Hey there jerm17, welcome to the forums.
When you open a new account, your score might take a hit for a while, and then it will improve after paying on time for some months and your account ages. Opening an account may also improve your score from the start if you don’t have a lot of credit available. Both have happened to me in the past. It’s hard to say as every case is different. However, your score will improve if you pay on time and if you take care of the negative items on your credit report. That’s for sure. Be patient as it might take longer than you expect. I would take care of those medical bills, you’ll be surprised how much your score will improve if you get rid of all your collections.