Lana Bryant
Lexington
Summary
Customer-focused healthcare and administrative professional with hands-on experience in hospice administration and private insurance billing. Expertise in managing accounts receivable, resolving billing discrepancies, and maintaining regulatory compliance while delivering exceptional service to patients and families.
Overview
1
1
Certification
33
33
years of professional experience
Work History
Customer Care Specialist
Overstrand Hospice
Hermanus
02.2021 - 01.2026
- Managed administrative operations for 7-12 hospice inpatients and approximately 35 home hospice patients, ensuring seamless care delivery.
- Coordinate patient admissions, maintain confidential electronic medical records and ensure accurate documentation.
- Provided compassionate support to patients, families, and healthcare professionals by addressing billing and administrative inquiries via telephone and email, enhancing patient experience.
- Investigated and resolved billing discrepancies, ensuring accurate financial processes and upholding high standards of customer service.
- Manage accounts receivable, invoice processing, payment reconciliation and follow-up to ensure timely reimbursement.
- Process private medical insurance claims and hospice billing for six of South Africa's largest medical aid providers, including Discovery Health.
- Manage and track hospice equipment with an approximate value of R1.5 million, including procurement of new equipment and inventory control.
- Utilize hospice management software for patient admissions, billing, record keeping and operational reporting.
- Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary healthcare teams to ensure efficient patient care and accurate financial workflows.
Communications & English Specialist (Client Facing)
SANSA - South African National Space Agency
Hermanus
02.2016 - 01.2021
- Managed client-facing communications for a national government agency, handling complex enquiries from students, researchers, and international professionals.
- Built and maintained relationships with diverse international clients, utilizing NLP techniques to enhance engagement and service delivery.
- Handled sensitive and high-stakes situations with discretion, consistently achieving positive outcomes.
- Planned and facilitated communication workshops to enhance collaboration between internal teams and external stakeholders.
- Coordinated logistics for workshop programs, including scheduling, materials preparation, and follow-up correspondence to ensure smooth execution.
International Student Liaison & English Trainer
Getting to Know English
Pretoria
07.2011 - 05.2015
- Coordinated administrative programs for cohorts of 85-110 international students to facilitate South African university admission.
- Delivered business and academic English training to groups of up to 25 students.
- Managed student onboarding administration, streamlining visa processes, enrolment documentation, and accommodation arrangements.
- Led orientation programs that enhanced cultural integration and supported student retention.
Language & Client Liaison Officer
Pan African Parliament
Midrand
03.2011 - 02.2014
- Delivered targeted professional writing and verbal communication training to parliamentary teams, improving clarity and effectiveness in legislative processes.
- Facilitated monthly English communication workshops for diplomatic staff and delegates, enhancing cross-cultural communication skills.
- Supported onboarding and communication alignment for international staff by coordinating administrative follow-up, ensuring smooth integration into the organization.
Client Services Specialist - Freight Forwarding & Aviation
Lufthansa, Swissair, DB Schenker, DHL, Egyptian Embassy, IATA, Princess Cruises
Johannesburg
01.1993 - 01.2009
- Delivered high-volume client service, managing 80+ daily interactions to ensure timely resolutions in fast-paced international logistics environments.
- Resolved complex shipment and customer issues, achieving high client retention through service excellence.
- Drove both internal and external sales, consistently meeting and exceeding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) throughout tenure.
- Received multiple promotions based on performance - progressing from Customer Service Representative to Supervisor, then to Management and Area Manager level.
- Demonstrated exceptional time management and the ability to work effectively and autonomously across multiple accounts.
- Developed multitasking, administrative coordination, and cross-organizational communication skills, enhancing collaboration across major international brands.
Education
Diploma: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
City and Guilds
UK01-2028
Diploma: Kinesio Practor, Energy Modality -
Specialized Kinesiology
Johannesburg, South Africa05-2025
Certificate: Educational Therapy -
BrainGym
Gordon's Bay, South Africa02-2011
Diploma: Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP Practitioner) - Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
INLPTA International
USA01-2011
High School Diploma -
Kimberley Girls High School
Kimberley, South Africa12-1991
Skills
- Patient advocacy
- Records management
- Office administration
- Scheduling
- Reporting
- Excel
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Outlook
- Correspondence
- Time management
- Conflict management
- Cultural communication
- Relationship building
- Empathetic communication
Certification
- NLP Practitioner, INLPTA International, 01/11/11, Present
- IELTS Trainer Certification, 01/11/11, Present
- Educational Therapy Certification, Brain Gym, 02/11/11
- MS Word / Powerpoint / Inhouse systems
Languages
- Afrikaans, Full professional proficiency - spoken and written. Used regularly in client-facing and administrative contexts throughout career in South Africa.
- English, Full professional proficiency - written, spoken, and presentational. Experienced delivering business English training, facilitating workshops, and communicating with international clients and stakeholders at all levels.
Volunteer Experience
- Riding for the Disabled, Volunteer, Volunteer with equine-assisted therapy program supporting individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities. Assists with horse handling, participant support, and session coordination.
- Food for Love, Community volunteer, Community volunteer assisting with food parcel preparation and delivery to families in need. Committed to giving back and actively contributing to community wellbeing.
- Hospice and frail care volunteer
Timeline
Customer Care Specialist
Overstrand Hospice
02.2021 - 01.2026
Communications & English Specialist (Client Facing)
SANSA - South African National Space Agency
02.2016 - 01.2021
International Student Liaison & English Trainer
Getting to Know English
07.2011 - 05.2015
Language & Client Liaison Officer
Pan African Parliament
03.2011 - 02.2014
Client Services Specialist - Freight Forwarding & Aviation
Lufthansa, Swissair, DB Schenker, DHL, Egyptian Embassy, IATA, Princess Cruises
01.1993 - 01.2009
Diploma: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
City and Guilds
Diploma: Kinesio Practor, Energy Modality -
Specialized Kinesiology
Certificate: Educational Therapy -
BrainGym
Diploma: Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP Practitioner) - Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
INLPTA International
High School Diploma -
Kimberley Girls High School