Her Story
About Colleen
I originally attended college to pursue a degree in Agriculture Business Management with the intention of eventually taking over my family’s ranching operation. Growing up in a rural agricultural environment taught me the value of hard work, adaptability, and problem-solving from an early age. However, as the industry evolved and I started building a family of my own, I realized I also needed the stability, benefits, and long-term opportunities that came with a professional career.
Coming from a family largely rooted in military service and healthcare, I decided to take a chance on healthcare operations by starting in a front desk role within a family practice clinic. What began as an unexpected career path quickly became something I genuinely enjoyed. I discovered an ability to quickly learn workflows, systems, and operational processes across multiple areas of the healthcare environment.
As my knowledge of Epic and healthcare operations expanded, I was recruited into training roles supporting front desk operations, clinic registration, scanning workflows, and billing processes across the health system. I developed a passion for helping others understand complex systems and improving workflows that directly impact both staff efficiency and patient experience.
My desire to continue learning and growing eventually led me into the Community Connect space, where I now serve as both a Customer Success Manager and Financial Success Manager. In this role, I work closely with physician practices to support operational readiness, optimize workflows, improve financial processes, and help healthcare teams navigate increasing staffing and technology demands.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is helping bridge the gap between healthcare operations and healthcare IT. As staffing shortages continue across the industry, our focus is centered on creating efficient, sustainable workflows and ensuring providers and staff have the tools they need to continue delivering quality patient care.
In 2026, I was selected to present at Epic’s Community Connect Collaborative conference, where I shared insights related to operational readiness, healthcare workflow optimization, and client partnership strategies within Community Connect environments.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Colleen
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute much of my success to the work ethic and resilience I learned growing up in a rural agricultural environment. I was raised to take pride in my work, follow through on commitments, and approach challenges with a solution-oriented mindset. Those values have stayed with me throughout my career.
I have also been fortunate to be surrounded by strong women who demonstrated perseverance, leadership, and independence through both personal and professional challenges. Their influence taught me the importance of accountability, adaptability, and continuously pursuing growth opportunities.
Professionally, I have always been willing to step outside my comfort zone and learn new areas quickly. That willingness to continuously expand my knowledge has allowed me to grow from frontline clinic operations into healthcare IT, revenue cycle training, and leadership roles supporting large physician networks.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be open to opportunities that may not initially fit the career path you imagined for yourself. Some of the most rewarding professional experiences come from stepping into unfamiliar roles and being willing to learn.
Healthcare and healthcare IT are constantly evolving industries, and adaptability is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. Do not underestimate the value of frontline operational experience, communication skills, and relationship-building. Those skills often become just as important as technical expertise.
Most importantly, advocate for yourself, continue learning, and do not be afraid to take on challenges that push you outside your comfort zone. Growth often happens in the moments where you are willing to try something new.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in healthcare right now is balancing increasing operational demands with ongoing staffing shortages across both clinical and administrative teams. Healthcare organizations are continually being asked to do more with fewer resources, which places significant pressure on providers, support staff, and operational teams alike.
At the same time, there is a major opportunity in leveraging healthcare technology and artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and reduce administrative burden. We are seeing rapid growth in tools that assist with clinical documentation, workflow automation, chart review, and data accessibility, allowing providers and staff to spend more time focusing on patient care rather than manual processes.
However, as healthcare becomes more dependent on technology, system reliability and workflow continuity become even more critical. When systems experience downtime or technical disruptions, the impact can be immediate and significant, especially in already short-staffed environments. That creates additional pressure for healthcare IT and operational support teams to ensure systems remain stable, efficient, and user-friendly.
I believe one of the greatest opportunities in the industry right now is improving collaboration between operational teams, clinical staff, and healthcare IT to create workflows that are both efficient and sustainable for the long term.
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