Myron, Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare: Advize Career Interview

A UCLA chemistry graduate unexpectedly transitioned from cytogenetics to leading continuous improvement programs at Sharp HealthCare, showcasing a dynamic career path.

The Manager of Operations Excellence role involves developing performance improvement curricula, data analysis to enhance patient outcomes, and managing a large project portfolio, including the hospital's COVID-19 vaccination response.

A typical day is described as fast-paced and varied, requiring strong organizational skills, the ability to ask insightful questions, and high emotional intelligence.

The most rewarding aspects include making a significant difference in patient care and leveraging skills to positively impact underserved communities.

Navigating the complexities of the healthcare system while constantly learning and building credibility is a significant challenge.

A ten-year career in healthcare reveals the interconnectedness of various roles and the opportunity to apply any skill set to positively influence lives. Resilience and a commitment to continuous improvement are vital for success.

The interviewee emphasizes the importance of exploring adjacent career paths and proactively building a project portfolio to advance. Undergraduate experiences, even seemingly unrelated ones, contributed significantly to their success.

Finally, a journey of self-expression and authenticity as a gay man in a traditionally conservative environment highlights the ongoing importance of inclusivity in healthcare.

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Myron Soyangco

Manager of Operations Excellence

Sharp HealthCare

UCLA

UCLA Anderson SOM - MBA

Chemistry

Healthcare

Operations and Project Management

Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ, Transfer Student

Watch all of this Advizer's videos below

Career Path of a Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare

Myron's career path, beginning with a chemistry degree from UCLA and internships like the "students stroke Force," unexpectedly led to a role at Genoptics, a Novartis subsidiary. This experience, and their subsequent role as Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, showcases a transition from a cytogenetics chemist to leading "continuous Improvement programs," including heading the hospital's COVID-19 vaccination response.

Career Path of a Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare

Main Responsibilities Of A Manager Of Operations Excellence At Sharp HealthCare

Myron's role as Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare encompasses three key areas: developing a "performance improvement curriculum" for hospital leaders, strategically analyzing hospital data to improve outcomes ("how many deaths do we have? ...do people come out sicker than they came in?"), and managing a large project portfolio, including complex initiatives involving external facilities. This multifaceted role showcases Myron's expertise in both operational improvement and strategic leadership within the healthcare sector.

Main Responsibilities Of A Manager Of Operations Excellence At Sharp HealthCare

A Day in the Life of an Operations Excellence Manager at Sharp HealthCare

Myron's role as Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare involves a dynamic schedule, with "no two days the same," starting with early morning huddles that cascade from unit-level staffing updates to executive-level strategic discussions. This ensures a 24-hour awareness of operational needs, though Myron delegates the late-night huddle to maintain a sustainable workload.

A Day in the Life of an Operations Excellence Manager at Sharp HealthCare

Most Important Skills for a Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare

Myron, a Manager of Operations Excellence and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, emphasizes that "the ability to ask the right questions" and strong organizational skills are crucial for success, managing 60 project managers across diverse areas like finance and healthcare. The third key skill is effective people management, leveraging "patience and high EQ" to foster successful relationships and bring out the best in every team member.

Most Important Skills for a Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare

Favorite Parts Of Being An Operations Excellence Manager At Sharp HealthCare

Myron, Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare, finds the most rewarding aspect of the role is "the ability to make a difference," contributing to improved patient outcomes ("reducing...sepsis mortality rate") on a large scale, even impacting underserved communities through Sharp HealthCare's non-profit reinvestment in pro bono care. This allows Myron to leverage their skills to positively influence healthcare in a way that aligns with their initial aspirations to work in medicine.

Favorite Parts Of Being An Operations Excellence Manager At Sharp HealthCare

Biggest Challenges For Operations Excellence Manager At Sharp HealthCare

Myron's biggest challenge as Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare is navigating the broken American healthcare system—"a huge cruise ship stuck in the Suez Canal"—while simultaneously building credibility and mastering new subject matter daily, as illustrated by their recent crash course in California's "hospital at home" program. This requires constant learning and adapting to remain relevant when working alongside highly specialized professionals.

