Making the Most of the HCA Degree

By Donna Hermis MT(ASCP)SC, MHA

With increasing demands and challenges of working in today’s health care environment, health service managers need to develop skills relevant to thriving and succeeding in today’s market.  The HCA master’s program at T.W.U. provides an outstanding opportunity to do so.  For me personally, I can best describe the benefits as follows: 

Professional development – I was approximately half way through the program when I was promoted to Manager in Laboratory Medicine at The Methodist Hospital.  During the interview process, the Director asked me what I had done to prepare for the advancement. I know that she liked my answer because she selected me for the position and mentioned in the announcement memo that I was in the T.W.U. program for HCA.  Without a doubt, my enrollment in the HCA program influenced the decision to offer me the opportunity for advancement in Laboratory Medicine Administration. 

Personal development – Working full time in a management position and spending time with your family is even more difficult when you add studying and homework assignments! The juggling act becomes even more challenging.  The HCA program helped me to enhance my organizational and time management skills.  I had to meet assignment deadlines and learned to be more creative.  Completing the program was a personal goal for me and a big personal accomplishment at this time in my life that I could not have obtained without the strong support of my family. 

Networking – The experiences and knowledge level of my classmates surpassed my expectations in the classroom environment.  The outstanding faculty approached the classroom as a “facilitator” and stimulated and encouraged open discussion.   I have truly established a new network of professionals outside of my current work environment helping me to do my job even better.

Course relevance and outstanding faculty – I can confidently say that not a day at work goes by with out using something that I learned in the HCA program at T.W.U.  The faculty works hard to make certain that course content is relevant and current.  The school is convenient to anyone who works in the Texas Medical Center which offers a vast array of resources.

Team work activities – This program is loaded with team projects/assignments, oral class presentations, and writing assignments.  The teamwork activities help you to build your skills in dealing with personalities, diversity, and working for a common goal – a successful project completion.  The writing and presentations have increased my confidence in standing in front of a crowd and writing on short notice – both strong leadership skills that make you stand out in a crowd.

Looking back at my T.W.U. experience, I would do it again in a heartbeat.