Louisiana native Cornesha Broadway always wanted to be a physician, but she also enjoys working with technology. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology, she discovered a field that combined her two passions: health informatics, which uses information technology (IT) to improve healthcare processes, and patient outcomes.
With the ultimate goal of becoming a healthcare chief information officer (CIO), she needed to take her education further. That’s why she enrolled in the Online Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in IT Management program at Tulane University School of Professional Advancement (SoPA).
“With this degree, I’ll have the background and education that I need to take that role as a healthcare CIO,” Broadway says. “Tulane is also highly esteemed, not only nationally but internationally, and to have that behind my name speaks volumes — so the sky’s the limit.”
Gaining Real-World IT Experience
Broadway began her career as a laboratory technician for the City of Monroe Water Pollution Control Division, running tests on wastewater to ensure chemical levels complied with government regulations. She also managed computer databases of this information, gaining real-world IT experience.
Still, she knew she wanted to go further.
After earning her master’s in health informatics, Broadway landed a job as director of health information management at Richardson Medical Center. She was responsible for coding outpatient records and developing procedures for patient data services.
“In my nine months there, I learned how hospitals work and how IT is infused throughout,” Broadway says. “Care involves more than just the patient and the doctor; information has to be stored, and machines have to be manipulated to help them.”
Broadway then attained the position of chargemaster analyst at Saint Francis Medical Center, where she still works, maintaining hospital compliance with billing and coding requirements. “When I started there, I was always researching and thinking, ‘How am I going to get from here to where I want to be as CIO?’” she says.
That’s when Broadway found Tulane SoPA.
A Flexible, Online IT Management Program
Broadway had researched other IT management programs, but none matched Tulane’s flexibility, pricing, short program length, or reputation.
“Tulane is the only program; you're not going to find one better,” Broadway says. “You'll be able to multitask as far as doing full-time work and studying, and the professors understand your situation. It’s perfect for the working professional.”
In the MPS in IT Management program, Broadway is going beyond just learning how to enter code; she’s gaining knowledge and experience in the business applications of IT management.
“You could just perform an IT function or code,” she says, “but learning how that code can set up a smoother process for billing or help radiology process their EEGs — that teaches you the back end of IT, the side no one sees.”
Broadway’s favorite part of the program is working in the live labs, where she can apply her knowledge to real-world scenarios. In her enterprise architecture course, for example, she’s learning to build systems from scratch with both hardware and software components, using tools such as Lucidchart and Microsoft Visio.
The online program also provides plenty of opportunities for engagement and collaboration — crucial practice for the field of IT.
“In this program, within just a year, I have done more group activities than I did throughout my previous college experiences,” Broadway says. “You have to work in a team because everyone and everything is tied to technology now — from the pharmacist to the doctor ordering tests to the EPIC systems measuring blood pressure.”
Broadway says the program has surpassed her expectations, giving her the skills she needs to advance her career and network with other IT professionals.
“Most online programs just say, ‘Write a paper and turn it in by noon,’ but this is more hands-on,” she says. “With live sessions, you’re able to interact with your classmates and create these relationships with people that will last a lifetime.”
Making Her Past Self Proud
Once she graduates, Broadway hopes to pursue a role as PC analyst at Saint Francis Medical Center, where she currently works. She will then be one step closer to that dream role as healthcare CIO.
Broadway never imagined she would be where she is in her career. “If my past self could see me, she would stand up and clap and say, ‘You know, you’re well on your way,’” Broadway says. “She’d say, ‘You’re where I didn't expect to be, which is tremendous. Keep going. I'm glad you got there.’”
Advance Your Career in IT Management
Tulane University SoPA’s Online MPS in IT Management degree program is designed to prepare working professionals for advanced roles in IT. Students learn from industry experts to develop the business acumen, applied knowledge, and leadership skills they need to gain a competitive edge in a growing and evolving field.
Learn more about how Tulane’s Online MPS in IT Management can help you pursue your career goals.
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