Ensuring Efficiency is Goal of CareNet’s First Ever Finance Manager

Abby Washington had worked for Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in various financial roles for almost nine years when she learned about a new position being created at CareNet Counseling.

“I’d always been interested in mental health, and especially with the pandemic, I saw a real uptick for my family in needing those services,” she says. The job posting for CareNet finance manager made her think about connecting her skills with her desire to work for an organization committed to helping people.

Washington, who grew up in High Point, has an MBA from Gardner-Webb University. She believes her finance acumen can help CareNet.

CareNet President Bryan Hatcher says Washington’s expertise in finances, something he was familiar with in working with her previously to prepare CareNet annual budgets, made her the ideal candidate for the new position.

Washington, who has been on the job for about two months, says so far so good.

“It feels very comfortable,” she says. “I haven’t felt like a normal new job where you have jitters because you’re not sure how everyone feels. The billing staff here and Bryan have been very welcoming.”

Her goal in establishing the new job is to do a little bit of everything—with a broader, organizational goal in mind.

“My goal is to kind of review all the processes and make sure we’re going to be as efficient as possible because there hasn’t been a position like mine in CareNet before,” she said. “I’m going to provide financial information to Bryan and Gary (Gunderson, vice president of the Division of FaithHealth) as needed, help Bryan with projections and forecasts, and be a backup for Donna (Akers, CareNet’s finance coordinator), and be a liaison to Cindy (Stubblefield, CareNet’s philanthropy connection).”

Another goal, Washington says, is being available to the regional directors for consulting on financial matters.

“I would like to educate the directors and counselors, if relevant, how their center is doing financially,” she says, “to explain what the numbers mean when monthly reports come out.”