American National University is proud to recognize the exceptional academic success of our students. Each term, we celebrate those whose commitment to their education has earned them placement on the President’s List or Dean’s List—among the highest honors awarded by the university. Students who achieve a perfect 4.0 GPA are named to the President’s List, while those earning a GPA between 3.5 and 3.9 are honored on the Dean’s List. For Term 256, we applaud these dedicated individuals for their determination, effort, and academic excellence. Congratulations on this outstanding and well-deserved accomplishment!

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Written by Asia Blossom

Mastering effective time management is more than just a skill; it’s a fundamental pillar of success for adults who find themselves balancing multiple roles. In the midst of a whirlwind of daily activities and responsibilities, lacking proper time management can lead to lateness, missed deadlines, and persistent frustration. However, it’s essential to recognize that these responsibilities don’t have to permanently overshadow our personal dreams and aspirations.

For many, like me, the realization of balancing my time effectively came when I found myself with mornings dedicated to both work and childcare, leaving evenings free. I work full-time remotely as a Documentation Specialist. This gives me the freedom to be home with my child instead of paying for childcare services. I was determined to maximize this available time, but my search for night classes that could accommodate my work schedule proved to be a prolonged and frustrating endeavor. At one point, I even considered self-paced courses, only to realize that my lack of genuine interest in the subject matter resulted in a disappointing investment of both time and money.

However, a ray of hope emerged when I discovered American National University and its Global Learning program. I proceeded with the application process, which turned out to be a seamless and straightforward experience. Much to my relief, I received an acceptance, my financial aid significantly covered my expenses, and the ease of accessing all my resources with a mere click made the venture even more enticing. Amid my excitement, a touch of skepticism lingered, as everything appeared almost too good to be true!

The keystone of our academic tools is the Canvas platform, which is an app and website. It is integral to our success at ANU. Canvas serves as a one-stop resource hub, offering an array of features to streamline our educational journey. With it, we can effortlessly attend our classes via Zoom where all students keep their cameras on and participate like they would in a physical classroom, keep track of assignment deadlines, stay ahead on coursework, and access the ANU library. Inside Canvas you can find another useful tool called Bookshelf. Bookshelf houses all the essential course reading materials. This feature is particularly dear to me, as it not only saves students valuable time but also prevents unnecessary expenses incurred by choosing the wrong reading materials. We can highlight, take notes, and create flashcards using Bookshelf’s features. Canvas additionally showcases feedback from instructors on your assignments. The wealth of resources doesn’t stop there; we’re merely scratching the surface! We find additional essential resources such as student emails, Career Connect, the writing center, and the student store right at our fingertips. For those who thrive on group collaboration, Canvas facilitates group chats involving enrolled students and instructors. It also offers a means to contact individuals without needing their contact information. In essence, Canvas provides an all-encompassing, virtual college experience, eliminating the need for physical attendance, and it truly is remarkable.

Considering these factors, there may be moments when one confronts the overwhelming challenges of dealing with multiple responsibilities. Some days, individuals might ponder, “Is it possible to thrive while simultaneously juggling these numerous responsibilities?” As exemplified in my journey, finding the right tools and resources can make a significant difference. I can affirm that it is indeed possible.

Here, I’ll share a few valuable tips and strategies I use to sustain success in both my professional and personal life:

Prioritize Tasks: Begin by identifying and prioritizing your tasks based on their importance and deadlines.

For me, this is paramount because tasks of greater significance often demand more time and attention. Starting with the most crucial task ensures that you deliver your best quality and effort.

1. Create a Schedule: Establish a daily or weekly schedule that allocates dedicated time for work, childcare, study, and personal activities.

Personally, I maintain a monthly physical calendar to keep track of my priorities. This practice helps me maintain a consistent schedule and ensures that I never inadvertently miss any deadlines.

2. Break Tasks into Smaller Steps: Divide larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, making them more achievable.

This approach has been particularly beneficial for my educational journey. Although it may not be ideal to dive into homework immediately after work, it has proven effective for me in this temporary phase. As a full-time student, managing three classes multiplies the workload. Given the flexibility to work from home during downtime, I find myself reading and completing homework throughout the week. This allows me to ensure timely submissions and deliver my best quality work without feeling rushed.

3. Eliminate Distractions: Recognize and minimize distractions in your environment to enhance focus during work or study periods.

For parents, this can be challenging as our children frequently require our attention. In my case, the most opportune time to tackle homework is when my child is asleep for the night. Just as I maintain a daily and nightly routine, my child does as well. This arrangement minimizes potential disruptions and allows me to work more efficiently.

