Health management career3.pdf

James L. Bolden Health Services Project Administrator Balm of Gilead Center Cooper Green Hospital Birmingham, Alabama B.S., Medical Technology, University of Alabama at Birmingham M.P.A., University of Alabama at Birmingham I E N T E R E D T H E field of health administration to have an impact on the delivery of healthcare services in the community. I felt that healthcare management best matched my skills and interests and would afford an opportunity to serve in a leadership role in helping to provide healthcare services to those in need. I entered healthcare management directly out of college in 1987, as a laboratory supervisor with the Alabama region of the American Red Cross. The experience was great. It gave me the opportunity to really develop my people skills. After two years, I had the opportunity to advance to the position of assistant technical director. After two months our technical director was also promoted, and I then served as interim technical director for the remainder of that year. I contin- ued to serve as assistant director for an additional two years In 1990, the American Red Cross consolidated donor testing around the country. For the Alabama region it meant shifting the testing of donors to a facility an Atlanta. This resulted in the closing of the testing laboratory in Birmingham and a significant downsizing in technical services. My position was phased out; however I was given the oppor- tunity to work in a similar capacity in Georgia. I opted to remain in 54 careers in healthcare management Birmingham and accept a medical technologist position with the Uni- versity of Alabama at Birmingham (uab) Hospital in its blood bank. The experience with the blood bank gave me the opportunity to have direct pat