Michael Yutadco is a registered Occupational Therapist. He has worked at various rural and urban sites providing frontline care and progressed to managerial roles such as Health Promotion Facilitator and Manager of Distribution. In his current role, Michael provides clinical expertise to Connect Care – Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) provincewide clinical information system – and trains health professionals to use the system.
Michael: As a rural clinician, I moved through a number of clinical areas. While in the stroke department, I won a prize to go to a stroke conference in Ottawa, I took hand-splinting training in Edmonton for my role in the hand department and participated in the Strategic Clinical Network (SCN) while working in Calgary. These experiences not only developed my clinical skills, but helped me grow my network and learn about other roles out there.
Michael: AHS has many excellent leadership development courses – some you can complete as a manager, and some, like their course about Managing in a Unionized Environment, I wish I could have taken before becoming a manager. Taking Insights Discovery has helped me to know myself better, while a course in Emotional Intelligence increased my interpersonal skills and helped me become more effective in my role. I became a master trainer in my Health Promotion Facilitator role, which I still use today. I also took additional training for my current role as a senior trainer.
Michael: I’d like to emphasize the importance of frontline experience. Learn about resources, gain an understanding of operational demands, explore different roles, and familiarize yourself with different disciplines. Building relationships, seeking mentors, and being open to diverse opportunities are key factors in career growth. Mentors can be a big help in recognizing opportunities, such as openings that may not seem suitable at first glance – they can help you recognize the transferable skills you can bring to the role.
