DECATUR, Ill. – When Kelly Hill decided to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration at Millikin University, she was unsure how her skills as a registered nurse would translate to the business setting, but her mind was put at ease when the MBA program kicked off.
“At the start of the program, there was a boot camp, and it blew my mind because I was a nurse who had never really touched a spreadsheet before my MBA program. When I walked into boot camp, they really helped us to think about how to apply those business principles and practices and how to create solutions for businesses. Every instructor came with so much knowledge and so much information.”
Kelly, a 2013 graduate from Millikin in Nursing, is currently the Director of Clinical Operations at Decatur Memorial Hospital (DMH) and, in 2017, chose to complete the Accelerated MBA program that mainly met during the day and lasted 12 months.
“It was a very fast-paced program, requiring dedication and commitment. Our cohort became close, and I still have those relationships today with many of the individuals I went through my program with,” Kelly said. “We learned fast, and on top of that, I had an internship at Caterpillar, which provided an opportunity to transfer the skills we learned in the classes and apply them. I felt like the skills that I learned, I could use. I'm currently using them in the healthcare setting, but they're transferable to every industry, which is cool.”
Originally from Decatur, Kelly particularly enjoyed the program’s focus on process and quality improvement. Kelly earned a green belt in Six Sigma, a set of techniques and tools for process improvement with belts (white, yellow, green, black, and master black) designating a person’s level of proficiency in Six Sigma.
“I love process improvement so much, and after my MBA, I had a green belt. I went on to pursue my black belt and dive into quality improvement, which has benefited me inside the hospital structure. I've been able to use that skill and talent. At the end of the MBA program, I felt like I could improve anything I touch,” Kelly said. “As a Decatur native, being a part of the community and on campus at Millikin was amazing. I got an opportunity to be a leader, and it was amazing. The MBA Millikin program assisted in developing me into a better leader.”
Entering the MBA program, Kelly was a new mom, and completing the program took a whole family effort. When graduation day came, it was an incredibly proud moment for Kelly and her family, who she feels earned that degree right along with her.
“When I went back for my MBA, I had a five-week-old child, and there were long days and long nights of studying, but the benefit of what it's given me was well worth it. My favorite memory was graduation, and it was a time when we could process all the hard work we had all done,” Kelly said. “For me, it was the realization that if I could complete my MBA, I could do just about anything. We joke about this in my family that when I got an MBA, we all got one because there was some sacrifice, but it was totally worth it.”
As Director of Clinical Operations at DMH, Kelly oversees several departments, including Radiation Oncology, Clinical Research, Pulmonary Services, Sleep Lab, Neurodiagnostic, and Rehabilitation Services (including Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech). The skills she learned in the MBA program prove invaluable to her every day.
“To be able to impact health care in a positive direction. That's always been part of my calling. Knowing that the work that I do every day impacts hundreds of patients, it's worth that commitment,” Kelly said. “For me, it's personal. It's my purpose. It was worth it. Millikin has been a part of my story, and I'm so grateful for that.”