We were lucky to catch up with Santriss Hawkins recently and have shared our conversation below.
Santriss , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?
When I was in College and during my clinicals I remember having an older preceptor saying to me ” baby girl I can see you running a company one day so don’t give up”. That resonated with me heavy because I have always wanted to be my own boss without saying it out loud.
Santriss , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have an extreme passion for helping others. When I graduated from college in 2008, it was difficult for me to find a job. Iv’e always said to myself that I never wanted anyone to experience the struggle of going to college to only be told they can’t hire you due to lack of experience in the field. Nonetheless, I have been in healthcare for 17 years. After 13 years of working in the operating room specializing in open heart surgery, I desired to make a difference in the community on a larger scale. I realized after being in the operating room my dreams, goals, and aspirations was limited. In 2020, I took a leap of faith after Covid-19 hit, the hospitals took a big hit due to healthcare workers resigning and the patient volume was increasing. I knew something had to be done and that’s when JH Healthcare Staffing Agency LLC was born. I launched my company in March 2020, right after a state of emergency was issued. Many of our initial clients were surrounding surgery centers and local hospitals that couldn’t find staff to work. Most of our initial and current employees were healthcare professionals who were impacted by covid-19 layoffs. It was during those times that the core values and principles of our organization were solidified.
As a business owner, I never imagined a devastating catastrophe would change the trajectory of my business and facilitate the expansion throughout the state of Georgia. I am grateful and honored that my company was able to assist during a critical time and now. On the other hand, I’ve always wanted to hep children with disabilities so after two years of being in business, I obtained my State provider License for Home Health and launched another division of my company providing private in-home care services, personal care support, and skilled nursing care to medically fragile children with physical and /or developmental disabilities. We are a part of Georgia’s Pediatric program a medicaid funded program that provides care with no out-of-pocket expenses. When I started this agency, I didn’t want to build a company based on a number of warm bodies. I want us to be known for providing quality care so everyone that I hire to work in a healthcare facility or care for my clients provides the highest quality of care because I am in this business to make an impact in the community.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start?
This is so funny that you asked this question because most people wouldn’t believe that I took every dime I made working my 9-5 to fund my business. I didn’t know where to apply for funding so every pay period I took money paying for something towards my business. I even paid my first few employees out of my pocket until my business started generating revenue. I was so hungry and determined to be my own boss that I was willing to risk it all to get my business up and running. I budgeted very well and luckily I didn’t have to use any money from my savings. On the other hand, as a result we are a debt free agency.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
My biggest lesson was Employers don’t care about you, they just want a warm body that can run their business. I remember working in the operating room, being that I specialized in open heart surgery I worked lots of hours and was constantly working in the middle of the night due to emergencies. The hospital had it’s quarterly meeting and I spoke out regarding pay, job burn out etc. and after I finished speaking over 100 people started clapping, and I had a standing ovation. That same day I was called into Administration office and I remember the VP of operations told me if I didn’t like working for that particular hospital I can leave and go work at burger king. It was in that moment I was done working for an employer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jhhealthcarestaffing.com
- Instagram: jhhealthcare
- Facebook: JH Healthcare Staffing Agency
Image Credits
Keith Hawkins