Probably In Between

I didn’t start my career with a master plan.  I was looking for stability and like most things in my life, I figured the rest out while I was already on the journey.  I am one of those people who has never had a specific “passion” for a career.  There are some people who know early on what they want to do, like being a police officer or doctor.  For me, the only interest I had was shopping (is that even a passion?!).   

When I failed out of community college at 19, I had no real direction.  I decided to take a nurse’s aide course and obtained a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification.  At that point,I thought I would just go for nursing since they make good money.  My first role was as a home health aide, mainly because I learned you could be a home health aide without taking the state test to become a State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA). 

When Stability Was the Only Goal

I worked as a home health aide for about six years before I realized I didn’t want to do patient care long-term. Nursing school was out, but I still needed to figure out my next move because I loved nice things and needed a career that paid more.

My parents worked at a prison, and I found out about an opening for a Health Information Technician (HIT). You didn’t need a degree- just a medical terminology course. That role became my first real introduction to medical records and the jumpstart to my career.

My First Introduction to Medical Records

I started as a contractor in the medical records department as an HIT at a male correctional facility. This was in 2013, when everything was still paper based and Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems hadn’t been implemented yet. While it was a foot in the door, I quickly realized the role wouldn’t sustain the lifestyle I wanted long-term.

Once again, it was time to go back to the drawing board.

Back to School, Back to the Drawing Board

I relocated two hours away from my hometown and began looking at the local community college catalog. That’s when I came across a major called Health Information Management Technology. It was described as preparing students to maintain health information systems while adhering to medical, legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements. It sounded like a good fit- no patient care and aligned with my experience.

I enrolled in the program and took a job at Express Scripts, a Pharmacy Benefit Manager, where I worked as a prior authorization representative. After a little over a year, I grew tired of call center life and knew I needed to move on.

Finding a Way In

I applied to multiple positions at the major healthcare systems in the city and eventually landed a role as a Patient Access Specialist in registration. I worked there for two and a half years with the intention of using it as a stepping stone.

I applied for countless internal positions and even interviewed for few, but I was never selected as a final candidate. It was frustrating, but I kept pushing.

When the Plan Fell Apart

During this time, an opening came up with the Ohio Department of Health in the Bureau of Regulatory Operations, which oversees licensing and certification of healthcare facilities. Unfortunately, that role was short-lived. A few days before completing my one-year probationary period, I was let go- despite having a great six-month review and never being placed on a performance improvement plan.

And just like that, I was back at the drawing board again.

Finding My Footing in HIM

The silver lining was that I was nearing completion of my associate degree. While job searching, I saw an opening at the healthcare system I had previously left. I applied, was called back, and started a position as a Trauma Registry Data Specialist at a Level 1 trauma hospital. Around the same time, I passed my Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification.

It didn’t take long for me to realize the workload was heavy for the pay. This was my first real lesson in why you should always negotiate- but that’s a story for another day.

Realizing I Wanted More and Facing Rejection

By this time, Epic- one of the most widely used Electronic Health Record systems in healthcare-had been live at the organization for several years. I started noticing Epic analyst positions within the IT department that paid well and immediately thought, that’s where I need to be. I applied several times over the years, but without IT experience or connections, nothing came of it.

Since the Epic role wasn’t panning out, I applied for an internal position as a Medical Coder for physician practices. Despite not doing my best on the coding test, the hiring manager took a chance on me and said they could teach me the rest.

I didn’t know at the time, but that role would become a turning point. Not the destination-just the place where things started to shift.