Role: Regional manager
Company: Respond Healthcare
Track Record:
As a regional manager for Respond Healthcare Julie Comsa loves that her role gives her the opportunity to help others.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
After university I worked in the Adult Services department of Social Services. It was here that I realised how much I enjoyed working with people and helping them work towards a better life. I joined Respond, Northern Ireland’s leading independent supplier of stoma and continence prescription services, in 2006 and have enjoyed growing with and managing the business ever since. In October 2014, Respond was acquired by the Eakin Group, one of the world’s leading medical device manufacturing and distributors of stoma and wound care products. In October 2015 we acquired an office in Perth, Scotland and I took on a new role managing both the Northern Ireland and Scottish offices.
What was your favourite subject at school?
At school I was very interested in English literature and was passionate about books.
Did you go on to further/ higher education, if so what did you study and where?
I graduated from the University of Ulster Jordanstown with a 2:1 degree in Sociology. During my time at University I also undertook business management courses while managing the local cinema in Carrickfergus.
How did you get into your area of work?
Through my school years I enjoyed studying human society and this lead me to study Sociology at University. Here we studied the development and structure of society and studied social problems. While working in Social Services, Adult Services, I enjoyed the healthcare aspect and this lead me towards furthering my career in this sector.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
No, when I was younger I wanted to be a teacher, like my dad. Working with people was always my main focus. It is funny how your journey can change through the years, so it’s important to keep an open mind and not be afraid of exploring a new direction that interests you.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
When I started my manager role within Respond I had a degree and years of managerial experience, which was essential for the role, however not all relating to healthcare. As the company deals with a specific section of healthcare it is harder in general to find exact direct experience in this sector. They allowed me to grow with the company, gaining experience and expanding the company in to new areas through the years.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
Yes, being a regional manager it would be beneficial if you already had previous experience in running multiple sites and in particular for my company ideally these would be in healthcare. I also see a lot of members having previous nursing managerial positions would directly link. Studying higher level management would be another good route in to the job, however experience, and in this case in healthcare sector, would always be required.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
Being customer focused is a very important skill in my role — listening to the needs of our customers is what makes an effective business. Also people management and making sure your staff are secure and happy in what they do is essential in the smooth running of the site.
What does a typical day entail?
My days vary. Some days are spent in our Larne office with our dedicated customer service and warehouses team. This is really the centre of our business – here we receive and process orders, set up new customers onto our service and provide essential day to day after care for our customers with the help of our own nursing team. As I am based in Northern Ireland I liaise frequently with the manager in our Scotland centre to ensure consistency and often visit to maintain good practice.
Other days I travel to work alongside various healthcare professionals including hospital nurses, GPs, district nurses, etc, to update them on products and services and maintain relationships and best practice to make sure we work together to benefit patients in the community with a continuous care package. I also attend hospital open days throughout Northern Ireland and Scotland, meeting new and existing customers and updating them on the range of services we provide.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
Our customers and having the chance to help others is the best aspect. In my job and through my staff we have the opportunity to make our customers’ lives that little bit more manageable. Knowing you have made a difference in any way is the best feeling you can have. As we deal with a wide variety of people in different stages of illness it can be challenging to ensure a specialised, specific service for each person and ensuring their service is flawless. We try to ensure that their transition from hospital back in to the community is as easy and comfortable as possible.
Why is what you do important?
I truly believe that our service is essential and I strive to make sure my staff really do facilitate the best possible care to our customers. I feel my role is important to make sure that the services we provide are maintained and updated in conjunction with all healthcare professionals involved to ensure continuity of care throughout our customer’s medical journey.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
Study hard and be dedicated — a hard worker no matter what the industry will always be recognised. Working in the medical industry can be quite specialised but if you get involved with volunteering or part-time work in a caring role in general then you are on the right track.
If you weren’t doing this what would you like to do?
It would have to be working with people and helping to provide a service of benefit.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
To realise you will not know everything by the end of the first day. I think it is important not to put too much pressure on yourself and prioritise information into what you need to know now and what you can learn about later. It can be very easy to overwhelm yourself.
Describe your ideal day off.
When I am not working I spend my time with my husband and two children. We love packing up the car and going for a drive along the coast, stopping at the park, going for a walk or bike ride and going somewhere yummy for food along the way.
And finally, what’s the key to any successful job search?
Knowing what you are looking for is the key. Stay focused, motivated and interested and do not let any opportunity pass you by no matter how small, as it could be the one to lead you to your big break.