Spotlights
Spotlight: Russell Hudspeth
At Amergis Healthcare Staffing, our team members are at the heart of everything we do. Each month, our Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) board highlights the story of an Amergis employee who demonstrates our core values for healthcare professionals and their patients.
In July, we want to spotlight Russell Hudspeth, a Corporate Controller who works at Amergis Staffing’s office in Columbia, Maryland. Russell was selected as our 2022 Corporate Services Team Member of the Year for his dedication to innovation, improving process efficiency, and unwavering servant leadership. “He has a lot of humility, is a great listener, and takes feedback from the team to implement efficiencies. There has been no turnover under his leadership,” described Russell’s supervisor, Executive Director of Finance Laura Moore, who nominated Russell for the award.
We spoke with Russell to learn about his career journey at Amergis Staffing, and what accomplishments he is most proud of.
How did you come to join Amergis? Can you talk about your career path with the company?
Prior to [Amergis], I was employed in downtown Baltimore with a long commute and little prospect for advancement. The longest I had been with one employer was 2 years. When hired by [Amergis], it was my first job managing direct reports and the first job I’d obtained without the benefit of a referral. I’ll always remember the Friday I received the job offer as an A/P Team Lead at [Amergis] because it’s also the day my wife found out she was pregnant with our first child!
I spent my first 5 years in A/P working under perhaps my favorite manager, Cindy Seabrease, who still works for Homecare as an Executive Director. During this part of my [Amergis] career, I used the tuition reimbursement benefit to go back and finish my Bachelor’s Degree in Business, having originally pursued an Education degree before changing fields. Upon graduation, I notified management that I would be searching externally for a new position, but fortunately, they were able to create a position for me in the General Accounting team as a G/L Supervisor instead.
The majority of professional growth in my career has been during my 11 years in the General Accounting team. My department has seen some incredibly talented and passionate individuals, and collaborating with them has been very memorable and rewarding. The first few years were fairly routine and were characterized by strong team chemistry, low turnover, and high VOE scores. In more recent years, we faced some of our toughest challenges, including: restating financials for the Aveanna deal, collaborating post-COVID, and the operational split between Homecare and Staffing. My own accomplishments and growth in this department have been recognized in many ways, including 3 promotions, most recently being elevated to Corporate Controller in July 2023.
What does your day-to-day at Amergis look like?
I am responsible for overseeing all Accounting operations of the company. One of my primary functions is to review workpapers, trend analysis, and reporting packages produced by General Accounting during our monthly, quarterly, and annual cycles. During downtime in those cycles, I serve as a liaison for company projects that impact accounting processes, including software upgrades and system replacements. For the annual budget process, in addition to participating in strategic discussions, I design Excel templates tailored to fit the needs of regional finance and the executive team. Perhaps my most important role is during the external audit conducted annually by PWC. I coordinate the collection of all internal workpapers necessary for the audit, field questions from the PWC team, and work with financial statements and footnotes. Although my department runs smoothly, team members know I’m always available for guidance if needed, and I lean on the team’s expertise frequently.
Reflecting on your time at Amergis, what accomplishment are you most proud of, and why?
My first thought was to choose the restating of financials for the Aveanna deal because that was the most challenging work we’ve done during my tenure. It required us to separate multiple years of Homecare and Staffing financials at a level of detail that had never been done before at [Amergis] and, due to the nature of the deal, use a reporting standard different from what we were accustomed to as a private company. Although the deal did not close, we were able to leverage what we had learned to make some systems and process changes which undoubtedly made us more prepared for the eventual operational split between Homecare and Staffing.
What I’m most proud of is the Staffing General Accounting team’s performance in 2022 after splitting from the Homecare team. The first quarter is already the busiest time of year for General Accounting because of the year-end procedures followed by the audit. It is a challenging time of year for us to manage a large reshuffling of tasks. In the latter half of the year, we successfully executed budget planning, despite our department’s primary budget resource remaining with Homecare. Although executing this transition may have felt overwhelming in certain moments, it was a great opportunity to share information and skills that were previously held by only 1 or 2 people in the combined department. This transition has helped clarify my role and career path at [Amergis], and I’m hopeful that other members of the General Accounting team feel the same way.
Join the Amergis Healthcare Staffing Team and Make a Difference
Amergis Staffing always has a wide range of available opportunities for people who are ready to accelerate their careers. We embrace employees from all different backgrounds and always strive to foster a welcoming work environment by following our core values of:
- Promoting diversity and inclusion.
- Winning with integrity and trust.
- Prioritizing quality.
- Investing in development.
- Championing innovation.
- Driving for results.
Learn how you can join the Amergis Staffing team by reaching out online or visiting our jobs site today.
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