Dawn Renae Rasmussen’s journey in healthcare administration has been one marked by dedication, hard work, and a relentless pursuit of growth. As she navigated through a changing industry, she found the need to take a step further in her career and enrolled in the San Diego Workforce Partnership’s (SDWP’s) Healthcare Administration Pathways program. The program allowed her to study the healthcare revenue cycle through our partnership with UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. Below, Dawn tells us about her beginnings in the healthcare industry and her future goals.
Healthcare was not my original “dream job”. Growing up, I worked in the church where my father was a pastor. After high school, I briefly attended Bible school, but it became clear that as a woman, I wouldn’t find a high-paid position in ministry. I quickly pivoted and took a different route, entering the healthcare field.
Even though I had no formal education in healthcare, when I began my career, working initially in scheduling, I received several promotions through hard work. I was raised in a strict household where organization was paramount, where the value of hard work was instilled in me by my father. This work ethic carried over into my adult life and afforded me opportunities to move up through various roles in office management and director positions.
My work experience has taught me that persistence and diligence are key to professional advancement. While working as a hospital district’s administrator to the Board of Directors, I was given a daunting task: creating a new position from scratch with just three boxes of materials. I tackled this project systematically, learning by talking to others and observing best practices. This was long before the internet made information readily available, so my learning was hands-on and experiential.
After a gap in my employment, I sought to further my skills in healthcare administration. I requested more information from the Employment Development Department (EDD) and enrolled Healthcare Administration Pathways program. This program was my first formal schooling in a long time, and I absolutely loved it. The course not only built on my healthcare administration background but also prepared me for a career in case management, a field I found increasingly interesting.
The course exceeded my expectations. The instructors, each with extensive real-world experience, brought practical knowledge into the classroom through case studies and active problem-solving sessions. They fostered a sense of community and encouraged participation, which greatly enhanced the learning experience
One of the most valuable lessons I learned was the intricacies of Medicare and Medi-Cal insurance plans, as well as the differences between fee-for-service and managed care. Understanding the legal responsibilities within the scope of case management was also crucial.
Since the pandemic, the program has been available online, making it accessible to students nationwide. The online platform was user-friendly, and the assistance from Morgan was readily available, which made the experience seamless.
My professor, Terri Meier, who serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Revenue Cycle at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and is also a Revenue Cycle Certification Instructor at UC San Diego Extended Studies, provided me with a letter of recommendation. This endorsement as well as the support from my program specialist at SDWP was instrumental in helping me secure a position in the healthcare revenue cycle at Palomar Health Medical Group.
I am still learning, as each company has its unique processes, but I am driven by the same clear objective to work hard and excel in my role. My journey is far from over, my goal is to move forward in extending my services into Case Management and working directly with patients.
I highly recommend the Healthcare Administration Pathways program to anyone looking for continuing education or a career in healthcare administration. It has been an invaluable step in achieving my career goals, providing the knowledge and confidence to pursue new opportunities in the Healthcare Revenue Cycle.