Estelle
R. Coffino, MPA, RRT, CPFT, CCMA
Program Director, Chairperson
Allied Health Program
The
College of Westchester
Estelle
R. Coffino originally pursued a career as a gymnastics teacher, but due to her
excellent skills in math and science, she was selected to enroll into a
respiratory therapy health care program. Despite her dislike of blood and some
of the physically revealing aspects of the profession, Ms. Coffino enrolled in
the program and eventually developed an interest in the field. Serving as a
clinical specialist, she has gained an immense amount of experience over a span
of nearly three decades and has decided to use her knowledge of the field to
teach others. She is currently the program director and chairperson of the
Allied Health Programs at The College of Westchester, where she handles
administrative responsibilities, reviews curriculum, mentors faculty, and
interviews students. She reviews publications for several textbooks from
various publishing companies that service colleges and universities nationwide. She also serves as a subject matter expert
writing questions for the national certification exams for allied health
professionals.
“Transitioning
from being a health care provider to working in academia [was a challenge],”
says Ms. Coffino. “I spent a lot of time learning the administrative
responsibilities of the profession using methodologies, including technology
that would result in students’ success.” While with The College of Westchester,
she has designed two clinical laboratories and administration classroom
settings for the students. A licensed registered respiratory therapist, she
earned a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from Mercy College and a
Master of Public Administration in Health Care Administration from Long Island
University. She also holds certification in medical assisting, certification in
Pulmonary Function Technology, and a license in Respiratory Therapy.
Ms.
Coffino remains affiliated with The National Healthcareer Association, American
Medical Technology, and ECSI, organizations that help keep her updated of new
innovations in the health care field. She attributes her success to believing
in what she does and having the intention of contributing to something that
makes a difference in the lives of others. In the near future, she would like
to become the Dean of the School of Allied Health.
Conversation
with Estelle R. Coffino, MPA, RRT, CPFT, CCMA
WHO’S
WHO PUBLISHERS: On what topics do you consider yourself to be an expert?
Estelle
R. Coffino: Health care delivery.
What characteristics help to separate you from your competitors?
I
am a person of honorable character very much engaged in the entire process of
leadership. I am a person with strong
character that shows drive, energy, determination, self-discipline, willpower,
nerve, and a willingness to take risks. I
know what I want, devise a strategic plan to getting everyone on board, and
staying committed to seeing the project to completion. I show confidence in what I do and take
charge when necessary.
What motivates you?
I am
passionate about helping others through teaching, training, and coaching and
ultimately seeing an individual succeed.
My ability to work hard and deliver results is a great motivator
particularly in academia when a student graduates and lands that great job
because of all the work you and your team did for that student. I love having the responsibility for
oversight of a growing allied health program, developing new curricula and
pursuing new medical programs for the college.
What lessons have you learned as a professional in your field?
Show
competence, honesty and integrity, but never be afraid to admit what you do not
know. When your job is to care for the
life of another, that is the time when that person’s needs comes first. If you are the type of person that is not
prepared to make that sacrifice, then this is not the profession one should
enter into. I have learned to care for
others and how important quality of life means to me.
What short-term and long-term career goals are you currently
pursuing?
The
goals that I set have a vision of the future and are shared with my faculty and
the executive team.
I
would like to grow the Allied health programs at the college by developing new
programs for both the ground and online college. Eventually, I would like to see a dedicated
school of Allied Health at the college and become the Dean of that school. I
have the perseverance to accomplish any goal that I set regardless of the
occasional overwhelming obstacles
How do you plan to achieve these goals?
I
will need to research how new programs are developed, as I have seen that new program development is an
arduous process developing and submitting to New York State for approval. A timetable needs to be established for
achieving these goals so this way I can pace myself and not become easily
discouraged.
I
will network seeking input from experts in the field who have already been
through this process.
What is the most difficult obstacle or challenge you have faced in
pursuit of your goals?
Most
difficult obstacle is awaiting approval from the State of New York. Things seem to take a very long time to get
approved.
What is the most significant issue facing your profession today?
Making
sure that we keep current with the changes facing healthcare today and
incorporating those trends into our curriculum.
Recent legislation regarding health care delivery implores educators in
this field to be sure to keep curriculum current, and engaging to promote the
best opportunities to our students.
What are some questions that an individual interested in your
services can ask to ensure a more productive relationship?
I
think a person may ask me how long it takes to reach the success level that I
have achieved. How rewarding is a career
in health care? How many years should a
person looking to pursue a career as a health care educator have worked in a
health care setting? What are the
physical and mental demands associated with working with people that are
ill? What are the different types of
opportunities available to an individual looking to pursue a career in health
care?
Did you ever consider pursuing a different career path or another
profession? If yes, how did you end up working in your current field?
I
have worked in Health care facilities for close to 30 years. Ironically, my father had always wanted me to
be a school teacher but I resisted. At
the time, I did not see that as my career path.
After having worked in hospitals for so many years, I thought it was
time to step aside from taking care of people that were ill. I did, however, look to pursue a teaching
position in a college where I could teach prospective medical and nursing
students. It was a way for me to “hold
on” to the profession and a way of passing along the love and caring for the
job that I loved.
What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of your profession?
There
are actually three. First, to see a
student graduate, then, pass their national certification exam, and finally, secure
that ideal job in the medical field.
What is your favorite or least favorite work-related task to do and
why?
What
I find most difficult is counseling faculty when they are not following
departmental policy exactly as I would expect them to. Counseling adults can be more challenging
than if you had to counsel young adults.
What advice can you offer fellow members or others aspiring to work
in your industry?
Be
honest and true to yourself that you are prepared to commit to becoming a
health care educator. Before doing so, I
would strongly recommend that an individual spend some time “in the field” so
they can bring real world experience into the classroom.
Who have been your mentors or people who have greatly influenced
you?
My
parents have been an important part of my life.
I am also grateful to teachers, coaches, previous administrators that I
admired and respected and most important my partner who has kept me grounded
and focused.
What changes have you observed in your industry/field since you
started?
Technological
advances in healthcare have brought about many changes. The advancement of electronic health records
makes patient records more accessible and following a patient’s history an
almost seamless operation. The provision
of healthcare to patients has become more demanding as we have fewer qualified
caregivers and less reimbursement for patient services from the various
insurance companies.
Fewer
individuals have health insurance, and for those that do have insurance,
premiums for coverage continue to rise.
Inpatient length of stay in hospitals continues to decline and you have
a greater number of outpatient facilities for services that can now be
performed outside of the traditional hospital operating room.
How do you see these changes affecting the future of your industry?
Most
importantly, patients need to receive the quality care they deserve. Technological advances should help bring
earlier diagnosis, thereby, facilitating treatment. Health care should not become a constant
political debate. People should be able
to select the insurance that is affordable that will provide them with the care
needed. Here’s a thought. Why not encourage companies to promote
wellness programs so that affordable health
insurance can be offered. The more an
individual can validate their healthy lifestyle, the greater reduction in their
premium.
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