Hard Work, Team Work Boost MHA Alum Timm

Hard Work, Team Work Boost MHA Alum Timm

By Dan Silvia, Communications Manager

As a former college ice hockey player, Kelly Timm knows all about team work.

“You learn to work hard, even when you're tired,” she said. “You learn to be a team player; to work together and achieve together!”

Timm, who recently accepted a position as Radiology Manager at Gensys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, Michigan, can count Bellevue University and Mid Michigan Community College as part of her team. The two schools have also formed a winning combination having recently signed a Premier Partnership agreement.

Timm earned an Associate’s degree in Radiologic Technology from Mid Michigan in 2008 to kick off her career and a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) from Bellevue University in 2014 to help boost her into management.

“As a Radiology Manager, I focus more on the day-to-day operations, but still have involvement in strategic initiatives within the health system,” Timm said. “We are currently working to align our location with other regional sites so that regardless of site, the patient (or customer) can expect the same quality and results. Other daily tasks include quality assurance initiatives, problem solving, and optimization of current systems.”

Timm said her MHA degree helped move her resume to the top of the pile when applying for her latest position.

“I think it's simply allowed me to compete for jobs at a higher level than my peers and gave me an upper hand with regard to field insight based on the curriculum,” she said.

Timm was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American as a member of the women’s ice hockey team at Wisconsin-Superior before finishing her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology at St. Cloud State in Minnesota. However, shortly after graduating Timm realized that a career in that field would require some personal sacrifices in both the short and long term that she wasn’t sure she wanted to make. Enter Mid Michigan and its Radiologic Technology program.

“Mid-Michigan was willing to give me a chance to start pursuing a career earlier than other colleges which initially peaked my interest,” Timm said. “But I wanted to ensure that it was going to be the right fit for me. After meeting the Program Director and Clinical Director, I had confidence that I would obtain a solid education both in lecture and clinical, and I did.”

With an eye on moving into management, Timm began looking at MHA programs.

“Local programs at big name colleges didn't offer night programs in the field of Healthcare Administration. I landed on Bellevue University because they have an accelerated program which allowed me to graduate in 18 months. When I spoke with the professors, I had the same feeling I did with Mid-Michigan Community College and felt confident that I would walk away with another quality education. Bellevue wasn't pushy and commercial like other colleges, and that really attracted me.”

Timm particularly enjoyed the interaction with students from around the country in the online classroom.

“I enjoyed meeting and collaborating with people who chose the same path as me in life-some in Radiology and some in Nursing,” she said. “It allowed me to have a platform to connect with others on and gain insight into the challenges they experienced overall and on a day-to-day basis. The reflection and discussion on the Discussion Boards were a great platform to soak up a lot of intellectual speak as well as insight.”