Her Story
About Nicole
My career has been dedicated to the post-acute care industry for 25 years, focusing on all aspects of care after a hospital stay including nursing facilities, home health, hospice, therapy, and pharmacy. I started in revenue cycle management and after earning my master's in health information management, I moved into our company's IT department where I now serve as a director of applications and analytics. In this capacity, I manage 7 business lines and oversee 83 applications across 5 EHRs to support our entire post-acute care operations. I'm passionate about leveraging AI and technology to transform our industry. We've deployed AI to automate manual, mundane work like insurance verification and data entry, giving staff dashboards that highlight what needs action. On the clinical side, we're using AI to scan records to identify missing documentation and predict which patients might be at risk for rehospitalization or UTIs, allowing us to be more proactive in patient care. I'm currently working on my doctorate in health information management, and I see myself in the next 5 years owning my own health information management consulting company and serving as an adjunct professor. I feel compelled to shine a spotlight on post-acute care in the health information field, because many people don't realize there's health IT in nursing homes. I want to share this segment of the healthcare journey with younger students and professionals to develop a larger pipeline of talent in the field.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nicole
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute everything to the Lord, because I can see what's in front of me, but the Lord can see what's around the corner. No matter how much I prepare or what I think, if it wasn't from Him, I wouldn't be where I am now. I feel like I'm still on a journey, because I'm just enjoying the work I do, I'm enjoying my family, I'm enjoying my hobbies, and what comes of it, comes of it. I don't even feel like I'm successful yet, I feel like I'm on a journey, and I'm grateful for every step of it.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I work in IT, which is male-dominated and doesn't have as many women. I would recommend women to network and don't be afraid to join IT organizations or volunteer. I participate in one called Tech Allies, which is a bunch of IT professionals including CIOs, CTOs, and directors, and it's all about networking and helping each other. It doesn't matter which field you're in, whether healthcare, retail, or business, IT is IT, and it gives you that common bond and collaboration. I would recommend women in particular to expand more in healthcare IT or IT itself. Don't be afraid to put yourself in rooms where you may not see others that look like you. It's okay to be vulnerable in that space, because the opportunities are incredible, but you won't know that unless you're vulnerable enough to take that first step and get that exposure.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I've learned that you have to be organized and have a plan, but you also have to be adaptive when things don't work out the way you thought they would. I always have my priorities, and I know what my boundaries are. I'm at an age now where I'm okay with saying no to things that I may have said yes to years ago, because I have my boundaries and I know what my priorities are. That's very important. That's how you can really balance it all - you set your priorities, you write them down, you remind yourself, and you know it's okay to say no. Life will go on. I'm part of the sandwich generation, caring for my parents, my young adult children, and my grandchildren, while also being active in my church, my ministry, and my sorority. It ebbs and flows, but knowing my priorities and boundaries helps me balance it all.
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