Biggest Challenges For Operations Excellence Manager At Sharp HealthCare

Favorite Parts of Working in Healthcare as an Operations Excellence Manager

Myron, a Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare, finds the most rewarding aspect of a 10-year healthcare career is discovering "it takes everyone to make Health Care run," encompassing diverse roles from clinical specialists like "physical therapist[s] respiratory therapist[s]" to non-clinical support such as finance and business process management. This breadth of opportunity, offering a role for "any skill set" to impact lives, fills Myron with joy.

Favorite Parts of Working in Healthcare as an Operations Excellence Manager

What Type Of Person Thrives In The Healthcare Industry, According To A Manager Of Operations Excellence At Sharp HealthCare

Myron, a Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare, highlights the importance of resilience in healthcare, stating that thriving requires the ability to confront "the worst days," such as overflowing emergency rooms and infant mortality, and maintain the mindset that "tomorrow we will do better." This resilience, combined with a dedication to improving the system, is key to a successful career in the industry.

What Type Of Person Thrives In The Healthcare Industry, According To A Manager Of Operations Excellence At Sharp HealthCare

What A Manager Of Operations Excellence At Sharp HealthCare Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Healthcare Industry

Myron, a Manager of Operations Excellence, wishes someone had highlighted the existence of niche career fields like "process improvement lean Six Sigma Black Belt," advising early-career professionals to explore adjacent opportunities. The interviewee's own journey, starting as a "bench worker" and progressing to administrative roles in a large hospital, exemplifies this, demonstrating the value of openness to possibilities and skill expansion within entry-level positions.

What A Manager Of Operations Excellence At Sharp HealthCare Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Healthcare Industry

Entry-level positions for aspiring Operations Excellence professionals at Sharp HealthCare

Entry-level positions in performance improvement often begin as associate roles in finance or within specific healthcare areas, allowing individuals to "gain some expertise in their field." Building a portfolio of projects showcasing initiative beyond daily tasks, as Myron describes with "using that 20% to grow," is key to transitioning into more senior roles like Operations Excellence Manager, which typically requires demonstrating expertise first.

Entry-level positions for aspiring Operations Excellence professionals at Sharp HealthCare

Significant Career Lesson From an Operations Excellence Manager at Sharp HealthCare

Myron's career journey highlights a crucial lesson: continuous learning and growth are essential, emphasizing that achieving a goal, even a significant one, is merely "inhaling" before the next "exhale" and pursuit of new challenges. This "breathing" analogy underscores the need for constant adaptation and humility, as even significant career achievements necessitate a return to "square one" to build new skills and credibility.

Significant Career Lesson From an Operations Excellence Manager at Sharp HealthCare

College Experiences That Helped a Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare Succeed

Myron's undergraduate experiences, including "sexual health education for high school students" and "Norwegian classes," unexpectedly proved invaluable in their career. These seemingly unrelated activities fostered diverse skill sets and connections, enriching their professional life and demonstrating the benefits of pursuing passions alongside career goals, as "things that you thought would never matter...ended up being so useful."

College Experiences That Helped a Manager of Operations Excellence at Sharp HealthCare Succeed

How Identity Has Influenced an Operations Excellence Manager at Sharp HealthCare's Career

Myron's experience as a gay man in healthcare administration reveals a fascinating evolution of self-expression in the workplace; navigating a traditionally conservative environment, Myron describes a journey from "going to work every day, very conservatively dressed," to finding opportunities to authentically express their identity, leveraging this authenticity to improve outreach and care for LGBTQ+ communities, while also acknowledging the sacrifices of previous generations and the ongoing work for future inclusion.

How Identity Has Influenced an Operations Excellence Manager at Sharp HealthCare's Career

Advizer Personal Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/myron-soyangco-69197335