At the Carrington College commencement ceremony in San Jose, we had the honor of welcoming Kanahl Kendrick, Chief Executive Officer at Healthcare Business Consulting, LLC, as our distinguished speaker. With more than 20 years of experience in both the high-tech and healthcare industries, Mr. Kendrick delivered a truly inspiring message to our graduates, emphasizing the relentless pursuit of excellence and the transformative impact of technology in healthcare.
Mr. Kendrick shared insightful highlights from his speech, where he underscored the importance of striving for excellence in every endeavor. He passionately conveyed that such a mindset not only fosters a successful work environment, but also opens doors to unforeseen opportunities and accomplishments throughout one’s career. This message aligns perfectly with Carrington College’s mission to equip students with the skills and mindset needed to thrive in their professional journeys. Here is what he had to say:
Can you share some highlights from your speech at the Carrington College commencement ceremony in San Jose? What key message did you hope to impart to our graduates?
The key message that I hoped to impart upon the graduates was to always be in search of excellence. Such a mindset will contribute to a successful work environment. Consequently, future new hires will encounter several unforeseen, but wonderful opportunities and accomplishments throughout their career.
You have over 20 years of experience in both the high-tech and healthcare industries. How do you think the intersection of these fields is shaping the future of healthcare?
The healthcare industry is at the forefront of technology. For instance, technology has played an important role in scaling and addressing the complexity of the healthcare industry. Most notably, the proliferation of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems. These systems leverage technology for better patient care, efficient medical billing, and sharing of patient data among Providers and healthcare organizations. As these systems evolve, they continue to shape the healthcare industry in positive ways, e.g. advancements from Artificial Intelligence (AI), etc.
Your journey to becoming the CEO of Healthcare Business Consulting, LLC, is truly inspiring. Can you describe a significant challenge you faced along the way and how you overcame it?
One of the biggest challenges was realizing that Providers were not receiving payment for all visits, due to complexity of medical claim submission and resolution. Unfortunately, this is pervasive across the healthcare industry. Healthcare Business Consulting, LLC developed a proprietary Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) system that achieves 100% collectable claims for the purpose of overcoming this challenge.
Your background emphasizes the importance of strategic planning and effective communication in your consultancy work. How can these skills benefit our graduates as they transition from students to healthcare professionals?
The healthcare profession is very dynamic. On any given day, new graduates will encounter uncertainty with patient care and administrative duties. Thus, the new hires must develop strategic planning and effective communication skills to successfully navigate such dynamics.
As a board member of Bay Area Community Health (BACH), what are some of the challenges and opportunities you see in community health, and how can our graduates contribute to this field?
BACH is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). The mission of a FQHC is to address medically underserved areas and populations. Providing care to this demographic group is both a challenge and opportunity. Many of the patients at a FQHC have very special needs and an inability to pay for the service. A FQHC provides services regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Graduates who are passionate about this demographic group will enjoy working at a FQHC. Such new hires will have an opportunity to extend help to those less fortunate and of greatest need in the community.
At Carrington College, we emphasize career-focused programs. How do you think this approach prepares students for real-world challenges compared to traditional educational models?
The healthcare industry is very demanding. It is in constant demand to hire employees who can make an immediate contribution. Carrington College’s career-focused programs meet this requirement.
In your experience, what are the most important qualities and skills that healthcare employers are looking for in new hires?
Healthcare employers seek new hires who are committed to patient care either as a member of the care team or administrative support. The employers look for candidates with high integrity, empathy, critical thinking and perhaps most importantly, soft skills. Such attributes are required by the employer to cultivate the appropriate professionalism for the healthcare workplace.
What advice would you give to our new graduates as they embark on their professional journey?
My advice to the graduates is to always be in search of excellence on their professional journey.
Mr. Kendrick’s insights into strategic planning and effective communication as essential skills for navigating the dynamic healthcare environment resonated deeply with our graduates. Additionally, his experience as a board member of Bay Area Community Health (BACH) shed light on the rewarding opportunities available in community health, particularly for those passionate about serving medically underserved populations.
In summary, Mr. Kendrick’s address at Carrington College not only inspired our graduates but also reinforced the value of our career-focused programs in preparing students for real-world challenges. His emphasis on qualities such as integrity, empathy, and critical thinking provided invaluable guidance for our new healthcare professionals as they embark on their promising careers.
