Key Takeaways
- Prioritize daily recognition and active listening over financial compensation alone to effectively retain top healthcare talent.
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In the rapidly evolving world of healthcare leadership, the path from graduate student to executive can feel daunting, uncertain, and fiercely competitive. But the right opportunities, and the right mindset, can make all the difference. In a recent episode of the American Journal of Healthcare Strategy podcast, Audrey Lyons, MHA—a current Administrative Fellow at Advocate Health in suburban Chicago—shares her journey from Florida to the Midwest, the realities of pursuing a Master of Health Administration (MHA) at the University of Central Florida, and her candid perspectives on fellowships, leadership, and equity in healthcare careers.
Lyons’ story is particularly resonant for aspiring healthcare leaders navigating choices around graduate programs, fellowships, and career advancement. Her experience sheds light on what truly matters in selecting an MHA program, the realities of the administrative fellowship application process, and what organizations like Advocate Health are doing to attract and keep top talent. For students, professionals, and executives alike, Lyons’ practical wisdom and lived experience offer actionable insights for building both a meaningful career and a more inclusive healthcare workforce.
The University of Central Florida (UCF) stands out for its flexibility, supportive faculty, and alignment with real-world student needs. Audrey Lyons explains that location, program flexibility, and values alignment were central to her choice. “UCF had their mission and values kind of aligned with what I was looking for. It wasn’t very specific...it was more flexible. I was working full-time and I knew I wanted to continue working full-time,” she says.
Key benefits of UCF’s MHA program, according to Audrey:
Flexible scheduling: Classes are offered in the evening or during the day, making it feasible for students to work full-time.
Affordability: “Tuition wasn’t too expensive…each semester was around $3,400 or so,” Audrey notes, adding that graduate assistantships cover up to 75–80% of tuition for many.
Networking opportunities: The program supports networking with professors and peers—an essential element for future career success.
Lyons’ experience demonstrates that you don’t need to attend a top-ranked, full-time, in-person program to open doors in healthcare administration. “I absolutely got all of my money’s worth,” she reflects.
Administrative fellowships are encouraged, not required, at UCF—and that’s intentional. Audrey is clear: “I wouldn’t say required necessarily just because there are a lot of Fellowship programs out there, but there are so many people that are competing for them…making it more difficult.”
Her advice on fellowships:
Encourage, don’t mandate: “Encouraged, not required—I think that’s a good model,” Audrey insists, recognizing that many professionals have financial and family obligations that make fellowships impractical.
Alternative paths matter: Some graduates may prefer consulting or direct entry into healthcare management roles, and shouldn’t be boxed into a single path.
Program support is critical: Audrey credits her professors and program directors with providing essential encouragement and connections, stating, “My professors...supported me wholeheartedly, writing my letters of recommendation, looking over the programs, connecting me with people that might be from that specific program or was once there.”
For schools and prospective students alike, the lesson is clear: build flexible support systems and avoid one-size-fits-all requirements.
The application process for healthcare administrative fellowships is rigorous, competitive, and often opaque—but perseverance pays off. Audrey Lyons’ approach was both broad and strategic: “I applied to 20 programs—I did 10 on NAVC and 10 off NAVC.”
The process typically involves:
Applying widely: Audrey’s 20 applications yielded responses from about half.
Multiple interview rounds: She received five first-round interviews, three second-round interviews, and two final-round interviews, including one in-person.
Institutional support: Interview travel costs are typically covered. “We were all flown out for our interviews…flight, hotel, and food was covered,” Audrey confirms.
Insider tip: Don’t be discouraged by rejections or silence from programs—non-responses are common. Focus on what fits and persist.
Audrey chose Advocate Health for its culture, growth opportunities, and inspirational leadership. “Flying in and just seeing the area…absolutely loved the area…meeting the president, Ali Wier, who is now the president of Lutheran General and a former fellow of the program...just hearing about how she went through the program and now she’s a whole president of a hospital...it was just amazing to hear that and me thinking, that could be me one day.”
What sealed the deal for Audrey?
Personal connections: The chance to see herself in the leadership stories of Advocate alumni.
Quality of life: “Probably the most amazing Target I had ever gone to…and a barbecue spot...that was cherry on top for me to move up here,” she shares, underscoring the importance of both professional and personal factors.
Growth potential: Advocate’s expansion into new states creates opportunities for mobility and advancement.
