Joe Engle ⋅ Indianapolis, IN Electrical/Software Eng. + MBA ⋅ 30 years experience

Thank you very much for your service Janelle. My wife has worked at a hospital for 30 years so she has seen a lot of the industry. Right now the health profession is very depressed because of cost cutting measures imposed by the new health care law. There are huge layoffs going on. That said, the profession is all about education. There are generally two paths to go. One is through a university/college for an RN/LPN degree for nursing type jobs. These usually take 1-4 years. If you go the nursing route, there are many types of nursing positions for example, nurses in emergency rooms, pediatrics (children), hospital intensive care, family practice nurse. Another option is to study and get a certificate for positions like medical office assistant/administrator, dental hygenist, nursing assistant, and the like. These programs are frequently offered by trade schools or community colleges and usually take less than a year to complete.

Jennifer Tiller ⋅ Washington, DC America Works of Washington, D.C. ⋅ 10 years experience

Janelle,

Thanks so much for your service.

I work in human services. America Works of Washington, D.C. is a private for-profit company that specializes in assisting low-income, under-served, and/or underemployed individuals in returning to the workforce.

I offer the following to help you navigate through your next career move:

Career Options: One-on-one case management, fundraising, sales, clerical/administrative, management, executive management, grant writing, mentorship

Level of Education Required/Recommended: Varies. My staff consists of those with BA/BS degrees in a variety of subjects including history, politics, social work, public policy, and humanities. For sales-oriented roles, I think it is more important to see experience and results.

Ways to Break Into the Field: Volunteer, attend networking seminars and events, and research what your region offers.

Advice, Tips, and/or Suggestions: Human services, and even health care, requires guts, organizational skills, and forward thinking, all of which you have gained from your military service. Highlight these skills within your resume and throughout the interview process. Human services requires creative means of doing a lot with very little!

I hope this little bit helps. Feel free to contact me directly with additional thoughts/questions.

Best of luck in your search.

Tom Cal, CFA ⋅ San Francisco, CA Army Veteran, Investment Manager ⋅ 25 years experience

Also call ACP and ask for help from a member of their staff.

Lauren Harris ⋅ Sandy, OR ⋅ 20 years experience

Hi Janelle,
I highly recommend you look at joining MGMA if you are interested in the medical group management side of HCA. They are the premier organization of large and small group practice administrators. They also have a fantastic certification program (ACMPE) that will position you very well to manage the many varied tasks required of you in that role. I am not employed by MGMA, just think very highly of them. Their website is www.mgma.com.

Thank you for your service and good luck in your new career!

Tom Cal, CFA ⋅ San Francisco, CA Army Veteran, Investment Manager ⋅ 25 years experience

Janell, Use the LinkedIn advanced search tool and search for members of groups such as MC4 and Veteran Mentor Network whoa meet criteria you can select. Let us know what you find. Also start a new discussion in these groups.

Also try:
site:https://acp-advisornet.org/community "Healthcare Administration"

https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Facp-advisornet.org%2Fcommunity+"Healthcare+Administrator";

and other site specific searches.
http://www.google.com/advanced_search

http://www.bing.com/advanced_search