Her Story
About Adela
I've been in ophthalmology and retina specialty since 2018, though it wasn't the field I always wanted to be part of. In 2018, I discovered this specialty and found it very interesting. Today, I love what our providers are doing and the impact they have on patients. I'm on the administrative side of the company where I handle the financials, the revenue cycle, and the business aspect of the practice. My journey in healthcare started at the very bottom when I was in my 20s as a nursing assistant. I had a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration because I wanted to be an administrator of nursing homes and long-term care facilities. I then transitioned into the business aspects of healthcare to obtain knowledge, so I had both the clinical aspect and wanted to know the business side to see how everything is put together as a whole. I worked for years while obtaining my MBA, Master of Business, and then managed long-term care facilities where I was able to get skills in both the clinical and financial business areas. Until 2018, I graduated with the DBA, Doctor of Business Administration, and discovered Retina Witch Consultants. I've been there ever since, just enjoying everything that we stand for. As a business manager, my role includes revenue cycle management, credentialing, clinical integration with government payers, contracting, hiring, firing, training, and a variety of tasks. I came into this role already with experience and a variety of different skills, so I was able to transfer those skills to this specialty.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Adela
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received came from my mentor, the owner of a medical billing company where I started my career. She taught me that you have to walk in other people's shoes. You can't hold against anyone or expect them to the same standards that you would do. You have to accept people for who they are, and once you come to that acceptance, then all of a sudden everything will look different. If you try to understand why someone thinks the way that they think or acts the way that they act, rather than judging based on what you would do or how you would think, it makes no sense to resist. Accept them for who they are and try to understand, walk in their shoes. Once you come to that acceptance of difference, you can work with that. Recognize the strengths and the weaknesses between people and balance those two, because we all have that. When it comes to working with employees, it does really make a huge, huge difference. She also taught me that sometimes it's okay to take a breath and step away from a deadline, because it might open some different possibilities. There were just so many things she taught me about not sparing her knowledge and being patient with me.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Learn everything and anything. Ask lots of questions. Be curious, because curiosity is what will teach you. There is no stupid question. Don't be afraid to ask, and if you want this, get up and go get it. It's not going to come your way, you have to go get it. I don't see the desire, this drive as much anymore. I don't know if it's some kind of generational shift that took place. Looking at the way that I did it, I asked for everything. I could never make myself be late ever. I was never late. I was always curious. Even though it's not my job, I couldn't ignore if something doesn't seem right. I don't recognize that drive as much in the new generation. It's very important to remember that while it's true you shouldn't judge a book by the cover, first impressions are sometimes the only thing that you get to present to someone. So if you don't work on that cover, then you might miss the opportunity. You're not always going to get a situation where you're going to have multiple opportunities for somebody to get to know you. You have that one-time shot, take it. If you get a second opportunity, even better, but take everything as your one-time shot.
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