For institutions recruiting fellows, take note: showcasing culture, leadership pathways, and local amenities can be powerful differentiators.
Staying with your fellowship institution can offer both stability and advancement, especially in a growing system. Audrey says, “Absolutely I am considering and hoping that I stay with Advocate Health, especially since we are growing…so that gives me more opportunities. I can move down to a warmer state...but there’s also just more to learn and more to see as our organization continues to grow.”
She credits Advocate Health’s support and geographic footprint for making ongoing career growth possible.
The secret isn’t just pay—it's personal connection and genuine appreciation. Audrey emphasizes, “One of their big things is just making sure, like, listening—listening to employees and making sure that they’re heard and appreciating them…walking down the hallway and just speaking to someone, or like listening to a story about their life or just hearing about their kids...teammates appreciate that and I personally appreciate that.”
Key strategies from Advocate Health:
Listening and recognition: Meaningful, personal conversations from leadership at all levels.
Holistic benefits: Pay and benefits are important, but culture and connection keep people engaged.
Leadership accessibility: Audrey notes, “Meeting with leaders, making sure they’re meaningful conversations but also remembering what they tell me and hopefully they remember what I tell them.”
Organizations seeking to win the talent war must invest in relationships and daily recognition—not just compensation.
Both the MHA program and fellowship experience are essential for building leadership confidence and skills—but personal initiative matters most. Audrey admits, “Being very vulnerable right now, when I came into the fellowship and probably up until December, I really did not want to be a people leader yet…But after just being in the fellowship, talking to my preceptor, reading, and just taking a holistic view of where I see myself…I’ve decided that I want to be a people leader right after I finish the fellowship. I need to get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Takeaways for aspiring leaders:
The classroom teaches theory; the fellowship builds practice.
Impostor syndrome is real—but temporary. “You might have impostor syndrome; I still get impostor syndrome, but before I go into those rooms I do my power pose and I listen to my power-up music...then I handle my business accordingly,” she says.
Active engagement and self-awareness are crucial.
Leadership is not an innate trait but a developed skill—one that fellowships and mentorships can nurture if you lean in.
Representation and mentorship from diverse leaders are crucial for building an equitable future in healthcare administration. Audrey is forthright: “It would have been nice to see maybe a Black woman that was in healthcare leadership or a Black gentleman or Hispanic, Asian—somebody that’s had to fight a little bit harder than their counterparts...what I was told growing up is that I’m going to have to always work ten times harder than my counterparts just because I’m not going to be seen as the same level as them.”
Her recommendations for institutions:
Recruit diverse faculty: Leaders who “look like the students that are applying to the program.”
Foster mentorship and storytelling: Invite leaders from varied backgrounds to share their journeys.
Recognize unique challenges: Socioeconomic, racial, and generational differences impact student experience and access.
The call to action is clear: Diversity must be prioritized not just in student bodies, but at the front of the classroom and the top of the org chart.
AI and automation are reshaping healthcare—but human connection remains irreplaceable. Audrey voices a note of caution: “Technology is so scary in the way that it’s going...I’ve never used ChatGPT, I can’t bring myself to do it...but I know as we continue, just seeing how intricate technology, AI, all of that is, it’s going to be a little bit scary...Now, I don’t think healthcare leaders will disappear because of robots and everything, but now we’re doing more surgeries with robots and...Central scheduling is done with automation almost.”
Advice for future leaders:
Embrace change, but stay grounded in people. “Remember the people—that’s a very important [lesson].”
Monitor equity impacts: As AI becomes embedded, leaders must ensure that technology improves, rather than exacerbates, disparities.
Network. Network. Network. Audrey’s top three recommendations for current and future grad students are unambiguous: “Three words I will say: network, network, and...network. Just because nowadays it’s kind of about who you know and not what you know...Having that presence and that confidence when you’re going to talk to bigwigs or people that you might want to work for one day...knowing how to speak to them, how to be in those rooms.”
Practical networking tips:
Start conversations everywhere: “My dad can talk to anyone and everyone, and I am my father’s child...wherever I go I could be at a restaurant talking to the waiter or waitress...since I was young I’ve been practicing networking and it has brought me a long way.”
Prepare for imposter syndrome: Develop rituals or routines (like “power poses”) to boost confidence before big meetings.
Name-drop and make introductions: Connecting people within your network can amplify opportunities for all.
