Raquel Arjona
My main focus right now is project management - that's where most of the work that we do lies. I work in UAT, which is User Acceptance Testing. I've been doing that since I started with the company, and it's been my primary goal. We make sure it's successful, making sure that we're documenting and reporting everything that's going on in these implementations, and documenting risks and potential issues. UAT comes right at the end - we are the last stop before an implementation occurs. We're there to attack anything that could be potentially a problem moving forward to go live. Anything that has to do with tracking risks is what we do. A typical day will start with meetings - I have a full calendar of meetings all day. I will start a meeting at 8 o'clock in the morning with the lead directors and the project managers for the different areas that we are working with as far as UAT. I'll be recording what is working with testing and what is left to be required in order to complete the project and make sure that we are tracking everything for compliance reasons. Recently, I had 3 different projects going at the same time, so it's very full. We continue to collaborate and set up our own internal meetings with the teams to discuss what was discussed on these meetings and make sure that everyone is aligned and are addressing what has been talked about or discussed previously, to make sure that we're just all on the same page.
• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• Bachelor of Science in Business Management
• University of Phoenix
• Master's Degree in Leadership
• Award from Arizona Supreme Court for Court Case Management System Implementation
• PMI (Project Management Institute)
• CVS Health Homeless Count Volunteer Initiative (planned)
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say my success came primarily from my family, especially my mother. She really pushed me. She really pushed me to do better. She saw a lot of things that she felt were injustice, and she was like, well, you know what, you can go ahead and do something different. I would have to say that she would be my number one supporter. She was always there to help me kind of move forward, and if I had any questions or doubts, she'd be the one there that helped to move me along. She helped me think through a lot of the decisions that I made, as far as does this align with what you feel or know is right for you. So, just making the right decisions was very powerful for me.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that it's not always easy, but to try. Keep trying. If it's really what you want to do, you will eventually get there. It's not always an easy path, and you won't always get an acceptance right off the bat, you know? But, like, as long as you keep trying and you know what you want, there'll be a time that you will get there, if that's really what you want.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
As far as challenges in the field right now, it is changing with government. There's policy changes, there's changes. We've had to - our organization had to lay off quite a few people a couple years ago because of not meeting criteria that was needed. It's just constant change, and right now, with a new presidency, or relatively new, the company is having to remove some programs that they had had for many years because they no longer are going to get funding for it. On the opportunities side, I think right now there's a big push for AI in healthcare, and I think it's very positive. I've had AI in some classes that I've taken recently, certifications that I've taken, and it's very beneficial in the way that they're trying to implement it. It's a good way of trying to save time so that employees can spend time on other areas other than the basic stuff. It's definitely being marketed and expected to use in our industry, and I entirely get that, because I recently had a sister who was in the hospital, and I saw them using AI. I was like, yep, that's definitely here to stay.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say character is a value. I really like working in industries that I feel like have a depth, and they're going to contribute to a better overall world, I would say. In this case, with Aetna, they are expanding in their roles and implementing systems and healthcare changes that benefit the members. So, being able to help and provide to a better overall healthcare system for people who need it and are able to access it, I think, is very important to me.
Locations
Raquel Arjona
PO Box 30563, Mesa, AZ 85213