as getting them connected to scheduling or a little more involved like going over the referral process and explaining the items needed for a referral. Patients also regularly call for prescription refills, concerns about lab results, or needing FMLA paperwork signed. We also have patients who call in with severe symptoms and need to be connected with a nurse coordinator right away.

Describe one of your favorite or most rewarding experiences.

One that stands out is a couple called from out of state and were inquiring about a liver transplant for the husband. I went over the referral process in detail and at the end of the call they both were very encouraged and extremely thankful for all the information I provided them with. It felt very good.

What will patients and families find at the Mayo Clinic that will give them the best experience possible?

Each patient is assigned a care team that helps them through each part of the process. From the initial referral all the way through the aftercare the patient receives post- transplant. The patients also attend zoom educational classes that informs them about the transplant process as well as classes for their caregivers.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

We are the initial point of contact for the Transplant Center. It is important that our initial contact with any caller is to assure them we are getting their requests or information sent over to the appropriate person or department in a timely manner. Sometimes that means they might have to be put on hold while we reach out to staff. If we can’t get them a staff member right in the moment then we’ll have to send a message to the staff for follow up with the patient. Some patients can get frustrated at this alternative so we try to help diffuse the situation the best we can.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

It really depends on the day. Most days we simply log in and start taking calls. However, depending on the day of the week or time of the month we might also be handling faxes, sending out educational zoom links to patients, or having a department call center huddle.

Is there anything else you would like patients to know about the Transplant Center Call Team?

Our whole team strives to answer calls as promptly and professionally as possible. We also help each other through our group chat if we have questions about a particular issue we may not be familiar with.

What do you enjoy doing on your time off from work?

I enjoy spending time with family and friends, golfing, poker night, and concerts.

What has been your experience with calling your doctor's office? Does your doctor’s office have a phone center team?

HELPFUL LINKS

• Explore Mayo’s Transplant Center.
• Request an appointment.
• Connect with others in the transplant discussion group on Mayo Clinic Connect
• View our transplant toolkits on Mayo Clinic Connect