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2019 Practice Manager of the Year: Jessica Molina, PHR, CVPM, CCFP

By VHMA Admin posted 12-13-2019 08:22

  
Jessica Molina

Jessica Molina, PHR, CVPM, CCFP, has two passions: people and numbers, and she was fortunate to secure a job in which she can focus on both. Molina has embraced the opportunity and is using her talents and skills to improve the practice, motivate her team and transform the industry. Her enthusiasm for her job, loyalty to her practice and team, and commitment to making advances in the field have earned her the distinction of being named dvm360/VHMA 2019 Practice Manager of the Year. Molina is hospital administrator at Lee Veterinary in Atmore, AL.

The award, which is offered by the VHMA and dvm360.com, celebrates practice managers who are the backbone of financially sound, well-led and inspired
veterinary hospitals and practices. The award was announced in December 2019.

Ten highly qualified candidates moved on to the finals, but Molina’s compelling responses to the application questions in which she shared her views on leadership, collaboration, adaptability, and continuing education impressed the selection committee.

The road she traveled

Molina began her career in the medical field in human medicine, a job that she enjoyed. When her husband, an active-duty military service member, was relocated, Molina searched for a comparable position, but with nothing available, she accepted a position in veterinary medicine--- had no regrets---and earned a promotion to practice manager. She had never considered a career in practice management, but with the support of a supervisor who told her, “I believe in you,” Molina accepted the position, a decision that changed the course of her career.

Leadership requires listening

Molina is quite candid about the trials and tribulations of advancing to practice manager. A strong, forceful, intelligent leader, she was eager to work with her staff, whom she respected and had great confidence in their abilities.

She hit the ground running with the goal of finding and fixing every problem in the practice. Looking back on that period she said, “I was cocky, bordering on egotistical. I was passionate about all things practice-related and I was stepping on toes and discounting the expertise and input of staff who were responsible for specific projects.”

Initially, when she went from being a peer to a supervisor, the staff embraced her promotion, but the support soon came to a screeching halt. Her enthusiasm was perceived as aggression and the relationships she worked so hard to build with the team began to crumble.

To her credit, Molina was aware of the issues, and when the practice owner, Dr. Fisher, scheduled her to meet with a life coach, Molina jumped at the chance. Although the meeting lasted for about an hour, it was transformative. She understood that as a leader, acting like a dictator was harming her relationships with the team and her ability to get things done.

Molina sought out personal development opportunities that would recharge her energy, reframe her perspective, and reconsider her actions. She learned that she came in like a tornado. Her staff had performed perfectly well before her arrival, and she tore a path of disruption when she arrived. After reviewing her performance, she apologized for her behavior and began to work collaboratively with staff. “My staff wanted to be heard, and I was not listening,” she said.

This was an important lesson and valuable learning experience for Molina.

“When Jessica shared this account of her early days of managing the practice, it was clear that she handled the situation as any truly accomplished leader would. She acknowledged her mistakes, she tried to learn from what went wrong, and she continued to move on. It was inspiring to read about how she used this situation as a tool to become a better leader. She did not become defensive, nor did she try to justify behavior that wasn’t working. She clearly has the right stuff to lead - the adaptability, honesty, willingness to accept responsibility and an interest in changing and improving. I am confident that as Practice Manager of the Year, she will use this experience to learn and grow and help others learn and grow,” said Christine Shupe, CAE, Executive Director, VHMA.

Building the Team

As a manager, Molina is constantly looking for opportunities to build a stronger team. When she noticed there were team members who were trying raise their profile by taking other staff down, she devised a solution for eliminating behavior that was destroying the cohesiveness among the team. Her solution was to establish a Superheroes Academy that focused on encouraging team members to be kind and supportive of others.

A lifelong learner

It’s not surprising that Molina has a strong commitment to learning. Although she is committed to doing her very best, she knows that any achievement or success is exhilarating in the short term, but it will not ensure continued growth and success for a manager. Conditions change, technology advances, and new types of procedures are found, therefore, to continue to be effective, continuing education and attending conferences, such as the type hosted by VHMA, contribute to professional growth.

“I can’t say enough about the depth of knowledge and expertise I find when interacting with conference participants. I always take away something new, and my goal is to share my expertise with others,” Molina said.

She strongly advises managers to attain the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager’s (CVPM) credential. She believes that CVPMs walk away with solid foundation in the essentials of practice management. Based on her experience, owners who work with CVPMs are confident that they can entrust them with significant aspects of running the practice. Furthermore, managers who receive the CVPM after committing to the process, are making a statement: Management is my passion!  The CVPM is evidence that the manager has done due diligence and are capable of tackling some of the thorny issues in the practice.

On receiving the PMOY

Molina is honored to receive the 2019 PMOY. But, as expected, she does not view the award as the end goal of her career. She sees it as a motivator. “I am so excited to have been named PMOY, and I am looking forward to carrying out the responsibilities that come with this award. As always, I see this as a very significant steppingstone that will inspire me to do more and contribute significantly to my practice, the team, and the industry.”


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