I'm in a dilemma whether to leave or not. This place has become a big mess, but aren't similar problems also present at competitor companies?
I'm trying to look at the pros and cons here compared to our competitors.
4 replies (most recent on top)
It may SEEM bleak for a time, but if you keep plugging away -- the hunt for a new career path is often a stressful and time-consuming project -- you will sooner or later be offered a NEW and intriguing position -- and it might surprise you (in a positive way)!
Accepting a new position is always a bet on "something new."
While I've never ascended to the lofty, Master-of-the-Universe, "cut-me-a-fat-hog-pay-package-club" that includes most hospital executives, I've managed to work in extremely interesting positions in a variety of industries and I've learned persistence pays off.
Pearson seems to believe there is a big future out there for people who have health informatics skills. Check it out:
https://www.pearson.com/pathways/areas-work-study/health/health-informatics.html
Two things: I started working at Ascension after experiencing for-profit healthcare for some time. The dysfunction left a bad taste in my mouth, and unfortunately Ascension has not helped me wash that taste away. The grass is not greener. I agree with the above person-- the grass is actually brown and dying all over.
I'd love to understand more about what other industries we can move to. I am on the Health Informatics side of the house and have worked in hospitals my entire career. I am confident that my skillset would be useful elsewhere, but I don't know what to look for outside of hospitals. Vendors?
Everything seems so bleak out there.
Well, you may be asking the wrong question.
Ascension has repeatedly claimed to be transitioning OUT OF THE HOSPITAL BUSINESS because their Masters of the Universe keep insisting the future of the hospital business isn't so bright.
News articles that highlight this claim:
"Ascension is restructuring as it pursues a new strategic direction, hinting at transitioning from a hospital-oriented system to one that's focused on outpatient care and telemedicine."
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20180322/NEWS/180329953/as-ascension-restructures-it-hints-at-smaller-hospital-footprint
Also here:
"The news comes as the industry is questioning whether the days of large hospital-based health systems are numbered."
"Admissions for many health systems have been trending downward as expenses have risen. In efforts to make numbers work, health systems are exploring outpatient access points while focusing on geographic areas they believe they can become market leaders in and where higher-revenue-yield services are more in demand."
"This has led to large systems questioning whether they want to still be large."
https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/ascension-restructuring-modern/519850/
In view of perspectives like those, the question you might ask instead is this:
"Should I consider transitioning out of the hospital business?"
Instead of asking if anything might be gained by switching employment to an Ascension competitor, you might instead ask if your specific job skill might yield greater satisfaction if you were to move to an industry that isn't in crisis due to profiteering and failure of public oversight. So instead of you moving to an "Ascension competitor," you might instead move to something other than the hospital business -- which is what I did.
Most hospital workers should, in theory, be employable outside of the hospital industry, which currently seems to be an industry plagued by the worst forms of exploitation and greed (not to mention stupidity).
This company is a sinking ship and Ascension's benefits are horrible. All cons and no pros here at Ascension.