Monday, October 20, 2008
Healthcare administrator is alumna in residence
 Shelby Collins M.H.A. ’05, director of the St. Mary’s Center for Children in Evansville, will be alumna in residence on Tuesday, October 28, for the College of Nursing and Health Professions. A former dental hygienist, Collins will speak on transitioning to leadership in a presentation at 1:30 p.m. in Mitchell Auditorium of the Health Professions Center. “My desire to be in a healthcare leadership position has evolved over the years,” she said. “Some might say that I took a crooked road to get there, but I feel that all of my experiences along the way have been building a foundation for the position that I am in now.” Collins was named to her present position in 2006. The St. Mary’s Center for Children includes a pediatric sub-specialty clinic, feeding disorder clinic, autism program, services in child psychology, and resource center. The pediatric sub-specialty clinic brings nationally known physicians in eight fields to Evansville on a monthly basis. Collins said, “It is important for us to offer this care at St. Mary’s so families do not have to travel to other cities.” Her responsibilities with St. Mary’s also include serving as director of a general pediatric practice and an acute care after-hours pediatric practice. An Evansville native, Collins earned a certificate in dental assisting in 1995, an associate degree in dental hygiene in 1997, a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene education in 1998, and a master’s degree in health administration in 2005 — all at USI. After completing the dental assisting program, she entered the dental hygiene program to enhance her career independence. “I liked the aspect of being in charge of my own schedule and working on my own versus dental assisting where you’re dependent upon the dentist’s schedule,” she said. After earning an associate degree in dental hygiene, she continued in the dental hygiene education program for the satisfaction of completing a bachelor’s degree. A turning point for Collins was accepting a job in 2000 as a dental hygienist with the new St. Mary’s Mobile Dental Clinic for children. As one of the first staff members, she helped develop the program and acquaint area school administrators and teachers with the importance of its services. “That position provided me the opportunity to see the inner workings of a hospital. I liked being a part of the operations of the Mobile Dental Clinic. I took at active role in helping to lead this program and enjoyed the aspects of the position that allowed me to develop community partnerships, offer input into daily operations, and assume responsibility that was not available to me while working in the private practice setting. It was largely because of this experience that I decided to investigate getting a master’s degree with the intent to possibly become eligible for an administrative position,” she said. Collins said the graduate program in health administration provided important experiences for her as she moved from the field of dental hygiene to learn about leadership. “Many of my classmates — most St. Mary’s Medical Center employees — had quite a bit of leadership experience,” she said. “What I took away from their experiences was invaluable. I often reference many of these examples in my own practical application daily. Being fairly new to this position and to administration, I continue every day to learn from those around me. Fortunately for me, I continue to be surrounded by excellent leaders.” Collins completed an internship during the master’s program under the direction of the executive director of the St. Mary’s Physician Network. As alumna in residence, Collins also will meet with students in dental hygiene and health services classes and participate in a luncheon with College of Nursing and Health Professions faculty. Betty Vawter News & Information Services bvawter@usi.edu |
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