Data Analytics and Development at Lurie Children’s with Rachel Foote

The first thing you should know about Rachel Foote is that she’s passionate about her job and is willing to work hard to get what she wants. In her five years at Lurie Children’s, she’s transitioned to different roles multiple times, each transition a step-up from the previous role. Most recently, Rachel transitioned to her current role where she serves as a Project Manager within the Data Analytics and Reporting team. Her initial drive to join the Data Analytics and Reporting team was because of the great culture within the group–something Rachel says most people wouldn’t expect when they think data.

As someone who has been able to transition from role to role, Rachel knows the hard work and dedication it takes to develop and grow within Lurie Children’s. To find out how Lurie Children’s develops their employees and helps them grow professionally, we sat down with Rachel to learn some of her tips for advancing in your career.

What are some tips you could give to people looking to join Lurie Children’s?

 

The challenge at Lurie Children's is that there are so many talented and qualified people trying to get jobs here, so it's easy to be overlooked just because there are so many resumes. When I was interviewing for someone to fill my last position, she found me online and told me she was interested in the position and asked me if I knew the person who was hiring or what department they were in. I asked her why she was interested, and I forwarded her resume to the hiring manager. You really have to take initiative here; always include a cover letter and take chances and risks and reach out to people and try to network. If you don't know anyone who works at Lurie Children's, start networking with people even before you see a position open that you want.

What key skills should someone joining the Data Analytics and Reporting team have?

 

With analytics, you have to be an analytical thinker and a good listener. Listening skills are key with analytics in the sense that a lot of the request that we get are asking for data, but you have to listen to find out exactly what they want.

Why pursue a career in healthcare at Lurie Children’s?

 

I think the best advice I got about healthcare was that healthcare is just a business, so if you're interested in learning the business model and how healthcare works, then you can be successful in the industry. There are some people that work in healthcare that think you have to have a healthcare background in order to work in the field, but I think it's nice to have a diverse background outside of that realm because you think differently, see things differently, and you can provide a different perspective. Specifically, working at Lurie Children's and in pediatrics, you really have to have the compassion and passion for the work. Even if you're not someone who works directly with patients, you have to realize that at the end of the day, it is about the patients and you have to have selflessness and know that you're working for the greater good.

We really care about our patients and we really care about the communities they live in, that's why we're working on branching out in the communities that we serve to make things better. We all live in different areas around Chicago and we get to see the impact that Lurie Children's makes in these communities through all of our initiatives, and it really does make a difference.

What’s your best advice to anyone looking to work at Lurie Children’s?

 

I think the best advice I can give is don't be afraid to ask for help and ask questions. When you start a new position, you come in thinking you know everything, but Lurie Children's fosters a culture of growth where we're constantly learning and growing. You have to ask for help and ask questions, and it's not because of lack of ability, it's just because we are constantly growing, changing, and evolving as an institution and that's something I wish I would have learned earlier. Especially in data analytics, people are constantly taking classes to learn more about Epic and taking classes outside about data science or about analytics, and I think that’s one of the best things. If you want to continue to learn throughout your career, Lurie Children's does a great job in promoting that.

If you're ready to start a new and rewarding career, apply to Lurie Children's today!