Revisiting Teams

HSA 6385--Health Care Quality Management

I have had many wonderful experiences in Health Care Quality Management during the summer semester of 2012. To start, I have enjoyed participating in the classroom discussions relating to the different aspects of healthcare quality management.  Viewing the Power Point presentations and actively discussing the topics of the week allowed me to obtain a wide range of perspectives from my classmates, as well as the professor. One of the most relatable topics was the Case Study in Team Building and Interdisciplinary Collaboration by Bernard J. Horak, Joyce Pauig, Ben Keidan and Jennifer Kerns. Discussing the challenges of the dynamics of a team allowed me to reflect on some of the triumphs I have experienced in a few athletic and professional aspects my life.

As a first-year student at Rutgers University, I became a part of a team of very talented sprinters, middle distance runners, hurdlers, long jumpers and high jumpers. It was very intimidating to be the outsider of an elite team which had been together for many years. I was quickly selected to run the third leg of the mile relay. The third runner’s main purpose was to place the baton into the hands of the fourth runner; the anchor leg. There was a lot of pressure on the third leg in that they had to position the anchor in the best possible way to win the race. I felt neither worthy nor capable of living up to the standards of the anchor, a senior sprinter who was the team favorite. She ran her race with the greatest of ease and made it clear she would expect no less from her teammates; especially me. As a new runner with very little knowledge of track and field on a collegiate level, I studied her intensely. It was my goal to never let her down. I mirrored her techniques in practice and prepared for the meets the way she did, by walking around the track and visualizing the race prior to running it.  

During that year, I learned the dynamics of teamwork from the perspectives of seasoned athletes. They had proven themselves to be valuable members of a cohesive team. I understood that becoming a member of that team required individual preparedness and commitment to excellence. I also discovered that hard work, dedication and excellent coaching would allow me to rise to the expectations I had set for myself. During a very intense track meet at Boston University, I was made to run the Distance Medley Relay. The DMR, as we fondly referred to it, was a grueling indoor race consisting of 1200 meter, 400 meter, 1600 meter and 800 meter legs. I was the only first-year runner on a team of senior runners. Prior to the race, they made it very clear to me that I was expected to run the best 800 meter race of my life.  Needless to say, I did. We were able to secure a school record in the DMR that year. The record stood for almost twelve years until it was broken several years ago. My position as a reliable member of the team was solidified that day; there was a clear understanding of my level of commitment to the team’s success.

On a professional level, my desire to remain a part of a successful team allowed me to grow as a claims examiner for many years. My team consisted of very powerful players: a business-savvy supervisor, a senior level adjuster with extensive litigation experience, an efficient clerical assistant, a knowledgeable nurse case manager and myself; a new adjuster. Thanks in part to my team; I was promoted to a senior level adjuster within three years. As mentioned previously, being a contributing member of a successful team motivates me to success. I look forward to using the knowledge gained through reading and discussions regarding teams in Health Care Quality Management, along with my athletic and professional experiences, to guide me into becoming a successful health care manager.