MacKenzie Beyer began college certain of one thing about her future. She would be helping others.
It wasn’t until her sophomore year at The University of Toledo — when she learned about healthcare administration as a major — that her advisor added clarity to Beyer’s certainty.
“I knew after talking with my advisor that this was what I really could see myself doing,” said Beyer, a 22-year-old senior graduating in December. “Discovering this opportunity was a huge piece of the puzzle for my professional and career goals.”
Beyer
For Beyer, a Hopkinsville, Ky., native who grew up in Toledo, UToledo has been in her “backyard” for most of her life and for years has factored into her short-term collegiate plans.
“I figured I would enroll at The University of Toledo and maybe end up transferring to another university after a few semesters,” she said. Instead, she left another university for The University of Toledo.
“After connecting with the campus, I knew that UToledo was really the place for me,” Beyer said. “I feel like I have made great connections with my professors who have had real experience in the healthcare industry and have offered me great advise and expertise.
“In one of my classes, we were able to come visit The University of Toledo Medical Center when Dan Barbee was the CEO. He gave us a tour of the facilities, answered our questions and gave us insight into his career,” she added. “It was really beneficial to make that connection from the classroom to the workplace, especially in an organization where teaching and education is so important.”
As a healthcare administrator, Beyer will “manage, lead and administer” healthcare organizations such as hospitals, healthcare systems, ambulatory services, nursing homes and even health insurance companies, and work directly with a variety of departments including human resources, marketing, and finance.
Her ongoing internship at The University of Toledo Medical Center in the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center under the clinic manager, Chris Kosinski RN, has been a valuable hands-on experience to further her student growth and professional development, she said.
“I have been able to see the day-to-day life of a manager in a clinical setting, see how they interact with staff and patients, see how they handle conflict and see how they manage the facility.”
Kosinski noted that Beyer has “taken ahold of the opportunity and not looked back.”
This includes what Kosinski said is the uncomfortable but necessary role of a healthcare administrator to have “tough talks” with others.
“MacKenzie is prepared to have those tough talks through her time in many different roles she has worked in,” he said. “MacKenzie has learned how to quickly assess situations, people and even rooms that she is about to enter.”
“She is what allows others to rest easy at night knowing the world will be better because of her ability to lead, to talk and to help those that are in need.”
After she completes her UTMC internship and graduates from UToledo, Beyer said she is well prepared for the next step: a position in a professional healthcare setting.
“It is really exciting to be so close to the end of my college career,” she said. “I know that all of the experiences I’ve had — and all the great connections I’ve made — at UToledo and UTMC are really going to help me be successful moving forward after graduation.”
