Brendan Ferris
Executive Track – 2024
Q: Where were you prior to MSHM?
A: For the past 3 years, I’ve been working at IU Health in Financial Operations, serving as a Senior Lead Financial Analyst and volunteering as a Unit Secretary at Simon Cancer Center. Prior to my time at IU Health, I worked at third-party revenue cycle company called Zotec Partners LLC. I’ve spent the last 7 years working either directly in healthcare or indirectly as a third-party vendor. It sometimes hurts to admit that my MSHM cohort started 10 years after I graduated from IU.
Q: Can you share insight into your year thus far in the ECBLS course?
A: The ECBLS coursework has been incredibly helpful for me. I’ve legitimately applied lessons taken from each class to my current role IUH. The classes are presented as a more “high level” application of each of the related fields, but in reality, the material is very applicable to most job functions and can provide an immediate benefit.
Q: What are you hoping to gain from your Executive MSHM experience?
A: I really want to gain a better understanding of the decisions that are made at the higher levels of a hospital system. My career goal is become a high-level administrator within a large hospital system, so having the insight into the “whys” of the decisions is very important to me, and something that I know this program can provide.
Q: Do you feel supported by program faculty and staff?
A: I do feel supported by the faculty and staff. Anytime I have any questions or concerns, Lyndsey gets back to me very quickly. Our regular check-ins with April are also very helpful, she’s been incredibly supportive of us and has helped coach me through some challenging projects at work. Our ECBLS professors have also been incredibly helpful and supportive, they are very timely in their responses to any questions or concerns. Like April, George has also mentored me through some projects at work.
Q: What is your favorite part of the MSHM program thus far?
A: My favorite part so far has been attending the events that are sponsored by the CBLS office and iHen. I highly recommend that future, and current, students attend as many of those events as possible. They’re great networking opportunities and provide insight into the current state of healthcare at a local and national level.
Q: Do you feel connected to your peers (in your cohort)?
A: Yes, I feel very connected to my peers. There are 4 of us in the cohort, and when our schedules allow for it, we grab dinner at least once a month. We have our own regular check-ins during our classes, mostly reminders of due dates or if our class times have changed. Having a good group of people that can support each other, and have fun with, has made this first year go by really well. We are actually planning a day out on Lake Monroe after we finish our capstone in July.