We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dilsa Bailey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dilsa below.
Alright, Dilsa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Who am I? I ask myself that question every morning. Some days, the Universe gives me the answer I want to hear, and other days, I respond, “Darn, not that again.” It’s funny. I grew up wanting to become a great writer with books on the bestsellers’ lists. The fascinating thing about how the Universe responded, I did become a writer. And yes, I have books available for public consumption, but what I write frequently only a few people have access to and read. My hundreds of books available to those chosen few are policies and procedures, operations manuals, training decks, and more. These were all written for healthcare entities like hospitals, group practices, and health plans.
Although, neither of those books written for healthcare facilities are on the bestseller lists. To date, I am still working toward that dream as I have three romantic suspense novels in a series called The Sperling Chronicles available at online bookstores. And I have a non-fiction book that is the basis of my current mission. It’s called “A Comprehensive Guide to Finding the Right Doctor.”
Why is it my mission? You see, I am a Medical Services Professional. I investigate doctors for a living. As a result, friends and family have asked me many times to help them find a good doctor, or they would ask me about their doctor’s qualifications or competency. So, I wrote this book initially with them in mind. Now years later, as I decided to re-release it, the patient I had in mind was the one who had recently received a diagnosis with a life-altering condition. I want to help that patient navigate the healthcare system, and I also want each of us to learn how to avoid the deadly trenches of disparity. So, the tips in my book are both simple and educational. That’s my way of giving back.
Dilsa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As I mentioned earlier, I am a Medical Services Professional. For most of your readers, they will go who, what? I know I did thirty years ago when I was introduced to the profession. You see, I went to a hospital C-suite to answer phones as a temporary receptionist for two weeks. Little did I know that would be my introduction to an administrative healthcare career that would span over three decades and still going. What do we do? Who are we? The profession is constantly developing, but the basis for our existence is to ensure that the healthcare providers, those doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, podiatrists, and more, are who they say they are and can do what they say they can do. We are called the gatekeepers in healthcare. We try to keep the bad doctors at bay and away from our patients. As a result, the task and many of our job titles revolve around credentialing. We vet or investigate providers by collecting and verifying their education, training, expertise, and competencies.
On the flip side of credentialing, we enroll providers with healthcare organizations and help them with licensing and other registrations. The list goes on. But, as I have evolved over the years from a credentialing specialist to a director in many large healthcare entities, I am now an auditor, consultant, and trainer with my own company, The Right Credentials Network. I assess healthcare organizations’ abilities to become or remain compliant with regulatory agencies like the state or CMS. I help them prepare for accreditation surveys and more. But, most importantly, I help train their staff, establish operations, and create or revise their policies—lots of writing.
But, also lots of training. These days my profession is exploding. There are openings everywhere for a trained credentialing or provider enrollment professional. So, I want to assist in that arena as well. I have a few items on my website, TRCN-Training, with more planned soon. In the meantime, my focus is on reaching the general public, especially those individuals with chronic conditions or who may be affected by implicit bias. I want to teach that our healthcare is essential, and it takes our hearts and hands to manage it for ourselves and each other, especially those in a caregiving role. How do you communicate? How do you keep track of your medical records? When do you need a second opinion? Coming soon, I will offer workshops and launch the podcast FRD Chats. FRD (pronounced Fred) is the nickname for my book. I want to use that platform to get the word out to everyone.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
If I had to market myself to gain clients, I would start with LinkedIn. My professional network has gained momentum over the years without too much effort. I post information significant to my colleagues, and occasionally I will share an epiphany that I will post in the blog on my website, The Right Credentials Network. But, to answer the question, what’s my best source for new clients is easy. My previous employers and clients continually funnel new clients my way. Though our field is growing and there are many successful professionals to choose from, we are all still in demand. So my advice, whomever you work for, always give them your best work. That client or employer will never forget you and, sometimes, will bring you back for a new project. That’s happened to me on many occasions.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Why did I become a consultant? I had been employed for years in the profession with a variety of healthcare organizations. I had worked for integrated health systems that include medical schools, residency programs, hospitals, and their own managed care plans. In addition, I had worked with commercial and non-commercial managed care organizations, better known to the public as health plans. Those organizations were great breeding grounds for learning. Most supported my growth in the profession as they funded my professional certification and my continuing education in the field. I must say, I enjoyed attending those national and state conferences all over the country. Some of which I was a speaker. The problem with the profession was the same as many others; it consumes your time, your life, and your family. Burnout is not uncommon.
There are always deadlines, urgencies, and a reason to work into the night and on the weekends. So when I was downsized due to a merger back in 2012, I could finally breathe. I walked away with a severance package and the intent to become that bestselling author I dreamed about, but then I got a phone call. Someone I knew had recommended me to someone they knew at a commercial health plan whose credentialing program was struggling. So I jumped in and fixed it. And my new life as a consultant began. The great part about that was that I could charge more and work fewer hours. And I no longer had to struggle to choose between life and work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.therightcredentials.com
- Instagram: @simplydilsa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therightcredentials
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dilsabailey/
- Twitter: @therightc
- Other: linktr.ee/dilsabailey