The mixture of education, vision and passion are strategic to accomplish success as an entrepreneur.  An example of the combination of these attributes is Hank Hernandez, CEO of Las Palmas. 

“I have always been a visionary.  My wife will tell you, we knew each other at 16 and at that age I had the desire to run an organization.  At the time the target was very wide. But event at that age, I was very ambitions and established my goal to reach.  As time progressed I narrowed down my choice to running a healthcare organization,” said Hernandez.

Hernandez molded his decision to run an organization at an early age. The child of migrant workers, Hernandez was the first out of his family to obtain a college degree.

He remembers seeing at a young age the sacrifice and hard work made by his parents and knew that he could do better.

“One of my dad’s jobs was with sales men as a distributor with RC cola.  In the summer when the kids would rest and get a vacation, I worked really hard with my dad.  We delivered soft drinks.  Back then, we handled glass bottles, I was tasked to counting them.  The top of the bottle would often cut me, the job was done in the summer.  It was a hot and dirty job and based on that experience and seeing the sacrifice that my parents made for me, I made a decision to not have to work like that ever again.  I wanted to work indoors and the way to do that is by having an education.”

Hernandez began his voyage in military.  There he learned discipline, respect, dignity and how to communicate.   In the military Hernandez also was taught to work with many  backgrounds, which established the foundation for his role as the CEO for Las Palmas.

“I joined the military during a time period that the role of women in the military was very predominant.  This taught me to work with women at non-traditional women roles.  Currently,  many of my middle leaders here are women.”

With determination, Hernandez rose in ranks in the military and retired as a Lieutenant Cornel. “Education has always been a key factor in my life and who I am today.   I am a terrible golf player, because I did not begin to play until recently.  Instead of playing golf like some of the officers, I took correspondence courses to educate my self.”

After his military career, Hernandez continued his preparation at the El Paso Community College and claims that EPCC is the best place to start.  He continued to obtain two master’s degrees at UTEP  in the fields of Healthcare.

“As a young professional and entrepreneur, it is important to do your homework.  Research, prepare and educate you self.  That is how you overcome adversity,” said Hernandez. 

Hernandez mentions that part of doing his research included networking with the right people. He would build relationships that are still important to him.

“Getting to where I am has not been easy.  Healthcare is a white male dominated field.  In the United States there is a handful of Hispanic CEO of healthcare organizations.  Many obstacles are conquered with education, hard work and a good track record,” said Hernandez.

Hernandez attributes part of his success as the CEO of Las Palmas to knowing the different components of the healthcare organization.

“In my lifetime I have done everything you can do in a hospital.  I have been a janitor, performed inpatient care, ran a radiology department, etc.  I generally know what every department needs to accomplish and I am familiar with the basic roles and responsibilities.  As the CEO this if important.  It is more important that you hire experts and let them do their job.  Don’t micromanage them and them be all they can be.”

Under the leadership of Hernandez, Las Palmas is one of top five fastest growing hospitals of the Hospital Corporation of America, (HCA).  The HCA is comprised of 178 Hospitals throughout the United States.

“We have grown vastly in the past three to four years.  We have more positions available for employment, we are very creative and innovative and Las Palmas has as employees hard working professionals. “

In addition to his role as the CEO of Las Palmas, Hernandez is continues to carry the torch of education to local youth.  He currently is involved with the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of  Commerce Education foundation where Las Palmas contributes to scholarship that are given each year to deserving high school students.  He is also the one of the founding organizers and president of the National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives.  The organization aims to open doors of opportunity to young Latinos to seek a career as a leader in a healthcare organization.  Hernandez mentioned that currently, there are in the United States about 20 Latino heading healthcare organizations.  It is his hope that in the near future, the number of Latinos in healthcare grows.

“I am very passionate about education.  There will be people that will try to bring you down because of your background, accent, and last name.  But when your education and experience is as good as theirs you are equal.  In other words, the best way to get equal is through education.  If your education and work ethic is a good as theirs, there will be no room for excuses,” stated Hernandez. 

Hank Hernandez’ Top Five Tips For Entrepreneurs

1. Have a Vision
   1. Create a future state.  Think about where you see your self in the next 10 years.
2. Define a Plan of Action
   1. What good is it to be a visionary when you don’t see your dreams come true.   Define a plan of action that will take you to your vision.
3. Find Mentors
   1. Mentors will help you define how you will be in the future.  It is a good idea to find a mentor who will guide you not only in your professional goals, but also in your personal goals.
4. Develop an active and robust networking system
   1. If you are applying for a job, or if you need to contract with a business, knowing people and networking will establish a good introduction and possible a good recommendation for the job.  Early in my career I made a point to obtain business cards from people I would meet and would follow up remind them of our meeting and build a relationship.  I currently have a book about six inches wide filled with business cards of  the people I meet.
5. Get Educated
1. An education is key. An education will place you as an entrepreneur or young professional as an equal to other from different backgrounds as you.   An MBA from UTEP is just as good as an MBA from Harvard