A Home in Health Care
Army vet and former bean counter seizes an opportunity in medicine.
By Matthew Pavelek
When Carl Kusbit finished his enlistment in the Army, he went to school to earn an education. After earning bachelor’s degrees in business and psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, he began his civilian career.
Kusbit worked as a budget analyst and accountant, but soon began to miss the military.
“I was tired of being an accountant,” Kusbit said. “It got really boring and I still wanted to get back in the military if I could do it. But they said I was too old to get back in. I kept trying for years and years and couldn’t get back in, no matter who I wrote to.”
Kusbit’s persistence led him to a discovery about the serious demand for qualified health care professionals in both the civilian world and the military.
“Then I found out that the Army really needed nurses,” Kusbit said. “I thought if I went that route, that might just be my ticket back in.”
He decided to make a dramatic career change and went back to school for nursing. He enrolled at the Shadyside Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh. While he was in nursing school, he worked as a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) and found his calling. He landed a job as an emergency room technician at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital while still in nursing school and was offered a full-time position as a nurse in the ER trauma center after he graduated.
Living the Dream
His experience and education led to his current position as a trauma nurse coordinator for the Trauma Services Division of Presbyterian Hospital. This new career provided the catalyst for him to realize
his dream of once again serving in the military.
“Lo and behold, with the Iraq war, they really needed nurses, so I got an age waiver and a direct commission to come back in the military,” Kusbit said.
Kusbit joined the Army Reserve in 2005 and deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007. He served as a medical consultant for Provincial Reconstruction Team-Anaconda and was attached to the 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. He said he worked “outside the wire” to make sure Iraqi civilians had proper access to health care and hospitals had the necessary medical supplies.
“I was pretty much on my own,” Kusbit said. “That year I spent in Iraq really prepared me for the project-oriented style of my work now as a civilian.”
In June 2008, Kusbit was awarded the Bronze Star for “exceptionally meritorious service in a combat zone.” Kusbit’s story is unique since he’s one of the few people who served in Iraq that year and also served on active duty during the war in Vietnam. Kusbit served on active duty from 1968-1971.
Now, he’s three classes shy of completing his master’s degree in public policy. His health care job requires him to work three, 12-hour days per week. He said he loves the work and he loves the pay. But above all, he really loves all the time he has to go fishing.
“The health care field is growing and will always continue to grow,” Kusbit said. “There’s always going to be a need for good people in health care.”
About The Company
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is one of the leading nonprofit health systems in the United States. UPMC employs 50,000 people and is Western Pennsylvania’s largest employer. UPMC generates $8 billion in annual revenues and is transforming the economy of the region into one based on medicine, research and technology.
Carl Kusbit Fun Facts
Q: What is your favorite TV show?
A: “The Unit”
Q: What do you do to relax?
A: Go fishing
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: I like to exercise.
Q: Who is your favorite sports team?
A: Dallas Cowboys
Q: What is the most valuable advice you’ve ever received and from whom?
A: My parents always told me to never give up.
Q: What’s in your refrigerator?
A: Nothing but dog food. I need to go shopping.