A Guide for the Healthcare Early Careerist

NCHL presents Early Careerist's Corner, a podcast series that is part of the Guide for the Healthcare Early Careerist. It is dedicated to providing information and advice to early careerists as they begin navigate the exciting field of healthcare leadership.

This episode focuses on the professional certification, Registered Health Information Administrator. What is the certification? | Am I eligible? | What can I accomplish with my RHIA? are all questions being answered as Manager of the National Council on Administrative Fellowships, Jen Kvasnicka sits down with Privacy Manager Josh Fabugais to discuss these questions and more!

NCHL presents Early Careerist's Corner, a podcast series that is part of the Guide for the Healthcare Early Careerist. It is dedicated to providing information and advice to early careerists as they begin navigate the exciting field of healthcare leadership.

This episode focuses on LEAN Six Sigma Certification. What is LEAN Six Sigma? | What can I do with this certification? | How do you achieve the certification? are all questions being answered as Manager of the National Council on Administrative Fellowships, Jen Kvasnicka sits down with Lance Millburg, System Administrator at Memorial Health to discuss these questions and more!

NCHL presents Early Careerist's Corner, a podcast series that is part of the Guide for the Healthcare Early Careerist. It is dedicated to providing information and advice to early careerists as they begin navigate the exciting field of healthcare leadership.

This episode focuses on the concept of mentorship and the value of a mentorship experience. What is a mentorship? | Do I need multiple mentors? | How do I get a mentor? are all questions being answered as Manager of the National Council on Administrative Fellowships, Jen Kvasnicka sits down with Kyle Underwood and Adam Haas from Cleveland Clinic.

What makes me stand out from my peers?

Kyle: Perspective and purpose. For me, I think I have a clearly defined why for what I want to do, and through that can help others find theirs. This allows for more intentional relationships to be built and being able to bring a level of energy to my work and life that doesn't become lost when the going is hard. With understanding my why, I'm better able to understand diverse perspectives as well as bring mine to the table.

Adam: My enthusiastic and contagious energy that I carry in all that I do. The positive energy and aura that I try to implement in a room creates a space of psychological safety.

Who needs to know me so I can reach my goals?

Kyle: It comes down to knowing others first and treating others well. This will create a space where people feel respected and valued, and more willing to help you in reaching your goals. Whether it be the EVS worker taking care of the trash to the CEO, being known for the good human and servant leader you are will take you far.

Adam: I truly think it does not matter who knows me – I hope everybody knows me based off of my genuine intentions, passion, and grit towards changing the world as a whole.

What are my values?

Kyle: Authenticity, integrity and humility. The trifecta will allow you to be heard, understood and most importantly, respected in any room you walk into.

Adam: My values are centered on the ideology of being a change-maker – These include being a servant leader, putting others first, along with being authentic and honest.

What’s my ultimate career goal?

Kyle: As an early careerist, I'm looking to build out my toolbox of skills and perspectives for navigating the healthcare industry. Long term, I want to be a role where I can empower teams to problem solve, grow and invest in talent, and at the end of day, have fun while changing lives. Too often we chase titles, instead, I encourage everyone to focus on chasing experiences and the titles will come.

Adam: My ultimate career goal is to be a seasoned-leader in all facets of life; this includes in my career, professional development, and in my personal life. Leaning on the network of individuals that have helped mold me and in turn giving back to others through my personal career journey.

What brings me joy?

Kyle: Seeing the successes of others and championing them!

Adam: Being a friend to others and seeing them smile – A smile can change a day for someone, get them out of mental battle, and enjoy life more. At the end of the day, seeing others happy is all I want!

What my superpower – the thing I do better than anyone else?

Kyle: Being able to anticipate needs and responses ahead of time. This is helpful when navigating complex problems, and managing different stakeholder interests.

Adam: I believe my superpower is being a thought-partner with all individuals that I am collaborating with. Utilizing my communication and listening skills have served me well.

What’s my favorite way to communicate?

Kyle: A phone or in-person conversation often goes much further than an email or text. With the advent of virtual meetings this has become more challenging, but those water cooler chats often are where the best ideas come alive.

Adam: My favorite way to communicate is in-person but with the dynamic of face-to-face interaction fading, I have become comfortable with virtual communication.

NCHL presents Early Careerist's Corner, a podcast series that is part of the Guide for the Healthcare Early Careerist. It is dedicated to providing information and advice to early careerists as they begin navigate the exciting field of healthcare leadership.

This episode focuses on career planning and development. What is a career plan? | How do I keep my plan relevant as my career changes? | Where do I even start? are all questions being answered as Manager of the National Council on Administrative Fellowships, Jen Kvasnicka sits down with Liz Summy, Regional Executive (Region 6) with the American Hospital Association to discuss these questions and more!

Liz is happy and willing to connect with individuals via her email: esummy@aha.org.

NCHL presents Early Careerist's Corner, a podcast series that is part of the A Guide for the Healthcare Early Careerist. It is dedicated to providing information and advice to early careerists as they begin navigate the exciting field of healthcare leadership. This episode focuses on providing insight on the certification available through the American College of Healthcare Executives. What is FACHE? | What are the requirements? Do I need it for my career path? are all questions being answered as we sit down with Julie Weissman.

Learn more about our guest:

What makes you stand out from your peers? I like to bring new ideas and a lot of energy to all of my meetings with colleagues in the office. I also ask probing questions to understand the logic and reasoning behind decisions being made. When I am outside of the office, networking with industry peers, I show an interest in what they are doing.

