CLM program brings together three alums working at UK HealthCare
The clinical leadership and management program (CLM) at the UK College of Health Sciences strives to provide graduates with the expertise to meet the health needs of Kentucky and beyond as future health care administrators. This is exactly what the CLM program was able to do for Lisa Bellamy, Britan Schenk, and Victoria Ivanov, who are all alums of the program and work together at the UK HealthCare/Norton Healthcare — Stroke Care Network.
The Stroke Care Network is tri-state and comprised of Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia. There are currently 33 hospitals included and that number continues to grow.
The network’s mission is to create or support stroke systems of care by providing education about cutting-edge stroke care and sharing resources that assist hospitals in developing focused stroke programs. These resources may range from treatment protocols, to processes that facilitate raising public awareness and recognition of stroke symptoms.
When a hospital joins the network, there is usually a learning curve. The Stroke Care Network trains the hospital staff on both the administrative side and the clinical side on how best to treat patients who experience strokes.
Lisa Bellamy, BHS, RN, CPHQ, came to the clinical leadership and management program as a non-traditional student. She decided to pursue a degree in CLM after her career as a nurse for more than twenty years and having served as managing director of the Stroke Care Network for a number of years.
“I wanted to further my career and thought that the CLM program would be the perfect way to increase my knowledge in health care administration,” she said. “The CLM program was designed so those of us who work full-time are able to both work and go to school.”
“Most of what I knew about health care administration was from learning along the way, so I lacked some of the formalities about the technical aspects,” Bellamy continued. “The CLM program has helped me refine my skills. This gained knowledge helps me do a better job in my current role.”
Britan Schenk, who is originally from North Carolina, started her college career wanting to pursue nursing, but quickly learned the clinical world wasn’t the right fit for her. She found the CLM program and discovered her place in the health care world.
“The shadowing and practicum requirements were really valuable and helped me grow immensely as a health care administrator,” Schenk said.
Bellamy and Schenk actually met in the CLM program, which is where Bellamy first saw Schenk’s talent and commitment. Later Schenk completed her practicum work with Bellamy at the Stroke Care Network; her exemplary performance and outstanding skills stood out as an employee anyone would want working in their department.
Even before graduating from the CLM program, Schenk was working at the Stroke Care Network as an administrative associate. Her responsibilities include assisting Bellamy with network leadership, scheduling all network activities, event planning, web design, data management and community education.
“Britan is basically my right hand-woman,” Bellamy said. “Her dedication is a major reason the network has been so successful.”
Victoria Ivanov has only been working at the Stroke Care Network for a short time but has already made a big impact. Ivanov completed her CLM practicum with the program and her work ethic impressed Bellamy. “I hired her right after she graduated,” Bellamy said.
“I’m still learning so much about the network and I look forward to working with Lisa and Britan to help contribute to its continuous growth and success,” Ivanov said.
“CLM provided us with a broad overview of the administrative knowledge and skills all of us need in our current roles,” Bellamy continued. “The CLM program brought us all together and now we have the privilege of using that knowledge to better stroke patient care across Kentucky and beyond.”