Audrey Lyons envisions a future blending leadership, teaching, and advocacy. “My plan is to get my doctorate in Health Administration in the upcoming years...I want to be able to go into universities and teach students that essentially look like me...I also want to be a professor and share the knowledge that I learned throughout this whole process with other students that are going through this process.”
She’s still mapping her exact destination, whether as a hospital president, consultant, or educator, but one thing is clear—she wants to lead, lift others, and balance her passion for travel with her professional ambitions.
The Advocate Health Administrative Fellowship is more than just a training ground—it’s a launchpad for diverse, ambitious leaders who will shape the next chapter of American healthcare. Audrey Lyons’ story demonstrates that success in this field requires adaptability, authentic relationships, a commitment to inclusion, and the courage to lead—even when you feel unprepared.
For aspiring healthcare executives, the actionable insight is this:
Prioritize programs and organizations that support your whole self—academically, personally, and professionally. Seek out mentors and leaders who invest in your journey, and never underestimate the power of networking. As technology and demographics shift, the most enduring competitive advantage will always be people.
<p>[Music] hello everyone this is Cole lions from the American Journal of healthcare strategy and today with me is Audrey lions and Audrey why don't you introduce yourself hi everyone I am Audrey Lions I am currently an administrative fellow at Advocate Health up in the suburbs of Chicago Illinois originally from Florida just finished my masters of Health Administration from the University of Central Florida and I'm very excited to be here with Co to day and we're so excited to have you uh as you were saying earlier there's two lions talking to each other here uh not related as far as I know but you never know we'll have to get some uh 23 and me testing done at some point here um so I think it's so interesting you've come from Florida and then all the way up now to Chicago very different areas which is excellent and that's one of the reasons why we wanted to talk to you but also because uh University of Central Florida is a very popular School thousands of students come out of that so tell me why you actually chose University of Central Florida to begin with um so I was born and raised in Tallahassee Florida which is kind of like it was a small town now it's growing with two major colleges and then a community college and I just knew once I finished at Florida State that I did not want to be in Tallahassee anymore and so I was like let me get out of Tallahassee but let me not go as far so I didn't want to do anything drastic and move all the way up to Chicago at that time um or any other far state so I was like Orlando seems like a good option it's a good midpoint between tasse if I want to go back home or if I want to drive down to Miami for the beach um but when it came to looking at programs UCF had their mission and values kind of aligned with what I was looking for it wasn't very uh specific like not a specific cohort or anything like that but it was more flexible I was working full-time I knew I wanted to continue working full-time um and they had that flexibility when it came to picking out classes because it was considered full-time if you were taking three classes um and most of the classes were either in the evening or there was an option to do some during the day uh but you could balance it out whatever worked with your schedule that's really nice so you were you were able to kind of did you work while you were doing it yes so I was working full-time but I also ended up my third semester being there I started um my graduate assistantship so I was able to juggle both of those while also doing school full-time nice that's really impressive I know that that's one of the reasons that I went with Jefferson's um online MBA program is because the flexibility you know I mean there's lots of you know Elite programs out there that are full-time and kind of one of the things that we wanted to Showcase is that you know there's still lots of Fellowship opportunities for people who do hybrid programs and who do online programs s and I think it's a really important thing because people come from all different backgrounds and all different situations um and I wanted to actually talk about that a little bit too you know was what did you feel about the tuition did you feel like it was pretty reasonable did you encounter any unexpected expenses you'd want to warn people about what was that like um tuition wasn't too like expensive or anything so from undergrad I was fortunate enough I didn't have to pay for undergrad because of like grants and everything but becoming an adult and going into the real world you figure out that you might have to pay for your own classes and so I ended up taking out some loans which it was my first time a big scare but I knew if I worked for a nonprofit organization for long enough they might pay for it um but it wasn't anything too extravagant I think each semester was around $3,400 or so um and then with The Graduate assistantship that covered about I want to say like 75 to 80% of my tuition so I still had about $1,800 to pay but that was taken care of from my loans and I was able to take some of the money from my loans and continue to like live off of that along with the full-time role that I had so no unexpected cost books weren't too expensive you can usually find PDFs online for the book so that really good well that's really good so if if there's and I'm sure there probably is going to be some students from UCF or who are looking at UCF going there uh not to worry too much about anything unexpected coming up I know that at some schools they had like very expensive books that were like only in paper form but you said that it's mostly online so that's great that's really good um and with that kind of how long was the program was it you said two or three years I think uh two years exactly that's how long it took but there was a mix of people that did like part-time so it took them a little