You worked for Allscripts for nearly 17 years, and have been with CarePort for 2 years! What first drew you to Allscripts?
I don’t know how it’s already been 17 years, but I think the fact that the company is always evolving and I’m always working on something new has kept things exciting.
A combination of things brought me here. I received my B.S. in Social Work and worked as a Social Worker for a brief time. I then moved into a project management role at a technology company. That’s when I saw that Canopy, a care management platform that was later acquired by Allscripts, was hiring for a project manager with a background in social work. The position seemed perfect for me, as I didn’t have to abandon what I went to college for and could blend technology, project management and social work.
What have been the biggest changes you have seen in the healthcare industry over the past 20 years?
I often joke with our customers that when I first started working in this space, the care management department was buried in the basement of the hospital. There was little awareness around care management both internally and outside of the hospital. So much has changed – care management has been elevated within the healthcare ecosystem and people now really value the role and what it accomplishes.
Another observation is that when I started working with Canopy in 2003, we offered an outpatient care management module focusing on holistic care management and population health. The market didn’t seem ready for that module, as patients weren’t often managed outside the walls of the hospital. However, I have witnessed things come full circle since joining this industry. Before, people weren’t ready for population health and now it is certainly top of mind. There’s genuine interest in managing patients across the healthcare continuum and understanding what’s going on beyond a patient’s acute episode.
How has your role changed since joining the CarePort team?
Because I’m a long-time employee, I have worn several hats with Allscripts, and now CarePort. I have worked in services, managed implementation teams and helped launch a consulting team. When I was in the consulting role, one of my responsibilities included partnering with the sales team to evaluate how customers were using our platform. I became a strategic partner for clients, wherein I helped optimize workflows, uncover pain points and develop solutions to those challenges using our care management technology. Then, five years ago, I moved into a sales role.
What is your favorite aspect of your job?
I really enjoy the customers I work with and pride myself on being a strategic and consultative resource for them, trying to understand their problems and identifying methods to address those areas. I find it rewarding to witness the entire process through – from ideation to implementation to client success.
What do you like to do in your spare time outside of work?
My favorite thing to do outside of work is travel. Both my husband and I travel often with our jobs, which allows us to opportunity to meet up and explore different cities on the weekends. I also do a lot of skiing in the winter, and we have a boat that we like to spend our time on in the summer.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?
I have a really big family – I’m the oldest of four children. Between my parents, siblings and their families, I would buy a big beach house that would fit the entire family so we could all spend time together.
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