In our Alumni Career Spotlight series, you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world.
Kimberly Osborne
Employer: Damar Services, Inc
Current position: Compliance Improvement Coordinator
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Degree(s): Health Services Management, IUPUI, 2022
Why did you choose your major/program?
The reason I chose health services management is because I want to help make a difference in health care for both employees and patients/clients. I’ve worked in health care for five years in direct patient care. I got to learn a lot about myself during that time.
What I learned is that I have a strong interest in policy, performance, and quality improvement, along with training. Another reason I chose this major is because it gave me a good foundation of understanding about health care management. This is important to me because I was able to apply to the MHA program at Fairbanks with confidence and secure my goal to obtain a master’s degree to continue giving back to the community and the health care industry.
Briefly describe your career path.
I started out as a patient care technician and was in that role for five years between two hospitals. During that time I was a student, which is when I did an internship at Damar in their HR department. This internship was important and gave me clerical experience that I did not have. From there, I was able to make connections and get into the performance and quality improvement department at Damar as a compliance improvement coordinator.
What advice would you give your college self about pursuing your current career path or industry?
I would say to be move involved and make more connections not only within the school but outside too. Connections is what will help make job searching more successful. Also, to volunteer more! I’ve learned that you can gain connections and experiences from this and employers love to see this.
What is the most significant thing that’s happened to you since graduating?
Finding a job seemed to take longer than I had anticipated, especially finding something that I felt would interest me. I didn’t want a job just anywhere. I wanted to stay in health care. After a lot of searching and patience, I was able to reconnect with the HR team at Damar and secure a position in the performance and quality improvement department, which is one of the things that interests me. So, I’d say that it was worth the wait and patience to find the right position for myself.
What’s next for you?
I was accepted into the MHA program at Fairbanks. I will be attending in the fall of 2024. Right now, I will be learning and growing in my new position as the compliance improvement coordinator at Damar.
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