When opportunity knocks in the healthcare realm, you have to be ready. And one of the best ways to be prepared is to establish connections in the industry who already know your skills and work ethic.

According to Madison Workman, COO of Coral Gables Hospital, being part of an educational and networking organization such as the South Florida Healthcare Executive Forum (SFHEF), can open doors to advancement that prospective healthcare professionals may not have even realized existed.

“It’s a small world, and when you’re going to SFHEF events, you’re putting yourself out there and differentiating yourself while building relationships,” he explained. “You never know when an opportunity will arise and a person will think of you because of one conversation or one connection. I’ve seen it happen time and time again.

“You may have no intention of landing another job, but then someone realizes that you are a really good fit for an opportunity at their organization,” he continued. “Building upon events is crucial to building a career in the healthcare profession. It provides so many opportunities to create connections that you can leverage in the community.”

As COO of Coral Gables Hospital, Workman is responsible for the overall implementation of operational goals and strategic initiatives at the 245-bed facility, and for fulfilling CEO Cristina Jimenez’s vision. “I consider myself the caregiver to the caregivers; I make sure that the hospital staff and physicians have the tools, resources and equipment to be successful in their roles,” Workman said.

“I wear a lot of different hats,” he added, “whether I’m championing patient throughput, implementing process improvement, guiding construction projects—including our $12 million off-campus ED—or enhancing the patient experience.”

Workman began his career in healthcare as a student at the University of Florida where he earned both a master’s degree in Health Administration and a Bachelor of Health Science. He worked at the Student Health Center as a unit secretary, then volunteered at UF Health Shands, the university’s academic medical center, working on a patient experience project and patient portal. After an internship and administrative fellowship with Tenet, he joined North Shore Medical Center, where he became the assistant administrator, having oversight of several ancillary services and helping to implement the operational goals of the 337-bed hospital.

Workman joined Coral Gables Hospital in 2017 as its COO and was promoted within a year to the position of Group COO of the Miami-Dade market, where he has oversight of the operational strategy and initiatives at five Tenet Healthcare hospitals.

After taking the position, Workman actively sought out an ACHE chapter. “I got involved with the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) while earning my master’s degree,” he said. “When I began working for Tenet, I looked for a chapter here. I reached out to past-president Adrian Parker and got involved in SFHEF, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

“Anyone involved in healthcare should join,” he added. “It’s like a breath of fresh air to be around like-minded people; innovative individuals who are hungry and want to make a difference. Adrian Parker did a great job of leading SFHEF, and now Charles Felix is carrying the torch, continuing to make a big difference in the healthcare community.”

In addition to attending SFHEF events, Workman has served on C-suite roundtable panels and most recently, the panel for Mapping Your Career in Healthcare. Someday, when time allows, he’d like to join the board.

“I want to give back, and to do what I can to add value. And I want to continue to learn,” he said of his involvement. “I want to continue to have an impact.”