According to her director, Alayna Johnson, Administrative Program Coordinator in Ambulatory Operations, is a “great example of the various paths a career at Cleveland Clinic can take.”

In her 10 years at Cleveland Clinic, Alayna’s career path began in the Call Center, scheduling patients for the Urology Institute. From there, she became a Surgical Coordinator, arranging mammograms and breast biopsies for patients.

Then, as a Patient Access Coordinator in Imaging, Alayna got her first taste of leadership. She says that, as much as she enjoyed that role, it didn’t allow her to exercise the creativity and the focus on project management that she truly enjoys.

Finding the right fit

Future roles included Department Work Leader and then Supervisor in the Primary Care Institute, and finally her current position in Ambulatory Operations, a department that deals primarily with patient flow – from the time the patient calls to schedule an appointment until they check in for that appointment. Here, Alayna gets to do a good bit of project management – including running meetings, creating project plans and timelines, and so on. It’s the type of job that better suits her work style.

“In my last role, I was a supervisor, and I’ve always had a goal of staying in leadership,” she admits. “But when I moved into Ambulatory Operations, they were so project-focused. I enjoy leading projects versus an actual team. I do enjoy leading people, but with this role, I can still do that without having direct authority over a group. I feel like I can be more creative. I like coming up with ideas, turning them into projects and working with different teams.”

The benefits of teamwork

One aspect of her current position in Ambulatory Operations that Alayna especially appreciates is the camaraderie among her team. “Out of the 10 years I’ve been at Cleveland Clinic, this is the best job that I’ve had here,” she says. “And especially because of how much of a team we are. I work with eight managers spread across Main Campus, supported by our four directors. We can come to our directors about anything. They really understand front end workflows, and they can provide the resources you need.”

In addition to the many career opportunities, Alayna is able to take full advantage of the other benefits she receives as a Cleveland Clinic caregiver – particularly, the tuition reimbursement, which she used to get her degree. “Cleveland Clinic has helped me tremendously with tuition reimbursement,” she notes. “It has really helped me avoid taking out more student loans.”

The mentoring program is another key benefit, according to Alayna. “You can sign up and connect with people within the organization for different skills that you want to learn.”

Alayna is able to help “spread the word” at hiring events, as well. “My director asked me to talk to the people who were waiting to be interviewed,” she says. “And I was sharing with them that I started at the appointment center, and here I am now, coordinating hiring events. I don’t even work in Human Resources, but this is just something cool that I’m able to do!

“At Cleveland Clinic, there’s so many things you can do. I think if I had stayed at any of the other companies that I worked at prior to coming to Cleveland Clinic, I probably would have been stagnant.”

Looking forward

Going forward, Alayna sees a clear path for herself at Cleveland Clinic. “I would like to continue pursuing project management here,” she asserts. “I think that is the right lane for me, because I can still lead in a different way.”

As Alayna’s director puts it, Alayna “always has a positive attitude and is a great representative of Cleveland Clinic.”