Adrienne Elms
BBA with a concentration in Healthcare Management

Meet Adrienne Elms

At age 26, as a Senior Consultant for Strategic Planning for a large healthcare organization, Adrienne Elms is on a career fast track. Getting there, however, required a few hurdles, one of which was earning a Bachelor's degree. "At the age of 16, I began working as a part-time information technology technician for a 72-bed inpatient treatment facility in Arizona. By the time I turned 19, I was the Director of IT. It was exciting. I was compensated very well, respected as a professional and on the fast track at my company while my friends were slaving away at fast-food restaurants."

With such a high level of career success at a young age, it can be easy to think that a college education is not necessary. Adrienne soon realized, however, that continuing her education was necessary in order to keep her career on the fast track. "I turned down a full scholarship at a state university because I was convinced that I did not need to earn a college degree in order to be successful in my career. But my life changed after I got married and relocated to California. I was surprised to find that, despite my experience, larger healthcare organizations would not offer me a management position without a college degree. I had only two choices if I wanted to get another position such as IT Director - start over as an IT technician and work my up again or earn a degree."

Adrienne decided to attend a community college, but struggled with her career choices and soon faced another hurdle. "I love the healthcare profession, but I was not sure that I loved IT enough to start over again in that field. So, I accepted a position as an administrative assistant to a nursing director and enrolled at a community college. I completed my first two years of undergraduate education, working during the day and attending classes at night. But after I had children, attending classes in a traditional setting was no longer possible and I began looking into online learning. I enrolled in some online courses through a community college, but I was disappointed with the format. Then I found AIU Online and I quickly put both my education and career back on track."

AIU Online offers degree programs that can fit in very well with the career goals and lifestyles of ambitious working mothers like Adrienne. "The completely online format, with accelerated programs and flexible scheduling, enabled me to earn my Bachelor's degree while fulfilling my family obligations. Advancing in my career required a degree, but my lifestyle required online learning and AIU Online fit my needs perfectly. AIU Online gave me what I needed most – a way to attend school with my toddlers in the room with me and a degree program that would help me advance in the healthcare industry."

Adrienne chose to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management. "Earning my degree through AIU Online immediately paid off for me. I had been taking courses geared towards nursing management, but I also kept my options open with an eye on the big picture. During the six years I worked as an assistant, I learned as much as I could from my peers and volunteered for projects such as writing software for a medical records review that was implemented in over 20 hospitals. I gained recognition through my work and was fortunate enough to earn a position as an assistant to the Chief Financial Officer, who was aware I was enrolled in AIU Online."

Combining a solid work ethic with higher education through AIU Online soon paid off for Adrienne. "About halfway through my degree program, I was promoted to the position of financial analyst where I acted as Chief Analyst for the hospital. My hands-on experience certainly helped me earn promotions, but I feel enrolling in a Bachelor's degree program made the difference. Thanks to the accounting and finance courses I had taken through AIU Online, I was able to show my supervisor that I have the knowledge and skills as well as the experience he was looking for in a financial analyst."

Once Adrienne completed her Bachelor's degree through AIU Online, success seems to follow her wherever she goes. "When my husband finished his military commitment, we decided to relocate back to Arizona. I soon found my Bachelor's degree had opened new doors for me. Within a week after sending my résumé out, I was offered a position over the phone with a community hospital network and four months later I was promoted to the Senior Consultant in Strategic Planning. I now have many responsibilities in my community and the hospital system in assessing healthcare utilization and providing access to the types of care in highest demand. The analytical research and strategic planning knowledge I learned through AIU Online have proven very relevant and valuable in my current position. In fact, I still keep my textbooks from AIU Online on my desk so I can refer back to them!"

Adrienne chooses to remain on a career fast track and feels AIU Online can continue to help her advance in her career opportunities. "The hospital system I work for is the only Magnet Accredited system in the state and has very high standards for management level positions, one of which is earning a Master's degree. I have once again enrolled through AIU Online to earn an MBA with a concentration in Accounting and Finance and I plan on continuing on to earn a second MBA concentration or PhD in the future. My husband, inspired by my success, has also enrolled through AIU Online. I would like the use my Master's degree to advance to a position as a CFO for a large hospital or HMO. Before AIU Online, I felt like I was at an impasse in my career. Now, I feel like my career potential is almost limitless."

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