Experience is a great teacher. But for Nicole Wolfe, transitioning from working directly with patients as an occupational therapist to creating company-wide standard operating procedures as a healthcare administrator meant that she小蝌蚪APP檇 need more than just experience.
小蝌蚪APP淚 wanted to have a better foundational knowledge of what is driving the decisions that we小蝌蚪APP檙e having to make in health care.小蝌蚪APP
She wanted the concepts delivered through the Graduate Certificate in Population Health.
小蝌蚪APP淢y search ended right there,小蝌蚪APP says Wolfe. 小蝌蚪APP淚 mean it just absolutely fit what I was looking for.小蝌蚪APP
From Clinician to Healthcare Administrator
As an occupational therapist, Wolfe began her career in Kansas working in home healthcare treating patients who had suffered traumatic brain injuries.
Wolfe remained in home health, even as she and her husband moved from Kansas to Texas to Louisiana.
She had experience writing programs to support consistency among therapists and full transitioned to a new role when the Louisiana agency she worked for grew into a national home health company.
"As we acquired new agencies and staff, there was a need to create consistency for therapists and patients across the United States,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淭hat小蝌蚪APP檚 when I crossed the threshold from hands-on, in-home therapy to managing therapy programs for the company to ensure that we were confident with the way that our patients were being cared for.小蝌蚪APP
To continue developing programs, policies and procedures for the growing company, Wolfe did everything she could to stay on top of changing regulations and structures, whether it was through her own research or making sure she was in the right meetings.
However, Wolfe wanted to supplement her experience and independent learning in order to be proactive in her position.
小蝌蚪APP淚 thought, 小蝌蚪APP楬ow can I better predict what my company needs to do and be in five years?小蝌蚪APP It's really to go back and learn and build the foundation that I never had,小蝌蚪APP she says.
Building the Foundation
For Wolfe, time investment was as important as the accessibility of the program she小蝌蚪APP檇 pursue.
UL Lafayette delivered on both fronts.
Students can complete the 12-hour program online in as few as two semesters.
Moreover, the graduate certificate program is specifically designed for clinicians, administrators, managers, and analysts in health care and public health who want to advance their understanding of the policies and strategies that shape health outcomes.
小蝌蚪APP淚 didn't want to take more than a year to complete what I needed to do and what I wanted to learn, and my desire was for something that was either online or hybrid so I didn't have to be away from home,小蝌蚪APP says Wolfe. 小蝌蚪APP淟o and behold, I found that UL Lafayette had a program 100% online that I was able to juggle better with my family and my job."
And once she enrolled in the program, she found the content also delivered.
小蝌蚪APP淚've gotten a lot out of the coursework,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚've been able to apply everything that I've learned to what I do. It's been interesting.小蝌蚪APP
Now, Wolfe is moving forward with a new position in a new company, where she小蝌蚪APP檒l have the opportunity to leverage her decades of experience alongside the knowledge she小蝌蚪APP檚 gained through the Graduate Certificate in Population Health.
小蝌蚪APP淚t's a great opportunity to apply what I've been able to do in the past to drive them toward the new day of health care,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 have greater confidence in driving change and decisions, because I better understood the why and not just the technical aspects of the changes in health care.小蝌蚪APP