Grad Kristi Rapp uses 1993, 2013 degrees to start new career in Health Information

INA, Ill. (July 7, 2015) - Being laid off after nearly two decades with the same employer can be a tough break, but one two-time graduate of Rend Lake College was determined to find another way into the workforce. Using one degree, Kristi Rapp of Waltonville decided there was no time like the present to improve on the skills she already had to turn her life around by enrolling in RLC’s Health Information Assistant program.

Rapp first attended RLC immediately after graduating from high school in the fall of 1984. Already knowing what she wanted to do, Rapp began her post-secondary education in RLC’s Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree program for administrative assistants. Unfortunately, she had to withdraw from the program one semester short of graduation when she went into the workforce after her husband lost his job.

But that didn’t deter her completely. In the spring of 1993, seven years after she left, Rapp came back to RLC to finish up the degree, all while holding a full-time job and playing the part of working mother. After working 25 years as an administrative assistant, a familiar scene unfolded.

“After working 19 years with the same employer, I found myself laid off unexpectedly and had no idea what I was going to do,” explained Rapp. “I’ll be honest, the idea of some time off after working all those years was appealing. However, as time went on and I found no real jobs materializing in my future, I began to worry and wonder what I was going to do.”

Two-time graduate Kristi Rapp said, "The classes (at RLC) honed and improved the skills I already had and gave me new ones. The transcription classes taught me to listen better and pay more attention to detail, and the medical terminology classes gave me knowledge to understand what tests the doctor’s offices, clinics, and different departments are scheduling... Plus they pushed me to learn and do things outside of my comfort zone.” Click on the image for a larger view.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)

Rapp says the fact that she found little by way of prospects in her future was a deciding factor for making a change and going back to school.

“I found that I was lacking in the education, new program knowledge, and necessary certification for a lot of the jobs that were available. Even though I felt I was fairly experienced, I found that the software and programs had developed, changed, and evolved so much that I only really had a very basic knowledge,” said Rapp.

That’s when she took advantage of ManTraCon and their services for dislocated or laid off workers under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) that would help send her back to school to earn a degree in a needed field.

“I knew there were opportunities to get assistance for displaced workers through Man-Tra-Con and their WIA program. They offered me the opportunity to go back to school. They paid for it and would help me obtain a new education and skills in a program that current employers needed,” said Rapp. “So in January of 2012, I began the journey of college education again at RLC.”

The two-year Health Information Assistant degree is designed to provide students with the background in technical skills and general studies necessary for a career as a health information assistant. Graduates will be prepared for support positions in medical and allied health fields. It also helps those already employed upgrade job skills and gain advancement potential.

Rapp decided to improve on her Administrative Assistant AAS degree and is now a member of the class of 2013, boasting not only an AAS degree in Health Information Assistant and slots on the President’s List for academic honors for three semesters, but also holding certificates in Office Assistant, Medical Clerk, and Medical Transcription.

“The second time I attended RLC, it was because there seemed to be a need for health information assistants and medical transcriptionists. I also figured it would be a safe field to get into as people will always have a need for health care. It was an extension from what I had already been doing for 25 years of my life,” said Rapp.

Of her courses, Rapp said the medical terminology and transcription courses were sometimes the most difficult, but also the most rewarding. Her instructors, too, were inspiring to her life-changing endeavor.

“The classes honed and improved the skills I already had and gave me new ones. The transcription classes taught me to listen better and pay more attention to detail, and the medical terminology classes gave me knowledge to understand what tests the doctor’s offices, clinics, and different departments are scheduling,” said Rapp. “The different projects required for the various classes helped me be more confident in my skills and abilities, plus they pushed me to learn and do things outside of my comfort zone.”

She continued, “Sarah Bilderbeck, Shari Carpenter, and Gina Schenk were some of my favorite instructors. They were always very encouraging and willing to answer any questions or help me in any way. Their classes and encouragement always pushed me to strive to put more thought and effort into things and to get outside my comfort zone to do the best I could. They made me, as a person, learn how to do work in different situations and how best to handle each one to reach a result that was beneficial to us all and complete projects satisfactorily.”

While working on her second degree, Rapp was also highlighted at RLC for typing 100 words per minute with no errors during the final week of class, something no other student had accomplished in the decade before. She said all of the hard work was supported by her husband, three children, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren.

“Between homework, basketball with my two youngest children and volleyball and softball for my daughter, housework and the other normal, everyday wife-mother-granny-housewife-maid-jack-of-all-trades duties, I had little time for anything but trying to stay sane. I wanted to prove to my kids that it is possible to accomplish anything you set your head to, at any age,” said Rapp of her accomplishments.

Rapp now works for SSM Health as a Scheduler and Registrar, helping patients, doctors, and clinics with scheduling and pre-registration at two local hospitals. And that’s just the beginning.

“Exactly two years after I lost my job and less than two months after graduating from RLC, I was hired by SSM Health,” said Rapp. “At my workplace, I serve as the Safety Ambassador, am the chairperson for our Shared Governance Committee, and am a member of the Peer Interview Panel for my department. I was also top collector for the months of March, June, and November last year and finished 2014 as top collector.”

In the next few years, Rapp says she looks forward to staying right where she is, but taking on more duties and responsibilities in the workplace.

“I see myself expanding my knowledge and skills in the medical field. I plan to continue to improve my skills and learn new skills in my current department to work my way into more responsibility,” said Rapp. “I have the ability to move to different departments with the hospitals to take on more responsibility and hopefully a leadership role putting more of my education from RLC to work for me.”

And for prospective students thinking about any of the Office Systems Technology (OFTC) programs at RLC, Rapp has some advice to share.

“Be aware when you’re young that what you do can follow you as you get older. Always try to leave a good impression behind you,” she said. “You may not like your job or a course, but do your best and give a good impression. That instructor or boss is someone who will give you a reference, whether that’s a good one or bad one is up to you.”

There are several OFTC courses available this fall, including Beginning Document Formatting, Building Keyboard Speed, Business Data Entry, Records Management Concepts, Medical Terminology, Medical Transcription, Medical Insurance Processing, and Office Procedures and Technology.

Sarah Bilderbeck, OFTC Associate Professor, said many recent graduates of the Health Information Assistant program are located all over RLC’s district, including the REA Clinic in Christopher, Pinckneyville Community Hospital, and Hamilton Memorial Hospital District in McLeansboro. These graduates have more options than ever in the workplace.

“RLC’s graduates are able to work in a medical or clerical position in any medical facility, not solely limited to hospitals,” explained Bilderbeck. “My students are trained in various Microsoft Office programs, medical terminology, and medical transcription, as well as a few basic courses in medical insurance processing and medical coding. With the Administrative Assistant degree only five classes away from the Health Information Assistant degree, I see more students taking advantage of going to school for one more semester to have many more options in the workplace.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the fields for administrative assistants and health information assistants continue to grow every year. By 2022, there are expected to be 479,500 new jobs for administrative assistants alone.

To learn more about any of the Office Systems Technology programs, contact Bilderbeck at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1754 or bilderbeck@rlc.edu.