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While we are starting to see glimpses of economic improvement from the recession of 2008, healthcare is now getting hit with the Accountable Care Act. Under a new Pay for Performance reimbursement model, hospitals are getting squeezed in ways they haven’t been in the past. Without a similar historical model to draw experience from, many hospitals are cutting costs the only way they know how…eliminating positions.

I know this story all to well. In early 2010, I was laid off from my job as a department administrator in Cleveland, OH. The large health system I worked for made the decision to shave expenses by bundling my job duties with that of another administrator working at another hospital a few miles away. While this was due to a direct result of the lagging economy, lay-offs are likely to happen with more regularity as the Accountable Care Act takes grip on healthcare. I personally know of 6 close friends and colleagues who faced the same fate as I did, just within the last year.

After losing my job, I immediately began a job search and was humbled to find several opportunities available to me. While I ultimately accepted a position to work for the AARC, I was blessed with a handful of job offers from across the country. I often ask myself how I got so lucky to only find a job, but to also receive multiple offers.

Upon reflection, the answer was quite simple. It was my involvement with the AARC, my volunteer service, but most importantly, the networking, the skills, knowledge and attributes I gained by attending professional meetings. The AARC Summer Forum is one such meeting.

If you haven't yet looked at the Summer Forum agenda, I would encourage you to do so. This year’s meeting is built around the concept of “adding value” to your organization. Several great presentations are scheduled like “Adding Value Through a COPD Navigator” or by improving patient safety through “Improved Multi-disciplinary Communication”.  Headlining the Management Section however will be two talks (each followed by an interactive workshop) from professional consultants. If you’ve ever wondered how and why consultants make the recommendations they do to those in the C-suite, then this is a can’t miss for you. They’ll candidly share what they look for, how they define quality, and what red flags they look for in an underperforming department/manager.

While this in itself is enough for managers to go, there’s also a great opportunity to network with peers from across the country. Building and expanding your professional network helped me during some of the darkest hours of my professional career… it can do the same for you. 

If you’re facing challenges at work…trust that other managers are experiencing the same. Don't reinvent the wheel. Leverage your networking to find solutions. Chances are there will be someone who’s overcome the same issues and have successfully turned “challenge into opportunity”.

At the very least, the AARC Summer Forum provides great education and networking opportunities. It establishes your brand within the RC community, and will prepare you for the rigors of a new paradigm shift in healthcare.  And, if the unforeseen happens like it did with me, you’ll be better prepared to land on your feet. Or best case scenario, to get that next big promotion you’re looking for.

Times are difficult…everyone knows that. But when the chips are down, the best thing you can do is to invest in your own professional growth and development. When someone tells me, “I can't afford to go”, my response is always… “How can afford not to?”