How a Patient Advocate Inspired Mary’s Path in Healthcare Administration

In 2012, Mary Shannon '21 learned that she needed an emergency appendectomy. But as a single mother without insurance, she said she had more on her mind than her health. She was thinking about the cost of her treatment.

"I pleaded with the ER nurses to try to avoid surgery, knowing I couldn’t afford it," Shannon said.

She said the nurses took her hand and told her the surgery wasn't optional — her appendix was about to rupture. So, she went ahead with the operation unsure of how she would pay for it. It wasn't until later that she learned she wouldn't have to.

"My $32,000 surgery and hospital stay bill was forgiven, thanks to the work of an advocate," she said. "I collapsed in a puddle at the bottom of my steps in tears when I was told my balance was $0.00."

Shannon said she wanted to pay forward the help she received from the patient advocate who had worked with her. "I have never forgotten how the work of one person literally changed my life," she said.

So, with a goal to help others, she earned a bachelor's in healthcare administration with a concentration in patient safety and quality from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

"I found this program and knew this would help me accomplish that goal," she said.

Preparing to Make an Impact

Shannon said she added the patient safety and quality concentration to her healthcare administration degree because it felt like an area where she could make a real impact. "A focus in these areas and patient advocacy is needed now more than ever," she said.

She said she felt this specialization would be her avenue to give back to others — "just like my advocate did for me," she said.

Throughout her program, she noted that she had the chance to learn from instructors who worked in healthcare and could share their knowledge.

"The instructors teaching the classes also work in that specific field," she said. "My epidemiology professor works as an epidemiologist in California."

She also highlighted the discussions she was able to have with her peers despite earning her degree online. "The way the program is set up allows for constant interaction with classmates through discussion board activities, so students are never without classroom interaction, even if it is virtual," Shannon said.

Becoming Herself

Throughout her program, Shannon said she grew to see herself as worth investing in.

"I have met the most extraordinary people along my journey, but most importantly, I met myself," she said. "My self-esteem grew with each class I took, and my self-concept blossomed during my time at SNHU."

Beyond preparing her to pay forward the help she received from her patient advocate, she said her degree program equipped her with a newfound sense of self-assurance. She called it one of the most transformative experiences of her life.

"My confidence has gone through the roof," she said. "I have found my voice."

Mars Girolimon '21 '23G is a staff writer at Southern New Hampshire University where they earned their bachelor’s and master’s, both in English and creative writing. In addition to their work in higher education, Girolimon’s short fiction is published in the North American Review, So It Goes by The Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, X-R-A-Y and more. Connect with them on LinkedIn.