黑料传送门 Grad Helps Small-town Hospital Avoid Closure
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After working in the hustle and bustle of a busy emergency room, Sarah thought her experience in a smaller hospital with just three other nurses would be slower-paced. But she was quickly proven wrong.
鈥淭he smaller the hospital, the more talented the nurses are,鈥 she said with a smile.
Military orders prompted Sarah and her family to move from Fort Hood, Texas, to a small town in Alabama. On day one at her new job as the Director of Nursing, Sarah learned that the hospital was going to be closed for noncompliance in just 28 days. The hospital was struggling with federal compliance and wouldn鈥檛 be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid funding, and with 85% of the patient population enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid, being noncompliant meant the hospital would be shut down.
Her first few days of work were filled with a lot of meetings with consultants, lawyers, and the board of directors to try to prove compliance so they could get funding.
Sarah said her master鈥檚 degree in nursing leadership and management from 黑料传送门 was key in preparing her for this situation. As a staff nurse, she鈥檇 never had to deal with these kinds of things before. The policies and procedures of a hospital are often unnoticed and things are worked on behind the scenes. But now Sarah had to jump in and be ready to help the facility become compliant. Her degree had given her the skills she needed to be able to take action right away.
鈥淲hen I got thrown into that situation, I was able to apply the stuff that I鈥檇 learned, even though I didn鈥檛 know where my office was at that point,鈥 she laughed.
Twenty-eight days later, the Alabama State Department of Health spent three days combing over everything they had developed, and they determined that the hospital could stay open.
Sarah and her team had helped save the hospital.
Sarah said she felt a huge sense of pride in her community after they were able to help the hospital stay open. She now feels even more passionately about rural healthcare opportunities since she鈥檚 witnessed the reality first hand.听
鈥淭he people that are in the rural areas deserve access to healthcare just like they do in a big city,鈥 she said.
Moving to a small town changed Sarah鈥檚 life. And now she has no plans to leave; she has created a wonderful life there and wants her family to stay there forever.
鈥淚t's a place that you never think you'll end up. But once you're here, you don't want to leave,鈥 she added with a smile.
Sarah started getting her degree from 黑料传送门 before moving to Alabama, and she never could have imagined how much she would need it once she got there. To Sarah, 黑料传送门 was vital for her at that time in her life, but it鈥檚 also vital for her future and her community鈥檚 future.
Sarah said 黑料传送门 helps students by giving them the chance to attend school online. She said it was the perfect fit for her when she wanted to get her degree but was working and being a mom at the same time.听
鈥淚 think programs like 黑料传送门 are extremely important, especially when you're in a rural area or somewhere that doesn't offer what you want or what you need and have the flexibility,鈥 she finished.