Trying to choose the best career path may be difficult when you have not had real experience in the public health field. There are countless opportunities and paths to pursue, which is why we strive to equip our students with the tools and support they need to choose the public health career best for them.
Our Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management alumni working in the field were once prospective students too. Many of them have agreed to share their success stories in hopes of helping you discover a career path you will love.
Alumni spotlights
Ashley Mills
Graduated: 2017 Major: Health Services Management
Current title: Business Office Manager Current employer: The Hearth at Sycamore Village
I chose to study Health Service Management because I knew I wanted a career in Healthcare, but the clinical side was not for me. I decided to learn more about the business side a chose my major in Health Service Management.
I am currently the business office manager at a retirement community. I do all the billing and leasing for residents. I also do all the human resource functions such as hiring, payroll, insurance, FMLA, worker's compensation, etc.
After graduating from IUPUI, I moved to Fort Wayne. I was hired at Dupont Hospital and working as a patient access coordinator. I was then promoted within the company as a human resource coordinator. I worked at Dupont Hospital for over three years before growing my career at The Hearth at Sycamore Village as the business office manager in November 2020.
I use my Health Service Management education in my current job daily. I use accounting/ finance when doing the resident billing. I also use project management and strategic planning often in order to view from a business preceptive and help the organization succeed.
I volunteered at The Ronald McDonald House for two years while at IUPUI. I would strongly recommend finding a nonprofit that is special to you and volunteer your time there. It had a great impact on my future and helped me see the value in what I was doing. It instilled in me the importance in giving back to your community.
Amber Taylor
Graduated: 2015 Major: Health Administration
Current title: Health Systems Specialist (Business Manager for Mental Health Service) Current employer: Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center
I chose to study Health Care Administration because I had a strong desire to promote healing and care for individuals but I did not want to provide direct patient care. As a health care administrator, I am able to do just that.
In my current role, I am responsible for the oversight and supervision of all administrative staff within the mental health department. I am direct supervisor for two managers. One manager supervises the onsite clinics at the main hospital and the other manager supervises our call center staff along with our offsite clinics.
In addition, I supervise four analysts, the administrative assistant, and the timekeeper for the service. Aside from supervision, I am responsible for recruitment of physicians, advance nurse practitioners (APNs), social workers, psychologists, and administrative staff. I coordinate the onboarding process and service orientation for all new employees. I manage the department budget, any contracts we have, equipment needs, and overall day to day department operations.
My first job after graduating with my undergrad degree was patient access representative at a local hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I served in this role for several years before going back to obtain my MHA. While working on my MHA degree, I completed an internship at the Indianapolis VA Medical Center in the director's office. I was offered a position upon graduation and started as a program analyst in the surgery department.
In my current role, I find myself utilizing the material I learned in my Human Resources Management class, my organizational leadership class, and finance.
During my time in the MHA program, I completed an internship at MDwise. At MDwise, I gained knowledge related to Indiana managed care programs. I completed this internship in 2013 during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I assisted in the development of their product on the Health Care Marketplace. I also completed an internship at the Indianapolis VA Medical Center where I learned about hospital department operations, the roles of the providers, and the health care administrators. I gained leadership skills and data analytic skills. I was introduced to LEAN process improvement tools and I learned about various areas of the health care industry that were of interest to me. Most importantly from both of these roles, I was able to build relationships with my colleagues and build my professional network.
Networking impacted my career greatly. I joined professional associations like ACHE and IHEN. I also had a professional mentor.
Brooke Sullivan
Graduated: 2021 Major: Health Services Management
Current title: Dental Sales Associate Current employer: MedPro Group
Growing up I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare. I thought I would be a doctor, nurse, radiologist, or any direct patient care field we heard of growing up. It wasn't until my first year seminar for dental hygiene that I was introduced to the other side of healthcare. Learning about the many career path options, being able to pivot your career, and the career growth in the Health Services Management major really drew me in. Most importantly my day to day would still be improving the lives of others.