bit longer and I think there are some people that sped it up and they finished in a year and a half or so full experience so I did a full two years that's good that's good and and do you feel like it was good value for for the money and for the time absolutely I was able to just meeting the professors and being able to network them network with them network with other people and just grow with them I feel like I absolutely got all of my money's worth that's good it's always nice to kind of go through it and then not regret it um which is another thing about I think some students you know mha programs have pretty good success but that's not the true with all grad programs so it's nice to hear when people are happy about uh their their experience um I guess you know another question I think uh is going having gone through the experience and then getting into a fellowship you know that's a successful outcome but what do you think that grad programs at large um could do better or you know could replicate from your experience to you know engage students more uh great question uh I would say well question back to you is it more so prepping them for fellowships or just like the real like real world when it comes to those Healthcare leadership roles or what specifically you know I think it's whatever you you think is important I know that there's that kind of debate and I'd also like to hear your opinion you know on whether programs should prepare students for a fellowship or should prepare them for for actual kind of practice because there's some of these programs that require students to do the fellowship and there are some of these programs that don't require it uh or really encourage it and so I think there's kind of two ways of looking at it and so I think question back to you is do you feel like a fellowship is something that should be required in a lot of programs you know how do you feel about that so to answer that question should they be required I wouldn't say required necessarily just because there are a lot of Fellowship programs are there but there are so many people that are competing for them so it makes it a little more difficult um and I also know some people rather than going the uh Fellowship route they like to go the consultant route or there are some people like myself that don't know 100% what they want to do so making sure you don't give them like a specific requirements like oh if you don't get a fellowship or Consulting you can't graduate kind of makes it more difficult for them to figure out what they want rather than being in a position that they don't want to be in um and being stuck there uh so I definitely don't think it should be a requirement for uh programs it wasn't a requirement for my program it was encouraged um I think with my graduating class or just within a time span of when I graduated in a couple semesters back eight of us got a fellowship so that was very exciting to see from University of Central Florida especially with the newer program and as they continue on a lot more people are applying and get accepted to Fellowship so that's really exciting but it is by no means forced or required at the University of Central Florida so encouraged to not require I think I think that's a good model because like for me myself um and for a lot of people especially people who've been in industry for a while some of them would have to take a pay cut and I've heard that that's been prohibitive for them pursuing an mha especially if they have family some people have kids younger than others so it's it's good to encourage but not um force and so do you feel like you were supported um and enabled to get the fellowship in a way that didn't make it too difficult or do you feel like programs at large could do better at that what's what's your view on that I absolutely believed I was supported and encouraged by the best professors that are out there um when it came to me looking for Fellowship so I wasn't looking for a specific location or Fellowship anywhere I just knew I wanted to apply somewhere I wanted to get accepted and just learn as much as I can from wherever I went um but my professors and even my directors of the program supported me wholeheartedly uh writing my like letters of recommendation uh looking over the programs connecting me with people that might be from that specific program or was once there uh so they definitely supported me with that and I feel like when it comes to other programs uh supporting their students I think they should absolutely try to network them or at least connect them with people that were once there and encourage them not require it just because like you said there are people that have families that have kids or like those full-time roles that they're not able to just give up willingly um so it makes it a little more difficult but encouraging them if they want to go that route to continue go going down that route and to support them wholeheartedly that's great yeah and I think the way that you were supported sounds really good you know having professors who you can connect with who are on your kind of on your team makes a big difference um how many programs did you apply to did was it a bunch or did were you more targeted I applied to 20 programs I did 10 on navc and then I did 10 off of navc and then did you have to do a bunch of in-person interviews or was it mostly like digital at the time from the 20 that I applied to I want to say I had at least half of those responded because there were some that didn't even respond whatsoever which is completely fine um but then for first round interviews I want to say I got five and then second round were I want to say three and then in-person ones I was uh flown out for one and then I was offered another one to go to but I declined it uh just because it didn't really align with what I was looking for um and so I want to say I had at least two final rounds nice and got with the flying out just want to ask about that because and seeing with the the not responding like these are things that I'm thinking of from from some of the medical students I've talked to where it's like really annoying but they just won't respond and you won't be able to find out why you were rejected and same