Eric Schmacker
President & CEO
Silver Summit Health Plan
“Follow what your passion is.”
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I would divide my milestones between personal and professional milestones.
Personally, I would say meeting my wife and getting married. Then, having the opportunity to raise two boys, and to coach, mentor, and train them. That has definitely shaped my life.
Professionally, it was that transition from being in the military to being in the civilian world. It was quite a big transition after serving for 21 years and being in WestPoint for 4 years.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Tooele High School
Tooele High School
Graduate
MHA - Health Administration
Baylor University
MHA - Health Administration
Baylor University
Doctorate
PhD - Health Services Research, Management & Policy
University of Florida
PhD - Health Services Research, Management & Policy
University of Florida
Career
President & CEO
My job is to lead the organization in the execution of our mission, which is to transform the health of our community.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Medicine
Business
Helping People
Day to Day
One thing I appreciate about my job is there's great variation in what I do everyday, all on the foundation of our responsibility to make sure our members have access to high-quality health care and are getting the services they need. My day can start with attending meetings about different initiatives we have in improving quality health care, to meeting with community members that we can partner with, to having business meetings looking at our financials in making sure we reach our goals.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
I would recommend that they try to get a job or volunteer at a hospital, doctor's office, or health insurance company to really learn the administrative and business side of health care. See if it is something that they want to do. I would also recommend contacting people in the career field, like myself, who they can sit down and have a cup of coffee with and ask questions. I would talk to multiple people to get an idea of what this career is like and to explore the different opportunities.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Bachelor
A liberal arts education
A liberal arts education
Graduate
Master's in Health Care Administration
Master's in Health Care Administration
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
"My parents have always encouraged me to do what I was most interested in, so not my parents. However, there was a time after I completed my residency where an individual told me that if I applied for this PhD program, it would kill my career. "
Challenges I Overcame
Physical Issues
Q&A
What do you enjoy doing on your free time?
Asked by Anthony at Roadtrip NationI got two boys and am happily married so I love spending time with my family. Living here in the Las Vegas area, I've come to appreciate all the outdoor activities and all of the hiking that is available.
Interviewed By
Anthony
at Roadtrip Nation
