Health Care CEO Advises Philadelphia Students To Keep Eyes 'On The Prize'
As CEO and Senior Vice President of Acute Care Operations, Kathryn (Kathy) Conallen, M.S., B.S.N., has executive responsibility for Mercy Health System's four acute care hospitals: Mercy Philadelphia, Mercy Fitzgerald, Mercy Suburban and Nazareth. Conallen's career has been one of unwavering commitment to Mercy Health System and longevity - having served at Mercy Health System for more than 30 years.
Can you describe your duties as a health care administrator?
"As a health care administrator, my job has strategic, financial, clinical, and community relationship aspects. It is about balancing all of those aspects to best serve the needs of our patients and community. It is important for me to identify and understand the demographics of the area where we operate and then build programs and services to improve the health care of the entire community."
How has education prepared you for your career as a nurse and in health care administration?
"The best part of my nursing education was the clinical time with instructors, which provided one-on-one interaction with patients. You can only learn so much from books so the clinical aspect is very important to understanding the realities of the job. As my education progressed, I began taking management courses that taught me how to delegate and manage people. When I went for my master's degree in health care administration, I took courses on finance and business, which are aspects of my job that I now use every day."
What continuing education is required for your role?
"In my current role, I continue to keep my RN license. Every year I take a certain amount of credits to maintain my RN licensure. In addition, I think it is important to attend seminars from leading experts in different fields so that I can keep ahead of health care trends. These seminars are often helpful as I make strategic decisions in my leadership role."
What advice would you give someone just starting out?
"When I started out in nursing, I was very sure of where I wanted to be. Even then, I knew I wanted to be a CEO. My advice is to always set goals and then work to achieve them. Volunteer and become a part of the community where you work. Get involved and show enthusiasm but always work toward your goals. Everything I did in my career, including getting my master's degree while having children, helped me achieve where I wanted to be career-wise. I also encourage people to get out of their comfort zones. I worked for 14 years in nursing and then – boom – began something completely new and different. It is okay to be a little uncomfortable as long as your eye is always on the prize and where you want to go."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.