People of Artemis: Spotlight on McKalee Fife

Artemisians, the people who make Artemis Health a great place to work, are some pretty special people. We want to give you the inside scoop on what they do to make Artemis a success, and how they contribute to our mission. Today we’re highlighting the work of McKalee Fife, Data Manager on the Data Engineering team.

Q: Tell me about your role, what you like about it, and the challenges you face.

As a Data Manager, my job is essentially to make sure the implementation of our clients’ data goes smoothly. I check that the data feeds we get from our clients’ vendors have all the info we need to provide accurate, beneficial results. It involves a lot of QA on large data files, and I have to know claims data backwards and forwards.

One challenge for me has been the learning curve. This is my first claims data job, though I’ve worked in healthcare before and with other types of data. It takes time, but you learn what to look for in the claims data to determine what’s a real issue and what’s not.

Q: What motivates you to come to work at Artemis each day?

I’m motivated by working with great people. It helps me get up in the morning knowing that I’m going to work with people who are psyched about what they do.

I’m also motivated because I know we’re working on an important issue that I can impact. I like knowing that I can make change happen in healthcare.

Q: What drew you to the healthcare industry? What keeps you here?

I fell into healthcare. My first job in the industry was as an analyst for a company that did background and credential checks on healthcare workers. Clients would hire us to review the licenses of the healthcare workers, and my job was to compare a database of credentials against a database of disciplinary action prior to their hiring. I learned a lot about the tech side of healthcare and comparing two datasets.

I like the industry and feel that healthcare is always going to be around; it’s always going to need improvement and great people to move it forward and make it better.

Q: Tell me about your EMT certification.

My dad is a firefighter, so I grew up surrounded by first responders. I work as a volunteer at the University of Utah Health Burn Camp, a program that helps burn survivors heal and reintegrate. I love working with the nurses and paramedics there, so I wanted to get more EMT training. I signed up for an EMT certification class at the United Fire Authority here in Salt Lake. The instructors  are dedicated and truly care about the students; they make sure we’re really prepared for real-world situations, not just passing the certification test. And they’re good about training students to be patient advocates, make good decisions for patients, and even help curb unnecessary costs, like if someone calls for an ambulance, but you can treat them without that ride to the hospital.

The class was 9 weeks with 16 hours a week of instruction, and it took multiple types of tests to certify. We did assessments in medical and trauma where we demonstrated certain skills: checking for airway, splinting a broken bone, using an epinephrine pen, CPR, and more. Then we also did a written test, plus the National Registry EMT test. That was the hardest part. The test is adaptive, so the questions and scenarios change as you answer. You really can’t tell how you’re doing until the end.

Q: What would you like to do with your EMT certification?

Well, I coach a youth lacrosse team, and I could use the skills I learned if there was an injury to help the player while we wait for first responders. Being CPR certified, if there was an illness or incident at work, I could take action before ambulances get here. I like the idea of being able to help in an emergency. And maybe at some point, I’ll find a part-time EMT job to gain experience and refine my skills.

Q: In addition to your healthcare expertise, you’re also an expert on rugby, right?

I’m not an expert because I’m still pretty new to the sport, but I’m learning the game and the skills. My team is the Lady Vipers, and it’s been incredible to join this group. When I play, I’m a “prop” or a “lock”, which is a forward position.

It’s fun to be a part of a different type of team; I have my work team, my youth lacrosse team, and my rugby team. They’re all kinda like little families to me.

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to people entering your field, what would it be?

My advice would be to want to make a difference and care about what they’re doing. If they don’t care about the people they’re helping, it’s just another job. Even if you love a job, there’s days when you’re just tired and you don’t want to do it, but passion is the key. I bring my passion for health, wellness and medicine to my job at Artemis, and it helps me stay focused on our end goal of making a difference in the healthcare industry.

Thank you McKalee for sharing your stories, passion and advice with us. Want to learn more about how Artemis is impacting healthcare one data set at a time? Schedule a demo with our team.