Stacey Prince

Stacey Prince loves being part of the healthcare field. Her role as a Senior Specialist for Release of Information at Mayo Clinic allows her to work at the intersection of laws and technology as they apply to the medical field. She sees opportunities for continued growth in an evolving industry that offers her some patient interaction and a lot of opportunity to flex her critical thinking muscles.

Stacey graduated from St. Johns River State College nearly two years ago with her AS degree in Health Information Technology. After a career in the finance industry, she stepped away to care for her children. When considering re-entry into the workforce Stacey carefully evaluated her options. She monitored employment trends and looked at the political landscape. The Affordable Care Act helped prompt her to pursue additional post-secondary education. She states, “I saw (healthcare) as a growing industry with a lot of opportunity for me to foster a brand new career.”

In her role at Mayo, she used transferable skills from finance and applies them to the non-clinical side of healthcare. However, she cites the training received at SJR State as fundamental to her everyday work. Understanding and retaining legal vocabulary and standards learned there has been critical, as her work involves adherence to public health-related guidelines like HIPAA.

Job satisfaction is clear as Stacey describes what she likes about the industry. In under two years at Mayo, her current role has evolved. She has been part of two new system roll-outs. She likes the urgency of finding resolutions for uses that impact patients in a dynamic environment. She enjoys applying her knowledge to make decisions. She sees the potential for continued change as the ways in which information I shared changes. Stacey realizes that new jobs will emerge because of changing technology, and “we (the industry) will be able to shape that change.”

Stacey has been part of the pivotal and efficient mobilization of resources that has accompanied COVID-19. Her role has increased in depth, which will help her be even more valuable. When asked how she would encourage someone when considering a role on the business side of healthcare, Stacey said taking an entry-level class in Allied Health confirmed her passion. It reinforced her interest that she was headed in the right direction. She also believes that the business side of healthcare is “broader than you think. It’s bigger than medical coding. It allows you to land inside the scope of medical records but no two situations are the same.”

Now that she is an SJR State alum, Stacey also enjoys having great mentorships from professors and administrators she met at the college. They continue providing guidance and her direction and serve as a support system as her role grows and changes. She’s also involved in professional organizations, as she finds it helpful to surround herself with other professionals who are committed to the work.

Stacey is looking forward to a long and fulfilling career in health information management. “I picked an industry that I had not ever considered before. It turns out that this is the field that ignites my passion and imagination. It’s a reminder that your passion can find you in unexpected places, and I am grateful that mine has found me.”

The business side of health needs processionals with a passion like Stacey’s. If you seek a career pathway that will offer constant growth and change, consider Health Information Technology.