thing with the flying out now when you say you were flying out did they pay or is that something that usually you have to pay for in the fellowship industry um so from what I know know from hearing from like some of my uh co- students my classmates there we go um they were we were all flown out for our interviews so flight was taken care of um Uber and taxi whatever was if we had to pay they reimbursed us for it and then hotel and food was covered nice so uh maybe a little bit better treatment for the administrative students than some of the medical students I've heard that medical students sometimes have to incur huge expenses traveling so that's nice that that was taken care of so um that's very interesting uh I like that that's and I think medical students should be treated the same way I think we should all get you know if we have to go for an inperson interview they should I think they should cover it yeah yeah it would you would think yeah exactly I think that's good um so and and of course this the one that you flew out to and that you ended up going to was in Chicago yes it was in what made me choose that great question um it was just flying in and just like seeing the area of the hospital that we were Touring that was in Downers Grove Illinois I just really like are yes Good Sam and Downers Grove um absolutely love the area was able to meet the president uh Ali Wier who is now the president of Lutheran General that's going to be in like the central Chicago land PSA and everything um meeting her and she is a former fellow of the program and so just hearing about how she went through the program and like now she's a whole president of a hospital now she's a PSA president and Hospital president uh it was just amazing to hear that and me thinking that could be me one day uh so it just really clicked with me and then one of the other big things that I love to tell people about why uh I chose this area is because when I came up here to interview uh I had to go to Target to go get snacks and this was probably the most amazing Target I had ever gone to and then after I went to Target I was hungry for dinner and I ended up walking to Jersey Mike's and and on my way to Jersey miks I saw that there was a barbecue spot and I absolutely love barbecue and that is my favorite restaurant that is in the city so that was cherry on top for me to move up here that's great definitely something uh I'm gonna have to pass on to our administrative Fellowship people as making sure we advertise our restaurants and Target locations that's that's a good uh those are some good points and then you so you mentioned you know that the inspiration was kind of seeing people within the the program that had gone up are are you considering staying with the same institution or are you looking elsewhere absolutely I am considering and hoping that I stay with Advocate Health especially since we are growing so instead of just being in the midwest so Illinois and Wisconsin we are now uh located in North Carolina South Carolina Alabama and Georgia so that gives me more opportunities um I can move down to a warmer State because I am from Florida and this Chicago weather is not my forte um but there's also just more to learn and more to see especially as our organization continues to grow that's great uh it sounds like a really good organization to be a part of and with kind of with that in mind as well what do you see yourself doing five or 10 years from now what is your kind of what are some things that really motivate you for the future that you're really excited about um five to 10 years from now good question uh so first and foremost my plan is to get my doctorate in Health Administration in the upcoming years um so with that once I get my doctor and everything I want to be able to go into universities and teach students that essentially look like me because I will say that is something that I kind of missed in my program was that I didn't have a person of color that was a professor that went through the same thing that I went through or has gone through the same thing so that's first and foremost so as I am a healthcare leader I also want to be a professor and share the knowledge that I learned throughout this whole process with other students that are going through this process um but from a leadership role great question I'm trying to figure that out still it'd be nice to be a hospital president um just being able to be in that like day-to-day motion that operation of how a hospital runs um and just to be able to like lead people but my downfall is that I just love to travel so much so I want to be able to juggle both of those being able to have that work life like Synergy uh while also like leading people but making sure I'm staying sane and being able to see the world yeah so a Consulting role or maybe uh a kind of corporate uh president that gets to travel to the different I mean since there's so many states now involved that would also be a cool opportunity I'm actually really interested about the the doctor of healthcare administration so I don't think there's that many Doctor of healthcare administration kind of programs it's more of a new kind of a new field I'm a huge supporter of doctorate programs I think that it's great to get people as knowledgeable in the practice and then also to share that with others have you already begun researching what doctorate programs you're looking at yes so between I've been toying between a DHA and a drph um but I think I'm leaning more towards the DHA just because um I want to continue in that Health Administration route um and just get more knowledge in there just because you also don't see a lot of individuals with that DHA um so I've been looking at programs uh and trying to figure out where my next move will be I've looked at some schools in South Carolina some in Georgia um and just trying to figure it out the benefit of that is that most of them are online so wherever I move to next I am able to do it while I'm still working that's great that's uh yeah that that'll be good being able to to apply to what you're learning or apply what you're doing to what you're learning and vice versa I think that'll be even even kind of a continuation would be really nice what do you