For individuals managing multiple roles, mastering effective time management is a crucial skill. As my own experience illustrates, the availability of supportive tools and resources can have a profound impact on one’s journey. The flexibility of my job and the invaluable resources provided by ANU played a pivotal role in shaping my path. With commitment and a well-crafted approach to time management, all can successfully navigate the intricacies of their lives while still chasing their dreams and aspirations.

By mastering the art of time, you shall weave its precious threads more purposefully, etching constellations of consistency across your life’s canvas, a stronger self-emerging from the tapestry of each passing day.

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What is MHSM?

ANU’s Medical and Health Services Management program provides education, skills, and competencies students need to become managers in healthcare settings. Those in this field work closely with several different departments within a hospital, clinic, medical facilities, long-term care, or other healthcare settings. Not only that, but they are providing leadership through project management, financial competency, and demonstrating quality healthcare for patients.

Many of the job titles that Medical and Health Services Management bachelor’s degree holders are:

• Assisted Living Director
• Clinic Practice Manager
• Patient Safety Director
• Medical Office Coordinator
• Home Health Clinic Manager
• Health Information Manager

Some of the skills that these roles are listed below.

Healthcare Quality Improvement

Improving the quality of healthcare is a key focus for managers in a healthcare setting. Quality improvement is the standard that all medical professionals should follow in patient care. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). describes that it “seeks to standardize processes and structure to reduce variation, achieve predictable results, and improve outcomes for patients, healthcare systems, and organizations.”

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shares six domains of healthcare quality:

1. Safe – avoiding harm to the patient.
2. Effective – providing care based on the latest scientific information.
3. Patient-centered – patients receive respectful care that is responsive to their needs and values, and that they’re involved in all communications of their health.
4. Timely – reducing wait times to avoid harmful delays.
5. Efficient – avoiding waste, which includes time, energy, supplies, and ideas.
6. Equitable – that the care each patient receives does not vary in quality because of characteristics like gender, ethnicity, location, and socioeconomic status.

Those with a degree in healthcare management will actively work to explore strategies that improve healthcare quality, patient safety, and outcomes. As an example, healthcare managers everywhere are utilizing evidence-based practice as it involves using the best available research, clinical guidelines, and medical literature for decision-making and to improve patient outcomes.

Health Information Systems

A big basis to a degree in healthcare management is health information systems. Sanjuluca et al describe Health Information Systems (HIS) in their article: “A HIS can be defined as a computerised or manual system (on paper) that is designed to meet all the information needs within a hospital.” This ranges from patient records, billing, pharmaceutical information, staffing, accounting, and more. These systems help keep hospitals and medical sites running efficiently. They also help care providers make better decisions with access to records as well as provide efficient health care in a timely manner.

As more and more hospital and clinic sites move into digital realm, so will reports like health and patient records. Medical and health services managers will utilize Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to access comprehensive data about a patient, such as medications, health history, treatments, diagnosis, and more. Those in this field need to know the skills and education they need to not only access this information, coordinate with other healthcare professionals, and enhance care continuity.

Health Care Policy

Those in healthcare management are crucial to maintaining health care policies – as well as policies within their specific medical setting. They are involved in various aspects of healthcare policy development, implementation, and evaluation to ensure efficient and effective healthcare systems. Some of the key responsibilities they hold in policy are:

• Research and Analysis – healthcare managers are always researching and analyzing policies to understand their impact and implications in patient care.
• Policy Development – Along with researching and analyzing policies, medical and health services managers are creating policies based on the evidence they research.
• Compliance and Regulation – Managers stay on top of compliance and regulation of their policies to ensure they adhere to local, state, and federal laws.

Healthcare Ethics

Like managers of any other industry, healthcare managers must ensure that all medical professionals are following healthcare ethics. They work to create an environment where ethical values and principles, such as patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, are prioritized and guide decision-making at all levels. As mentioned previously, they ensure that organizational policies and guidelines align with ethical standards. They review existing policies and propose updates to address ethical considerations, patient rights, privacy, and informed consent.

As patient advocates, those who are in these management roles ensure that informed consent is a part of treatment. They support informed consent processes, ensuring that patients have the necessary information to make autonomous and informed decisions about their care. They also ensure that patients’ autonomy and preferences are respected, and their voices are heard in the decision-making process. This is especially important when it comes to end-of-life care and advanced directives. Managers will assist patients and their families in ensuring that treatment aligns with their wishes.

