Kevin Arney has a story to tell. It is the story of how motivation and hard work coupled with having the proper credentials at the right time can lead to new career opportunities.
The 2017 graduate of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College’s Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) finished the program in July; within a couple of months, in September, he found himself starting a new job as administrative house supervisor — with total evening administrative responsibility — in a hospital just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
A registered nurse with close to 12 years experience, Arney has always had the drive for leadership. He knew his passion would lead him to move into hospital administration in some capacity, and he was pleased that it didn’t take long before he saw the career benefit of his decision to earn an MHA.
“MHA has led me down that path [to administration] a little bit further. I really feel that it’s opening some doors for me that may not have been open before,” Arney, a Terre Haute native who now lives in Tennessee, said. “MHA gave me the skillset and confidence to pursue and open those doors.”
MHA is a graduate program which offers flexibility to learners to earn a master’s degree within a year — online. Although Arney completed the program under its former hybrid format (before it was redesigned into a fully online program last year), he identified having a virtual classroom with the flexibility to study remotely as a big advantage for him.
From the program, Arney said he gained not only the technical skills and knowledge needed in his field but also a different perspective about healthcare administration. He said the program instilled in him the confidence and ability to think outside the box.
He intends to carry these MHA benefits to the top of his career ladder. To fellow healthcare professionals who have dreams of aspiring higher, he says, “Don’t be afraid to try. Don’t be afraid to lean in, reach out and shoot for the stars.”