feel like in terms of the equity kind of that we started to discuss a little bit what do you think that administrators at schools can do to make it more welcoming for diverse groups because you said yourself you didn't you even though you felt supported at your program you didn't always you to get people who looked like you yeah to be able to really network with what do you think schools could do better um so I don't know if it's a school issue or is it just leaders that aren't going into the education role um but if they can work hand inand just to get more I'm not going to say influence but more diversity of individuals that are in healthcare uh to start sharing their knowledge sharing their experiences with upand cominging students because um a lot of people need it I missed it I enjoyed my program I love my professors absolutely but it would have been nice to see maybe a black woman that was in healthcare leadership or or a black gentleman Or Hispanic Asian somebody that's had to that's kind of had to fight a little bit harder than their other counterparts uh in their program and also in their leadership role just because what I was told growing up is that I'm going to have to always work 10 times harder than my counterparts just because I'm not going to be seen as the same level as them so uh looking for those leaders that essentially look like the students that are applying to the program um and that are in the program would be very beneficial I mean I can't imagine I guess to that level what that would be like but I do know that in terms of income level I face challenges where sometimes there's groups where there's schools where everyone's a fairly High income especially you know I went to a private school and most of my tuition was covered by my employer but a lot of the students you know it's it's a private school with high tuition so a lot of people are paying out of pocket and people didn't always understand like my mentality in terms of trying to chase certain salary levels you know I'm already married I have family I'm trying to take care of and sometimes there was a disconnect between that that I had experienced and so I can't imagine kind of even amplifying that like you're saying having to work 10 times harder I feel like that's something that we really should address and I really hope that maybe we could have you on again in the future as you get your uh DHA to possibly kind of investigate further what uh we could do to improve that okay so another question that I had is you know you're a talented professionally you've been through mha program you're and you know starting to get close to the end of your fellowship but a lot of companies and Hospital Systems say that they have a hard time attracting talented individuals like yourself and they even have a harder time keeping them what are some experiences that you had you know you said you were interested in staying with Advocate Health what can other organizations learn from your you know good experiences that you've had to try to be better in ATT track talent and then keep the talent um so I will say Advocate has evolved um I feel like they're more up to date with certain things so we keep a lot of our talent here not just leadership but also just like Frontline employees and so one of their big things is just making sure like listening listening to employees and making sure that they're heard um and appreciating them so whether that's pay benefits um I know here specifically at Good Sam uh everybody knows everybody so just walking down the hallway and just speaking to someone or like listening to a story about their life or just hearing about their kids or something like that teammates appreciate that and I personally appreciate that so when I'm meeting with leaders I'm making sure they're meaningful conversations but also remembering what they tell me and hopefully they remember what I tell them so when we meet again maybe we can catch up and just be like hey how are the kids oh did you catch the football game or something like that so just making sure that uh organizations leadership are making meaningful connections with their teammates because nowadays people are quick to leave to go to uh another organization that might be paying a little more but not might not appreciate their staff the same yep I've I've seen that as well and I've seen the the differences between organizations that have that personal relationship and those that don't and it really does make a big difference like you said even people will leave even for a 5% pay increase so yeah I think those those personal relationships are important do you feel like your mha program and your fellowship equipped you to be a leader in an organization and I guess specifically a people leader sometimes people learn a lot of the book knowledge and they do really well but they struggle with people leadership do you feel like these programs can help people in that that area absolutely so being very vulnerable right now when I came into the fellowship and probably up until December um I really did not want to be a people leader yet just because I want to be able to have that confidence that knowledge and even that vocabulary when it comes to meading people but um after just like being in the fellowship talking to my preceptor reading and just taking like a holistic view of like where where I see myself further down the road I've decided that I want to be a people leader right after I finished the fellowship just because I need to get comfortable being uncomfortable and thinking about being a people leader kind of makes me uncomfortable but I know to get better in that role uh I need to be in it and practice it so I feel like in the fellowship it has absolutely prepared me along with my master's program because it's prepared me as well with networking and being able to walk into the room and talk to leaders that you know you get imposture syndrome or like intimidated by sometimes so so I feel like both of them absolutely prepared me and I still for sure have some things that I want to work on and I need to work on but the fact that I know that and those are things I'm actively working on I feel like puts me in a good position to become an even better leader that's