Director of Quality and Patient Safety
Sanford Health
Fargo, ND

What is your background? 

I grew up in Annandale, Minnesota. I graduated from St. Cloud State University in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in biomedical science and a minor in chemistry. During my undergraduate degree, I actively participated in a student organization, which provided a number of community volunteer and networking opportunities. Working in a microbiology lab on-campus provided me with great bench-top lab knowledge, and serving as a certified nursing assistant in a nursing home gave me clinical health experience. I was also fortunate enough to travel to Bangalore, India for an internship. All of these experiences were influential in my decision to pursue a career in public health!

What did you specialize in at NDSU?

I completed my Master of Public Health degree at NDSU in May 2016, and specialized in the Management of Infectious Disease track.

How did the NDSU MPH prepare you for the workforce?

The NDSU Master of Public Health program absolutely prepared me for a career in public health and health care. The program provided me with a wealth of public health knowledge, ranging from the preventing and treating infectious diseases that threaten public health to understanding how public health organizations operate at a local, state and national level. The program also provided me with a variety of skills that have been instrumental in my career such as: the ability to analyze, interpret and communicate data both through written and oral venues, critical thinking, and systems thinking approach to improvement. The NDSU Public Health Association student organization also helped prepare me for my current career, as it provided me with leadership experience and opportunities to network within the Fargo-Moorhead community.

There are many opportunities within the program, or through faculty networks, to conduct or be involved in research or public health program development and evaluation. The practicum experience is an invaluable way to gain knowledge, skills and connections in whichever field of public health interests you the most. The MPH faculty have years of public health experience and are eager to help you succeed in your research, project or practicum experience. There are also many opportunities to publish and present your work locally and nationally. The academic and practical experience that the NDSU MPH program provided absolutely prepared me for a career in healthcare.

What is your current position or academic pursuit?

I currently serve at the Director of Quality and Patient Safety at Sanford Health in Fargo. In this role, I have the opportunity to intersect healthcare and public health.

How are you impacting the health of North Dakotans? 

Healthcare reform is changing the way health systems approach the care they provide. It is essential for us to take systems approach to keeping our patients and communities healthy, and we must do so through a population and public health approach. At Sanford Health, we serve many communities in North Dakota. The work we do in healthcare quality and patient safety impacts the health of North Dakotan’s residing in these communities, both inside and outside of the four walls of our facilities.