by Marie Janes, MEd, RHIA, FAHIMA with Mona
Burke
Over the course of my many years as an HIM
professional, there’s one quote that sums up my outlook and it’s by Groucho
Marx. Groucho said, 'There's one thing I always wanted to do before I
quit...retire!' For those who have had their fair share of ups and downs
in HIM and are still working in the field, congratulations. One day, you will
reach this plateau and deciding to retire is one way to close that chapter of
your life.
I wouldn’t be alone thinking that a career in HIM can
be challenging, but it’s also rewarding and always interesting. I will be 63
years old this August and learned that the optimum time for me to retire is on
the first of the month that follows my 65th birthday, which will be
September 1, 2019. This is significant for me, because that date will also be
my 47th wedding anniversary!
A good friend and colleague, Mona (Jackson) Burke,
agreed to share her experiences related to life after full time employment as
an educator in HIT. Mona holds the credentials of RHIA, FAHIMA, and is Emeritus
Faculty at BGSU, as well as a Faculty Liaison at the AHIMA. Her retirement date
was one year ago in May 2016.
The literature tells us to “prepare” for retirement,
but what does that really mean? Financial security? Engaging in hobbies?
Providing service to our community? Those sound easy enough, but it’s a more involved
process. As Mona shared with me, “Retiring was one of the most anxiety
provoking, if not the most anxiety provoking experience of my career,
really.” She attributes this to changes in
pension/retirement plans, number of decisions that are interconnected (changing
one may affect another), dependents and their needs, as well as one’s age. Not
everyone facing retirement is 65 or older. So, how do you know when it’s right
to move on? Self-discovery is a good place to begin.
As
HIM professionals, we may feel constrained when it comes to future employment
opportunities, but using transferable skills and talents provides new
opportunities. Mona shared, “I'd be less
than truthful to say I was not worried about finding another position at 54.”
Leaving full time employment allows a person to consider flexibility in a
schedule, as well as types of work one might enjoy doing. For example, Mona
spent a fair portion of this past year during some freelance consulting
work including some work for AHIMA, textbook publishing companies, and
physician practice settings. Think about what you might want to do, instead of
what you have to do. There is a wide-open
field of job prospects within HIM and outside of the profession. And yes, here
is where I put in the standard “get a job as a Walmart Greeter!” that I hear
all the time!
Mona
summed up her experience with her biggest surprise following retirement, “I was amazed to truly find out how
much time I had spent working evenings and weekends as an instructor and
program director, and how much it had been affecting me. Much more so than I
would have ever thought and admitted while I was working full time.” As an
educator, I can relate. But even for those of you considering retirement from
other HIM careers, it’s good to know that working in health care has done one
thing for us more than any other profession—and that is to adapt to change.
If
you’d like to share your retirement story, please contact Marie Janes at
marie.janes@utoledo.edu.
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