encouraging to hear for me you know I'm not done with my MBA and uh I haven't really done a fellowship or anything like that yet and I know that I don't always feel confident being ready to be a people leader so it's nice to know that eventually I'll I'll get there I will too don't worry yeah I think I mean you seem like you're doing you're doing really good there I you know your your LinkedIn presence seems really great you know you speak with a tremendous amount of experience and passion and I think you know your goals especially surrounding Equity are really really important and I think that organizations who have a mind to the Future are going to see that in and realize your tal and I guess that's another question too is where do you think the healthcare industry is going in the next you know couple years what do you think the future of healthcare is great question because it's in our hands um in the next few years so hopefully it's going it's going to be even better than it is now just because there are some areas that we need to work on um but I do know like for instance AI is going to be something that's continuously talked about will probably be even more prevalent in the next 5 to 10 years so that's something we need to keep our eye on um but making sure that we're focusing on that like position burnout the nurse burn out and the Frontline staff burn out because everyone's tired from having that pandemic in 2020 and still having hardships that are happening now everyone's Burns Out people are leaving the healthcare industry um so I feel like with our generation that's coming up to become leaders uh making sure that we appreciate our staff so we can keep our staff let them know that they're the reason that we're still going um and just making sure that we continue to try to make it better just because the way it's looking right now it's it's up to us to fix it yeah I agree I think with epic we've seen that they're integrating some charting features with AI that are going to make it easier but there's also been some concerns about Ai and its impact on kind of equity some of the work that we've been doing some people are worried that it's going to kind of revert back on that you know have you seen anything yourself or had any concerns that some of these new technologies are going to actually lead to worse discrimination instead of better um I don't know so personally I haven't I've followed Ai and the new technologies and everything but I'm not going to lie to you it kind of scares me just because technology is so scary um in the way that it's going I've never used chat GPT I can't bring myself to do it uh but I know as we continue uh just seeing like how intricate technology AI all of that is it's it's going to be a little bit scary especially for like different departments um that could be taken over by technology and everything now I don't think healthcare leaders will disappear because of robots and everything but now we're doing more surgeries with robots and you know Central scheduling is done with automation almost so just paying attention to those different areas and remembering that we also have people that we can utilize instead of turning everything to technology that sometimes does not always work I appreciate that remember the people that's a very important uh that'll have to be a quote on a on the ad for this episode I like that um so I guess because some of the final questions you know we have grad students who are just starting their program we have those who are finishing their programs you know what are some of your recommendations for these graduate students now that you have the experience you've been through it yourself um so three words I will say network uh Network and um last one is to network just because nowadays it's kind of about who you know and not what you know and just being able to have that presence and that I guess the the confidence when you're going to talk to Big Wigs or people that you might want to work for one day um knowing how to speak to them how to be in those rooms you might have impostor syndrome I still get impostor syndrome but before I go into those rooms I do my power pose and I listen to my you know power up music and everything that's going to Make Me Brave when I go in there and then I handle my business accordingly so just networking uh making those meaningful connections because that's how you're going to get further into life so I make sure when I'm going into different rooms and everything whether it's at my organization or at other organizations meeting with other people I'll throw in my best friend who is also healthcare administrator down in Florida or one of my other good friends that's uh in his Fellowship over in Detroit Michigan so making sure that I like name drop wherever I am and making those connections with people people that will probably help me further down the line I think that's excellent advice how do you how did you get started networking I I know for me at first I was really terrified to contact anyone who wasn't uh directly at my like my peer level so you know how did you get started with that um honestly I think it's like a genetic kind of thing because my dad can talk to anyone and everyone and I am my father's child so wherever I go I could be at a restaurant talking to the waiter or waitress hey where you from where are your people from where did you go to school at what do you want to do long term do you know this person so since I was young I've been practicing networking and it has brought me a long way um and so it's just something I continue to do that's great that's nice to have those those genetics but also good advice as well you know just to to strike off those normal conversations with people I think is can be really powerful so that's that's really great I really appreciate you so much coming on uh you know we're just starting the series and we've been able to to have really excellent conversations with people like yourself and I know it takes a lot of time out of your day but I think it's really meaningful for our audience so I want to thank you so much for coming on and speaking with us absolutely thank you for having me Cole</p>
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