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Networking dinner connects business and healthcare

The healthcare industry is comprised of more than just doctors and nurses, needles and nightgowns. It’s also made up of accountants and marketers, data and management. To recognize this, Bradley will host its 3rd annual Business of Healthcare networking dinner April 4.

Because of their deep connection to HMFA, or the Healthcare Financial Management Association, the Center for Professional Excellence is helping coordinate the event.

Samantha Ponce, program coordinator at the Center for Professional Excellence, encourages all interested students to attend, whether they’re studying business or medicine.

“[The event] is definitely for business majors, but it’s for anyone interested,” Ponce said. “Last year when we had this event, we had a lot of nursing majors come, because you never know when you’re going to cross over to a different career. Gary Tupper, one of the panelists last year who is coming back this year, was a nursing major and is now in management.”

Angela Settles, director of the Center for Professional Excellence, recommends health majors become familiar with the business side of the industry. She said she believes doing so makes students more marketable.

“It kind of happens a lot where political professionals or technical professionals in that area – so nurses, EMTs, clinicians as they say – are in situations where a hospital is hiring within, and now they need a manager of the department,” Settles said. “They look at the pool of technical and clinician professionals, which is why it’s beneficial for, say, a nursing student to attend such [an] event.”

The event will include a panel of five healthcare business professionals, from which three are Bradley alumni. They will discuss specific business careers within the healthcare industry, the qualifications for those careers, available resources for starting future careers and the benefits of an HMFA student membership.

“Hopefully, [students] will at least learn a little bit about potential career opportunities, maybe even gain connections for potential internships, and to just gain some skills in networking,” Ponce said.

According to Settles, this event will offer students great professional experience and exposure.

“In conjunction with the Smith Career Center, we are providing a list of tips for students who sign up for the event. It includes networking tips and more specific information,” Settles said.

She said she also believes the event will benefit more than just Bradley students.

“It’s an opportunity for alums to give back,” Settles said. “And, of course, events like these better prepare Bradley students to be successful in the workforce.”

The event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center’s Peplow Pavilion. A free dinner will be provided. Interested students should sign up before March 30 at https://www.bradley.edu/academic/cio/edc/development/healthcare/.

For more information on the event, contact Ponce at sponce@bradley.edu.

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