Name
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Susan W. Carey, MHI, RHIT,
FAHIMA, PMP
|
Employer
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Norton Healthcare (NHC)
|
Current job title
|
System Director, HIM
|
Job duties and/or
educational background
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Responsible for the
strategy of HIM/HIT services for all divisions (Hospitals, Norton Cancer
Institute, Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, Primary Care Offices,
Specialty Offices) of NHC.
|
How did you progress to
your current leadership position?
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I progressed in my career
through taking on any new projects or assignments that were available; and,
my participation was approved by my leader. We all lament about how to gain
experience and move up the ladder and many believe we have to change jobs to
do this; well, we don’t. Taking on new work in your existing position grows
your skill set and develops your leadership capabilities. Thus, when a
“higher up the ladder” position opened up I met the qualifications of the
position.
Part of what I did when
taking on new projects and assignments was to identify what new skills I
would learn, how I would expand my knowledge base, what new behaviors would I
need to learn and what weaknesses I brought to the table. This allowed me to
find the right challenges to help me grow! For example, early in my career in
HIM at a hospital there was an opportunity to serve as the liaison between
HIM and IT as part of implementing a computerized medical record system at
our organization. There was no more money offered, there was not a different
job title. I volunteered for this assignment although my exposure to IT at
that point was minimal. However, I dove in and learned everything I could; I soon
found myself with an opportunity to move into a system installer role at the
corporate level. This is when I began my HIT career. I moved into project
management and began to manage EHR projects. During the time I was focusing
on HIT project management, the electronic health record was taking the
healthcare ecosystem by storm and the traditional role of HIM Director was
becoming everything but traditional.
I moved into a senior
project management consultant and had the opportunity to consult as a
project/change manager at NHC on the EHR implementation project. While
serving in this role, the system director of HIM opened and I was able to
move into the position due to my HIT background. The position at that point
in time (2003) was somewhat non-traditional with a focus on aspects of HIM
and HIT excluding CDI and coding.
|
What are ways that you
motivate and inspire your team? Please
identify what type of team you are referring to (i.e. your direct reports at
work, a committee, a different organization you are part of).
|
The first step in
motivating any team member is making accurate judgments on whether he/she is
motivated by extrinsic factors or intrinsic factors. As we all know, people
are different and they are motivated by different things. Some team members
are motivated by the potential of a bonus, which is an extrinsic factor – it is
external. Some team members are motivated by a specific challenge and the
opportunity to achieve something that they have not achieved before, which is
an intrinsic factor – it is internal. If you attempt to motivate someone who
is motivated by extrinsic factors with intrinsic approaches you will fail.
Leaders must take steps to understand what motivates each team member. Your
understanding of what motivates your team members influences how you will and
should manage that team member.
|
How do you select a
mentor? What traits do you look for?
|
It is important to
understand the role of a mentor before you make efforts to select one. A
mentor is someone who can serve as a sounding board; someone who can provide
career advice; and, most importantly a mentor can provide you with honest,
objective and constructive feedback. There are several considerations as to
how to select a mentor. Who you select as a mentor is influenced by the stage
of your career, your current position and/or your focus.
You may be at the point in
your career where a mentor who is very versed in your industry and is a
recognized leader in the industry is your selection. This type of mentor can
provide expert knowledge and networking within the industry. You may be at a
point in your career where you need someone who is a visionary within the
ecosystem of your industry. This type of mentor can help you navigate outside
your comfort zone.
You may select someone is
not even involved in your industry. You may want someone to help you see things
in non-biased approach. Understand the purpose of a mentor and what you feel
is most important to you and then identify potential mentors.
|
What professional
organizations are you associated with?
Has your participation in these organizations enhanced your leadership
capabilities? If so, how?
|
I belong to the American
Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), Kentucky Health
Information Management Association (KHIMA), Healthcare Information Management
Systems Society (HIMSS), Bluegrass Healthcare Information Management Systems
Society (BGHIMSS) and Project Management Institute (PMI).
Part of being a leader is
being knowledgeable and versed in all aspects of your industry and building a
network of resources. Participating in these organizations keeps me current
with HIM/HIT and project management. My participation also helps me build my
collaboration and negotiation skills. When you participate in or are a member
of a volunteer or member organization you must rely on referent power to influence
decisions, come to agreement, etc.; referent power is the ability to
influence others based on interpersonal relationships and the ability to
build loyalty.
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What advice would you give
someone aspiring to be a leader?
|
I would quote John Maxwell
first and foremost “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into
reality.” Next, I would caution someone aspiring to be a leader to not assume
“leader” is synonymous with “boss.” I would encourage someone aspiring to be
a leader to understand that well developed leadership skills is what equips
you to lead. So, focus on acquiring and honing your leadership skills, your
role as a leader will soon follow. Finally, I would advise an aspiring leader
to be a servant leader and not a self-serving leader.
|
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
HIM LEADER SPOTLIGHT: Susan W. Carey, MHI, RHIT, FAHIMA, PMP
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