Carly Weiner, MS, OTR/L: OT in a Healthcare Technology Start-Up
In this post, we will learn from Carly Weiner, MS, OTR/L (they/them). Carly is a Registered Occupational Therapist who currently works in a healthcare technology start-up. She holds a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University. Carly started planning a non-clinical career while still in graduate school. Carly offered to work for free for anybody she could while in grad school to gain a broad range of experiences. This included a start-up called Rosarium Health, which focuses on home modifications where Carly is now the Director of Clinical Partnerships as a freelancer. In this role, she uses the power of networking to connect interested clinicians with the company to create partnerships.
*Many Thanks to Episode # 66 podcast co-contributor, Emily A. who wished to stay anonymous but was generous enough to share her journey & perspective..
Q & A with Carly:
Please tell us a little about yourself and some of your favorite occupations.
I am a 31 year old living in Los Angeles, but moved from New Jersey. I love to play Pickleball, try different work out classes, spend time with friends, and go to the beach. I mainly love any activity in which I can be active and love to try new things!
What motivated you to contribute to this podcast series?
As an OT Student, I felt lost and isolated knowing that I wanted to use my OT degree to work in tech. I didn't have many people to talk to or a path to follow to transition into working in healthcare tech and contributing as an Occupational Therapist. I would like to educate others on how I figured out how I wanted to transition, how I went about transitioning, and the job I currently work at.
Please describe the UncommonOT work that you do and the setting in which you work, the population you serve and the needs that you address.
I work for Rosarium Health - a platform that connects individuals with disabilities or those that want to age in place with the occupational therapists to do assessments and contracts to do the work. I work with a team to reach out to hospitals, non-profit originations, and other health centers to form relationships and make our services know. We are trying to fill the gap between people who want to age in place, but dont know how. I also manage the client accounts that submit proposals for home modifications and make sure they have a comfortable experience, during what can feel like a daunting process.
What inspired you or drew you to this type of OT work?
It was a long journey. I originally wanted to work for a mental health app, due to my passion for meditation and helping others with their mental health. With that being said, things took a turn and I got offered an opportunity to work with Rosarium Health at it's very beginning stages. The ability to have flexibility in my job, wear multiple hats, and still help people at large drew me to working for a healthcare tech start up.
How did you get there? Can you describe your path?
My career path has many twists and turns. I started in health care sales at ZocDoc, making 100 calls a day (cold calls). I then moved to Thailand where I helped children with special needs, as well as other kids learn in schools. After moving home from Thailand, I helped start a home care company, Touching Hearts at Home. From there I went to graduate school for Occupational Therapy at Columbia University. While in school, I wrote mental health content for a variety of mental health apps and went into working in Early Intervention. Eventually I landed a job as a Customer Success Manager/Sales Manager at Dewy and Director of Clinical Partnerships at Rosarium Health. I got to where I am today by putting my self out there: reaching out to people on LinkedIn, asking to work for free, shadowing people when I could, asking those around me about what they do. I continued to learn and eventually got a career coach that helped guide me in my transition out of Occupational Therapy.
Please describe a typical day or OT session at your uncommon setting? What OT skills do you utilize?
I typically research organizations that may be a good fit to partner with, as well as manage client calls that put in requests for home modifications. I even sometimes call contractors and occupational therapists in the areas we are serving to tell them about our platform and get them signed up. I definitely use a client-centered approach on a daily basis when talking to individuals about what their needs are and figuring out how I can help. I am able to look at organizations at a whole when talking about them and dissect their needs more clearly, as I have an empathetic understanding towards their experience as an employee of the organization I am trying to partner with.
Can you talk about some recent highs (successes) and lows (challenges) of your current role?
I am not able to talk about recent highs because we are still in the works, but it is very rewarding to form big partnerships and know that we are on the brink of helping thousands of people receive home modifications. Some lows that I deal with are typical start-up lows - it can be a grueling process and hard to help others see the vision you are trying to promote.
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
I do my own research on the side, but I mainly talk to my colleagues or other individuals who have experiences outside of my own and ask them for advice. When I can, I look into courses I may be able to take, whether it be Occupational Therapy continuing education courses or courses in Project Management to help improve my organizational skills.
Can you share a little bit about salary and compensation in this setting? How do OT or the services you provide get funded?
Salary in this setting is much more lucrative for me than as an Occupational Therapist. The OT's that work for Rosarium Health get paid by the person who needs a home assessment, and the Occupational Therapist sets that own rate.
Any career advice for our followers and listeners on how to get started on this path?
If you want to transition out of traditional OT, think about what you want to do. Do you want to start your own business as an OT, or do you want to use your OT skills to work for a start-up or already established business. Reach out to people on LinkedIn and ask questions to those who have already considered a transition.
What’s a common myth or misconception about your job/role you’d like to call out or demystify?
I usually have an answer for everything, and for this I do not. It is a learning experience everyday. I am in such a unique position in my own role at Rosarium Health, as well as offering Occupational Therapist an ability to have their own business. I am still learning about any misconceptions as they come.
How do we find you, follow you, be in touch with you, and promote your unique work?
Rosarium Health www.rosariumhealth.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-weiner-otr-l-0a290855
Please reach out to me at carly@rosariumhealth.com - I respond much quicker to texts though as well at 201-983-3981. We would love to have you join our team or sign up as an OT on our platform!
As always, I welcome any feedback & ideas from all of you or if you are interested in being a guest on future episodes, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Motus at transitionsot@gmail.com or DM via Instagram @transitionsot
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