Who needs to know you so you can reach your goals? This is a challenging question that has me thinking! My career AND professional goals have evolved over time, however my core network has remained the same. Each of us have done new things, taken on new roles in new organizations, etc. Over the years, I’ve continued to expand my network of leaders that I have gotten exposure to and also sought out. I’ve been described as a “networking junkie”. I want to know a lot of people, it keeps me energized. If you do have a particular end-goal in mind, then identify someone who has already achieved it so they can guide you. 

What are your values? Be transparent, genuine, and kind. Strive for what is most important to you. Understand your personal limits to set goals and boundaries. 

What's your ultimate career goal? I honestly do not know the answer to this question. The likely reason is because I either haven’t found it yet, or it hasn’t found me. Since I am not looking, I assume when the ultimate career goal appears, I will grab it. Who makes up your support system? Easy question- My family! My long-time friends! I have an amazing husband who is my biggest cheerleader. He is a great listener. I look to him for advice on many topics, mainly regarding communication, and how to approach difficult situations. It’s important to get an outsiders perspective. I’ve also learned how things are handled in industries other than healthcare.

My 10 year old daughter is a piece to the puzzle as well. She understands if I have a conflict with my work schedule. She is OK with pivoting at the last minute since things can unexpectedly change. She also loves to hear about my international work travel and see my colleagues on calls. She loves to hear different accents and asks lots of questions. 

What brings you joy? Disconnecting = Joy!!  It’s tough, but I am able to accomplish it. When I go on vacation, I never take my laptop. I hide the Outlook app and turn off all notifications on my phone. I set my Out of Office to specifically say that I will respond after the date I am back. I won’t take an hour away from fully being present, relaxing and enjoying time with my family and friends. Traveling and taking a break from work makes me more productive and energized when I return. When I disconnect at home, I am often in the kitchen cooking or baking while listening to music. I love the smell of anything coming out of the oven (if I haven’t accidently burnt it)! What's your superpower - the thing you do better than anyone else? Planning kid’s birthday parties. I put a lot of thought into all of the details.

What's your favorite way to communicate? My preference is talking in person or over the phone. I get overwhelmed by too many emails, long texts and group text chains that blow up my phone. It’s much easier and better for to talk about something quickly rather than go back and forth electronically. Because we are global, the culture at my office now does video updates for several communications. I think this is helpful to see the person deliver the message.

NCHL presents A Guide for the Healthcare Early Careerist. This podcast series covers a wide range of topics to help provide advice and guide current students, prospective fellows, and other early careerists navigate the field of healthcare management.

Listen in as we discuss preparing for administrative fellowship interviews, the process for interviewing for fellowships, and tips and tricks. Jared Stone (Operations Director, Henry Ford Heath Cancer Service Line and Program Coordinator, ) from Henry Ford Health shares his insights from the interviewer, interviewee, and former fellow perspective.

NCHL presents A Guide for the Healthcare Early Careerist. This podcast series covers a wide range of topics to help provide advice and guide current students, prospective fellows, and other early careerists navigate the field of healthcare management.

Listen in as we discuss interviewing prep, interview stories, tips and tricks for putting your best foot forward, and being genuine from start to finish. Cassandra Taft (Manager of System Planning) and Mikayla Schaefer (Director of the Operational Project Management Office) from University of Utah Health share their insights from both the interviewer and interviewee perspective.

Get to Know Our Guests:

Cassandra Taft

What makes you stand out from my peers? Ability to be adaptable and diplomatic. What are my values?   Trust, integrity, honesty, and diligence. What’s my ultimate career goal? If I am serving my community and company in a positive and needed way, I will be happy no matter where my career lands. Who makes up my support system? My husband, family, and work friends. What brings me joy? When the people I love and serve are happy. What’s my superpower – the thing I do better than anyone else? Committing to myself! What’s my favorite way to communicate? Kindly and directly.

Mikayla Schafer

What makes you stand out from my peers? My ability to take very ambiguous situations or information and turn them into an actionable path forward. What are my values?   Trust, Respect, Compassion, Curiosity, Challenge, Passion, and Honesty What’s my ultimate career goal? My running joke is that my 5 year plan is to be retired, but that I hope when I get there I’m still enjoying what I do so much that I can’t imagine leaving. I don’t know exactly what is in store for my career, but I do know that the healthcare industry is where I want to be. Who makes up my support system? I would echo Cassandra’s list and add that I have also been incredibly fortunate to have many wonderful mentors, career coaches, and wellness coaches who have been invaluable members of my support team. What brings me joy? Getting outside with my pups and seeing their joy at exploring the world. What’s my superpower – the thing I do better than anyone else? Helping people realize and own their value. What’s my favorite way to communicate? Get up and walk to your office. I prefer to chat face to face rather than over email or IM.

NCHL presents Early Careerist's Corner, a podcast series that is part of the Guide for the Healthcare Early Careerist. It is dedicated to providing information and advice to early careerists as they begin navigate the exciting field of healthcare leadership.

This episode focuses on personal branding for early careerists. What is a personal brand? | Do I need one? | How do we stand out to employers? are all questions being answered as Manager of the National Council on Administrative Fellowships, Jen Kvasnicka sits down with Danielle Soto, Program Manager for performance Excellence at Children's Hospital Los Angeles to discuss these questions and more!

What are my values? Integrity, authenticity, self-care What’s my ultimate career goal? A leader at an organization where I can positively impact patients and families Who makes up my support system? My mentors and, of course, my family and friends. Thank you all! What brings me joy? Helping someone; my dogs—hey Dexter and Dizzy if you’re reading this!; a really great sale (I love to shop but I love saving money more) What’s my superpower – the thing I do better than anyone else? Responding to change! I think change is good and it doesn’t bother me much. What’s my favorite way to communicate? Face to face!