Written by The Career Lab
Where do nursing and business meet? And what do nurses with MBAs do? To answer those questions, the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Career Lab and the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Career Development Office brought together four Johns Hopkins alumni. Colleen Cusick, Jennifer Hrabowski, Modupé Savage, and Carrie Stein have an MBA, an advanced nursing degree, and are engaged in hospital administration.
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“My MBA helped me with pitching projects, writing proposals and capital budget presentations, facilitating the right discussions, and approaching tough situations.
It gave me the tools and framework to think differently and approach problems strategically. I can’t imagine doing my job without the dual nursing and business perspective.”
Carrie is Director of Clinical Informatics at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Her team safely implements and supports clinical information systems. Carrie co-chairs the Enterprise Patient and Family-centered Design group, to improve usability for staff, providers, patients and families, and increase access to reliable health information. She co-founded the Johns Hopkins Bayview MERIT Medication Safety Event and Error Reduction Committee. Carrie is co-director of the Applied Clinical Informatics course in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and holds an associate faculty appointment at University of Maryland’s School of Nursing. Carrie earned her MSN in Pediatric Primary Care at University of Pennsylvania and her MBA at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
“As nurses, we are experts in critical thinking. That positions us for the business piece of medicine. An MBA gives you credibility, helps you make a business case, and sets you apart.”
Colleen Cusick, DNP, MBA, RN, FAHRMM
Colleen is Director of Materials Management & General Services at Johns Hopkins Hospital; her scope includes materials management, linen department, mail services, sustainability, and a hospital-based community training program. Colleen is responsible for operationalizing supplies, linen, and equipment for over 90 clinical and procedural areas. With over 40 years of nursing and management experience, Colleen has expertise in policy development, patient safety, sustainability, value analysis, and supply chain management. She is a member of AHRMM and AHVAP, and is a frequent speaker on health care supply chain, value analysis, and sustainability topics. Colleen received her MSN and DNP from Vanderbilt University and her MBA from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
“The MBA has given me the confidence to be an administrator who can understand finance and know how decisions may affect patients.
Nursing has so many opportunities, but it’s not always perfectly packaged and planned. Say yes, and don’t be afraid to fail—that way you will learn and find other paths.”
Jennifer N. Hrabowski, MSN, MBA, RN
Jennifer is Administrator, Clinic Operations, Women’s Center at Emory Healthcare. She has over 20 years of experience in healthcare, the majority of that time with Johns Hopkins Medicine, where she held the roles of surgical nurse, OR coordinator, and OB/GYN practice administrator. Jennifer was previously the Interim Chief Clinical Officer of Crossing Rivers Health in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and the Regional Director for Planned Parenthood of Maryland. She obtained her BSN from University of Maryland, Baltimore and MSN and MBA from Johns Hopkins University. Jennifer has traveled internationally to provide medical, dental, and surgical care to individuals in under-resourced and impoverished areas. She is also involved locally with many organizations including the United Way of Greater Atlanta.
“I believe that anyone in a health care leadership role needs business literacy. From budget allocation to performance reviews, business is interwoven into every aspect of health care. My DNP and MBA prepared me to talk to anyone and have the confidence to speak their language.”
Modupè Savage, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC
Modupé is Program Director for Nurse Recruitment at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH). She has served in various capacities such as clinical nurse, nurse manager, and faculty at schools of nursing, most recently Towson University. As a nurse leader, Modupé has had the privilege of mentoring and coaching future and current nurses on their professional development journey. She has led and co-led several initiatives including the JHH recruitment and retention collaborative in partnership with the Maryland Hospital Association and the JHH nursing workforce study with the Urban Institute. Modupé earned her DNP, MSN, and MBA from Johns Hopkins University and is a certified nurse executive with the American Nursing Credentialing Center. She serves as an advisory board member for local schools of nursing, and for the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center.
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