Recently, the Young Health Professionals Society (YHPS) met with Agnes Terry (AT), a new member of YHPS, to discuss her professional experiences and work at the Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA).

YHPS: What does your current job entail?
AT: I work as a Senior Project Associate at VNAA, a national umbrella organization that supports, promotes and advocates for community-based, nonprofit home health and hospice providers. I have had this position for about three months, and I focus on securing funding for the organization. This includes researching grants, foundations, fundraising opportunities, and organizational alliances, as well as supporting the Board and CEO.
Previously, I was an Education Program Coordinator at VNAA, where I administered activities such as seminars and distance learning.

YHPS: How did you get passionate about it?
AT: Honestly, it was by pure luck! I wasn’t specifically passionate about this field, but I knew I wanted to better my community and improve health, and not by providing direct patient care. I didn’t know much about home health when I started at VNAA, so there was a bit of a learning curve until I became comfortable. One thing I liked was that the organization was small, and so I was able to have a ton of responsibility and see the impact of my work.

YHPS: Where do you see your field progressing in the next five years?
AT: Home health will be extremely important as baby boomers age. Since there is a shortage of doctors and nurses in in-patient settings, I see a movement of care out of the in-patient setting into settings where they can maintain their independence. There will also be discussions about cost-effectiveness and quality of care in order to streamline home health operations.

YHPS: What are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing your organization right now?
AT: As health care reform is implemented and there is a new focus on government budgets, all organizations that rely on Medicare are being looked at closely. This is a challenge for our member providers, particularly because they are nonprofit and accept patients who cannot pay. These patients’ care is reimbursed through Medicare. Since the population is growing, we will have to help patients get the care they need where they need it.

YHPS: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
AT: It is tough to be in the nonprofit sector, especially in this economy, where no one has all the resources they want. So, we are trying to figure out how to best use what we have.

YHPS: Do you have any other work experience in the health field?
AT: In college, I used to work with an organization called Philadelphia Fight. It was much more on-the-ground than my current position, and involved things like staffing an AIDS clinic, conducting support groups, and doing street outreach all over the city.

YHPS: What is your educational background?
AT: I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 with a B.A. in history, concentrating on intellectual history. But, I’ve always had an interest in health; I took a few classes in health policy and comparative medicine.
I am considering going back to school for a Master’s in Public Health, so that I can learn more about health and health care.

YHPS: What are your long-term professional interests?
AT: Eventually, I’d like to focus on nutrition and obesity. I love food and am very interested in food, and obesity is also a big contributor to chronic disease. Physical education and community programs would also be interesting.

YHPS: What advice would you give young professionals just starting out in the health field?
AT: A lot of young folks start out thinking they’re going to change the world, and maintaining that attitude is essential. You have to have a positive attitude about the change that just one person can make.

YHPS: What are your other interests and hobbies?
AT: Like I mentioned earlier, I’m interested in food, so I like cooking and visiting farmer’s markets. I’m also fairly into yoga. Other than that, just enjoying DC!