I am currently in a position where I sell malpractice insurance to dental professionals. This job is very rewarding as I know doctors would not be able to practice confidently and safely if they didn't trust their malpractice insurance company having their back. My job requires building personal relationships with dentists and dental students. I am their first contact when they need a policy or they are a current insured and need guidance with a patient. I get to travel around the country to build these relationships and grow our company.
Becoming passionate about what I do is something I really didn't expect out of my first job, but wow is it true. I get to wake up excited to go to work every day, all while educating dentists and dental students on how to protect everything they have worked so hard for. The gratitude I feel and connections I form keep me motivated each and every day.
My first job after graduation is where I am still employed, MedPro Group. I was introduced to this job by having a great network of people who allowed me to talk about my goals for my future career. I would tell the people in my circle that I wanted to be in medical sales, I want a job that makes me excited to come to work, and I want to work with a team of people I can learn and grow with.
February of my senior year a peer I had spoken these wishes to reached out and said he had the perfect job opportunity for me. He couldn't have been more right. Speak your goals into existence; you never know who is listening.
My Health Services Management degree has helped me tremendously in my career. I have found there to be a lot of business degrees in my field, but having the knowledge on how a healthcare facility runs and knowing the terminology gives me a leg up among my peers and in conversation. Most dentists also own their own practice, which has them wearing the hat of office manager, HR, accounting, and dentist. My education allows me to talk with them about these areas they may not be as familiar with, and feel confident in the knowledge I can provide.
I had an internship at Versiti Indiana Blood Center where I worked in donor management. Day to day my job was receiving results from blood samples and seeing which have tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. As you can imagine there were a large number of positive cases in 2020. I learned how to deliver news to patients, communicate with doctors, and manage a large amount of data that was crucial to being accurate.
This specific COVID-19 role was new to the company so I had to be able to make adjustments and improve processes when I saw fit. The takeaway I had from this experience is that my opinion is respected and if you have a good idea, speak up.
I entered into college as a CNA having small jobs caring for people in their homes with daily needs. I loved how rewarding this job was, but I could not see it in the future for me. This allowed me to start looking for other career paths that would give me the same rewarding feeling, but one I could see long term growth. I was also actively holding positions in my sorority at IUPUI, which gave me the confidence to make decisions and manage a large group.
I knew I could find joy in a career in a business setting managing others. I have always been an outgoing person and these experiences helped me develop a more professional communication style without even knowing it. I am now thankful for that development every day in my new career.
I try not to have a closed mind when it comes to my career goals, as I never saw myself selling malpractice insurance until the job was in front of me. Now that I have a job that I love, I know what I would be looking for in a future position and I can't see myself settling for less. I would like to continue building meaningful relationships, continue to grow in sales, and continue to keep advancing my education when I see fit.
Bryanna Trevino
Graduated: 2019 Major: Health Services Management
Current title: Advanced Medical Support Assistant for Mental Health Services Current employer: United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
I chose to study Health Services Management because I wanted to make a difference in healthcare. I want patients in long-term care facilities to experience the best quality of care.
I answer and manage multiple inbound calls, contact and schedule follow up appointments for Veterans, manage the doctor’s clinics, as well as utilize multiple advance patient systems. I will soon be responsible to scheduling consults for patients that are new to Mental Health Services. I look forward to furthering my career at the VA.
My first job after graduation was in the front office of a dental group. I got my first job after graduation by reaching out and networking. I worked in that position for two years learning all about the administrative side of dental practices. I just recently transitioned to my current position with the VA.
At my current job, I have to be professional. While studying Health Services Management, I learned professionalism and how important it is to network. I feel as though choosing to study Health Services Management has prepared me for my current job.
Multiple influences throughout college had an impact on my career. My grandma was diagnosed with cancer, and we chose to care for her in our home. I was inspired to study Health Services Management in hopes of improving long-term care facilities for the patient and their families. My two friends that are nurses inspired me to one day want to work in a hospital setting.
Right out of college, one of my long-term goals was to work in a hospital. My current position with the VA is helping me take a step in that direction. Another goal I have is to work in a long-term care facility. I want to improve the care for those patients and their families.
