Health Center Hero Spotlight: Ashley eckart, cma
There are many paths one could take to be successful in their career, but it can be significantly more difficult without a strong support system. For those who don’t have that at home, it can help change the course of their life when they find it with their employer. And that is what happened for Ashley Eckart, CMA.
Originally from Cochranton, a rural borough of about 1,100 people in northwestern Pennsylvania, Eckart first enrolled in a nursing program at a community college a little over an hour away. Mid-way through her schooling, she became pregnant with her first child, and while she even managed to successfully complete that semester, giving birth over Thanksgiving break and only missing two days of classes, ultimately, she decided to take a break.
“I tried to do an online semester that spring. But I was working full time trying to care for a 2-month-old by myself, so I was like, you know what – I’m going to take a break, and I’ll come back to this later.”
A few years later, she enrolled in another university to try and finish out her degree, but shortly after became pregnant again and decided that maybe college wasn’t going to be her path. Still desiring to work in the medical field, Eckart took a job at a nursing home and completed a 4-week certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.
Eckart worked as a CNA at the nursing home for four years, but the demanding schedule made it difficult to balance work with raising her two small children. When she saw a Facebook post advertising a front desk position at Primary Health Network (PHN) that offered her the chance to spend weekends and holidays with her family, she jumped on the opportunity.
“The schedule was so much better than the nursing home schedule. I had my weekends, my holidays with my kids, so for me that was appealing. I have two little ones, and I want to be home for Christmas,” Eckart explained.
PHN is the largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Pennsylvania, spanning over 16 counties and even extending into Ohio. FQHCs, commonly known as Community Health Centers (CHC), make up the largest network of primary healthcare providers in the Commonwealth, serving nearly a million patients annually at over 400 sites in underserved rural and urban areas. These mission-focused health centers provide integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care services for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status.
PHN offers its front desk staff a unique opportunity to further their education and advance their career through a Medical Assistant training program. An integral part of the healthcare team, medical assistants serve as liaisons between patients and other medical staff, working in clinics, medical offices, and hospitals to fulfil both administrative tasks and patient care duties such as making appointments, taking vital signs, and drawing blood. PHN offers its employees a 30-week training program, which includes virtual coursework through the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA) and intensive clinical internship on site. Once the trainees complete the coursework and required internship hours, they are eligible to sit for the certification exam.
Eckart considered applying to the program shortly after she began working at PHN, however, she initially decided it would be too overwhelming between learning her new role and taking care of her kids without much support at home. But one year later, she decided to take the leap.
“I wanted to be able to help my clinical staff a little bit more. They are busy helping our provider and if I had time to get somebody labs, I wanted to be able to do that.”
Her earlier CNA training helped make learning the coursework a little easier for her, and while she was still lacking a robust support system at home, she credits her manager Justina for stepping in and helping her succeed.
“My manager, Justina, is fantastic. I can’t say enough nice things about her. I think I feel more accomplished because I didn’t have that home support system. If it wasn’t for Justina, I probably wouldn’t have completed my program at all,” Eckart said.
Justina helped keep Eckart focused on her training by making sure she had time and flexibility in her schedule for her coursework and clinicals in addition to her normal front desk duties. Eckart also found a support system in the other PHN employees participating in the training program, who would schedule group study sessions and lean on each other for help.
Once she earned her certification, she took a medical assisting position at PHN with a behavioral health provider, splitting her time between the Greenville Medical Center office and the Mercy Primary Care office. Now, she is helping make a huge impact on a small, rural community.
“Our community health centers are like small communities. It’s a lot of farmers and blue-collar workers. I think we have a greater impact on these medically underserved communities because our health center is convenient. We can get patients in for an appointment within the week instead of having them go far away to a bigger city to see somebody. We have a mobile unit now that is new and it’s just wonderful that we can provide care to people who wouldn’t get it otherwise.”
If you would like to explore a rewarding career in one of Pennsylvania’s Community Health Centers, the Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center is here to help. The PA Primary Care Career Center, part of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers and funded by a generous grant from the Department of Health, serves as a free resource to match primary care providers and staff, such as physicians, dentists, medical assistants, and front office staff, with compatible job opportunities at Community Health Centers and other safety net facilities. For more information, visit the Career Center’s website at https://paprimarycarecareers.org/.