As the information systems director for a critical access hospital,
Tamara Canner’s responsibilities range from project management
to overseeing telecommunications for the organization. “Our team
touches every aspect of technology in the hospital,” she says,
“including health information systems, hardware maintenance, and
designing and building a new server room.”
With such a range of duties, Canner needed a wide knowledge base
that applied to her profession—which is exactly what she found at
Capella. “Capella’s curriculum was directly relevant to my career. It
developed skills that I use every day—especially strategic planning,
setting organizational policy, and working with the hospital’s executive
leadership. The knowledge I gained has been a benefit for nearly
everything that I do.”
Expanding perspectives
Canner also remarks that Capella helped her see an expanded
perspective on the management of IT systems beyond technical
aspects. “For example, even though I wasn’t planning on being an
auditor, I got that background. Now I’m able to develop policies that
help my organization meet those compliance regulations,” she says.
“Because Capella helped me comprehend the overall needs, it was a
great choice.”
Moving into greater leadership
Canner had degrees that had served her well in technical jobs, but
she always wanted to push her leadership further. “I needed an MS to
get into a management position,” says Canner. “Earning my degree
online just made sense; I live in a rural community and wouldn’t
have been able to commute and still keep up with my family and job
responsibilities.”
Active engagement was a key to her success. “The way I was expected
to participate in the Capella courseroom required me to be fully
engaged,” she notes. “I got more out of it than I would have in a brick
and mortar university, because I couldn’t just sit back and remain silent.
At Capella, I had to engage and be an active learner in my courses.”