Stackable Degrees at ANU

At American National University, Medical and Health Services Management can be one of the steppingstones you take to level your way up in healthcare. Many students begin in our Medical Billing and Coding diploma program to gain the foundation they need to break into allied health roles. This gets their foot in the door to several coding careers. Many of our Medical Billing and Coding students don’t just stop at that diploma. They begin our Health Information Management associate degree program to boost their resume and career development. With this, many move into our Medical and Health Services Management bachelor’s degree program to become managers within their field. Armed with experience and education, these professionals move into our Master of Business Administration program – many specializing in Healthcare Management. With so many educational possibilities at ANU, you, too, can work your way up into healthcare management and work on many of the skills and responsibilities mentioned previously.

American National University – Be live, in class, from anywhere.

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Dalyn Fountain’s Story with ANU

With experience in the field, Dalyn Fountain was struck with a choice. She either goes to school to become a Paralegal to solidify her career choice or move on to something different. Once she joined American National University’s Paralegal associate degree program, she knew she made the right decision. With law school in her future, a family to look after, and a career to uphold, our program allowed Dalyn the flexibility she needed to graduate in her desired field. And in 2022, Dalyn graduated with her associate degree and became a senior paralegal.

Dalyn found American National University by researching the top paralegal programs offered to her. She says, “I googled ‘top paralegal online programs’ and [ANU] was the first to come up.” Along with that, despite applying to other universities, it was only ANU that she felt “a warm welcome with the people I talked to at ANU – and I didn’t get that anywhere else.” It was also important to her to have an ABA-approved program like ours. “I knew I wanted to sit for the state bar certification, and they wouldn’t let me do so without that!”

The biggest pull for Dalyn to choose ANU was our class structures. The Zoom meetings for classes motivated her to push for her education. “I needed something to hold me accountable,” she says, “I enjoyed it. Even the two- or three-hour long courses, I enjoyed it.” And her decision to go to ANU was solidified with the ease and comfort that her student services counselors provided her. No matter what it was, “they were always super nice, easy to talk to. They were knowledgeable – I knew they knew what they were talking about. And I felt comfortable going into each course every term.”

When it comes to her experience at ANU, Dalyn felt supported throughout her educational journey and even after because of the faculty. She explains that her professors got to know who she was and connected with her on places like LinkedIn. “I had a few professors who took the time to talk to me about going to law school and what that would look like.” She never felt alone in her education, either.

“The professors were up to date with grading, that was great! Response time was always good – 24 hours, if that, that I would receive a response from professors… Talk to your professors, especially in the Paralegal program, they will go the extra mile to help you and foster your legal career.”

Along with that, she found our services to be user-friendly. She says, “I didn’t find that anywhere else – that Canvas was as user-friendly as it was. The interface is pretty and easy to use.” Her professors also recorded their Zoom sessions and uploaded them to Canvas. This helped her if she ever missed a course or if she needed to go back over those sessions for studying.

After graduating from ANU, Dalyn received a promotion to Senior Paralegal from her workplace for completing her Paralegal education. Along with that, she sat for the State Bar certification and passed, and also became a notary public. She’s begun her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and plans to sit for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) soon. In her day-to-day work, Dalyn describes it: “As a senior paralegal, I do all of our intakes, I do all of our discovery review. I meet with our clients if they have pleas, and if they want to go to trial, I do trial notebooks. I am also responsible for the federal case load we have so I meet with those clients… Anything you can think of [a Paralegal doing], I do. Even office management.”

With all of the work she does as a Paralegal, Dalyn feels that ANU prepared her for the new responsibilities she gained. Within her courses, she received a lot of real-world experiences and studied real cases to learn. For her personal injury course, she had to “open the case and close the case. That was the whole course. That was great! Because I really didn’t have interest in personal injury until then.” Dalyn explains that her education at ANU gave her more insight into the job she was already performing. “Before, it was just ‘do this because this is what you need to do,’ but now I know why I’m doing it.”

In her future, Dalyn hopes to finish law school and become an associate within the law firm that she is currently working in.

“I would whole-heartedly recommend ANU!” Says Dalyn. “It was the best experience I have had thus far!”

Her advice to new students:

“try everything. You don’t know what you don’t know. Just get a feel for everything. Don’t be afraid to make new connections, because you don’t know where those connections will take you. ANU definitely taught me that. I have somebody in just about every state on the east coast I can reach out to ‘hey I need a referral for an attorney.’”

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