3 minute read
Medical records certification paves a path to law firm career
Mother of ve children, native of El Monte, Calif., and paralegal at the Solomon Law Group in Columbia, S.C., Cassandra Furtick followed a winding path into her career.
She spent most of her growing up years in Swansea and graduated from Swansea High School where she played in the band.
“ rough music, which was a big part of my life, I was able to play in the marching band, jazz band, regional band, all-state band, and I even played in the governor’s all-state band,” she says.
She graduated from Fortis College with a medical assistant certi cation, intending to work in the health care eld, but found that getting her foot in the door was more di cult than she imagined. en she interviewed for a position handling medical records for the Solomon Law Group and never looked back.
“I have worked my way from medical records assistant to litigation paralegal, regularly assisting clients with personal injury claims, and becoming a key professional in that process,” she says.
Furtick also co-owns Furtick Creations, a small business that makes personalized and customized gi s ranging from cups and t-shirts to cutting boards. Her entire family are business partners, and she views this as an investment in the children’s future.
Focus area: I am a personal injury litigation paralegal. A er losing someone very close to me, I wanted to make a di erence. I have found that this is an area that not only satis es that desire, but also allows me to help make a di erence in our clients’ lives. Working in personal injury, I not only assist our clients in their time of need through treatment, recovery, and resolution of their claims, but many of my clients become like family. We help them ease the emotional toll these cases take on them and help them navigate life a er the claim. Our goal is to make this process as easy as we can so they can focus on healing. Seeing our clients smile at the end of their cases makes everything worth it.
Motivation: It does make it a lot easier to come to work for an employer who treats you with respect and has the same vision for the community that you do. It is rare to nd someone like Carl Solomon who is as equally invested in me as a worker as he is as a person. At the end of the day, I o en spend as much time at work as I do at home, so loving where I work is important. Having a place to come to, where I enjoy what I do, makes it easier to get up and go to the o ce.
Challenges: In the legal eld and medical eld, there is always a constant change. One day you may speak to a provider at one location, and the next week you will nd that the company is now owned by someone else. e law is also changing by the day. With that being said, I enjoy a challenge. I love the fact that I am always learning, and no day is ever the same.
Great customer service: Delivering what you promise to deliver, and being a nice person is my de nition of great customer service. You never know what your clients are going through. What you see in records is not always the totality of their case. Each person handles their personal incidents di erently. Our clients have hired us to do a job, we take the responsibility very seriously, and we deliver on our promises with compassion and kindness. at kindness also extends to our community. A smile and a kind word doesn’t cost anything.
Early ambitions: I was always interested in learning and loved every bit of school. I was determined to be a math teacher when I was a little girl. In middle school, my goal changed to becoming a band director. It wasn’t until my early 20s that I decided on my career path, and in my late 20s I found my love and my true career. As a paralegal, I still get the satisfaction of teaching seminars on medical records and even train paralegals. I love that I can combine my love for teaching and my love for the legal eld.
Advice to teenage self: Hang on and everything will work out. Don’t try to take any shortcuts. Everything you go through will make you who you are. ere are many lessons to learn throughout life. You may not see it immediately, but in the end you are happy.
Down time: I spend down time crocheting. I love to make blankets, especially Afghan blankets. I also enjoy creating personalized gi s for my customers. We work in a high stress environment, so having something that is relaxing to take my mind o things can really help me manage my stress level. Plus, it adds a special bonus of seeing other people happy when I share one of my creations with them.
