Cedars-Sinai Blog
Faces of Cedars-Sinai: Admissions Supervisor Andrew Aguila
Meet Andrew Aguila, a senior financial services supervisor in Admissions at Cedars-Sinai!
Though most of Andrew's workday involves dollars and cents—insurance authorizations for hospital stays and procedures, financial assistance for patients and clearing outstanding bills before doctor visits—he is focused on one thing money can't buy: time.
With hundreds of patients coming to Cedars-Sinai every day for doctor visits, surgeries and blood draws, Andrew and his Admissions team work quickly so patients get the help they need.
"We aim to keep each admission to under three minutes, so speed is an important part of this job!" Andrew says. "We especially need the time with walk-in patients to go as quickly and smoothly as possible to not back up the rest of the scheduled patients."
"It's amazing to look back at the pandemic and know that we contributed to a greater good that was happening at Cedars-Sinai. There's a great deal of fulfillment I feel in knowing that I can make a difference in healthcare without holding a clinical role."
"We might have 150 patients who have appointments that day, with another 30 walk-ins who need their blood drawn, so turning those around quickly is a big deal. The last thing we want is to cut into a patient's time with their doctor."
Andrew credits the communication and creativity of his team for the successful admissions that happen every day, and he also sees the benefit of patient-focused technology across Cedars-Sinai.
"What's helped a lot has been the welcome kiosks across the medical center," he says. "Those kiosks really help expedite the check-in process. Also, My-CS Link is a great tool for patients to update their information and makes for a speedy check-in process at their appointments."
A busy athlete growing up, Andrew is used to waking up before sunrise to maximize his time.
"I usually get up at 4 a.m. and go to the gym before my workday starts," he says. "It works well for this position in case an area of the medical center needs an extra body at 6 a.m. I'm ready to help out with registration and the check-in process and will hop in on the front lines when needed."
Jumping on the front lines was something Andrew and his team did a lot of during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We did a lot of work with Employee Health Services during the pandemic," Andrew says. "We were taking care of the people who take care of us."
Andrew's team also assisted with scheduling for the COVID-19 drive-through testing as well as the antibody (serology) testing at Cedars-Sinai.
"It's amazing to look back at the pandemic and know that we contributed to a greater good that was happening at Cedars-Sinai," he says. "There's a great deal of fulfillment I feel in knowing that I can make a difference in healthcare without holding a clinical role."
With such hectic, fulfilling days at the hospital, there's one place Andrew always goes to unwind.
"I love cooking," he says. "My fiancée and I are those people who will follow six-hour recipes together. Up next for us is a fire-roasted salsa and pork chops. My meat thermometer is my best friend in the kitchen—everything comes out perfect!"
Although he doesn't get to slow down on the job, cooking allows Andrew to take his time.
"There's a control in the kitchen you have after a chaotic workday," he says. "I know I can come home, put on some Steely Dan and make an amazing meal to comfort my soul."
