Administering success: EKU students take charge of healthcare

RICHMOND — When visiting a healthcare facility, one might not realize the many components contributing to their care.

The nurse, lab technician, physician and other specialists provide direct patient care; however, several professionals also work behind the scenes in administration to create a seamless healthcare experience.

From patient communications, such as preventative care reminders to secure data management, offered in convenient patient portals, the healthcare administration program at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) gives students one-on-one experience in the field through classes, professional practice experiences and direct interaction with professors. 

Tyler Price, ’19 ’21, assistant director of community outreach and operations at The UK HealthCare Transplant Center in Lexington, Kentucky, describes healthcare administration as “a program of discovery.” 

“Many students enter EKU with a clinical mindset of healthcare, as I did," Price said. "However, once they get into some coursework, they might realize they still want to work in healthcare—but not in a clinical role—and they don’t really know what that looks like.” 

EKU’s program helps students interested in healthcare explore non-clinical career paths, such as healthcare administration.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)projects the demand for medical and health services managers to grow by 29%, much faster than average occupations, through 2033. Additionally, the BLS reported $117,960 per year as the median pay for medical and health services managers in 2024. 

“With more than 10 healthcare-related academic programs, EKU leads the way as a hub for health innovation,” EKU President David McFaddin said. “Whether serving on the front lines or providing support as a manager or administrator, several options offer opportunities for students to create the career they want in healthcare and provide much-needed services among Kentucky’s communities upon graduation.”

EKU’s Healthcare Administration students complete professional practice experience during their junior and senior years, where they work in healthcare facilities alongside administrators.

Caleb Reynolds, a 2025 healthcare administration graduate from Harlan, Kentucky, recently completed his senior-year experience with the assistant director of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinic. As part of the program, students also work on mini-projects to impact their assigned facilities. 

“It’s taught me how to work under pressure and accept that I don’t have to be perfect all the time,” Reynolds said.

During his junior year, Reynolds interned at Telford Terrace Nursing Home in Richmond, giving him another perspective on healthcare administration. 

“It allowed me to get my feet wet at a smaller-scale facility before my senior-year professional practice experience,” Reynolds said.

Even after graduating, Price volunteers with the program as a professional experience administrator, showing students what many areas of healthcare administration look like in practice, including community relations, philanthropy and public relations at the Transplant Center. EKU alumni like Price often stay involved with the program, mentoring students and guiding them through their undergraduate experiences.

“You can learn a lot in a classroom,” Price said. “but applying what you learn in the real world gives you a whole new perspective on the coursework.”

Reynolds completed a concentration in health informatics and information management, which prepares students to take the Registered Health Information Administrator certification exam. The program also offers a healthcare management concentration, giving students multiple pathways to leadership roles in healthcare administration.

Price encourages students to build and maintain professional networks during college. He emphasized how much he learned from talking with administrators and hearing their stories. Additionally, the professors in the program bring valuable experience to the classroom instruction, helping students grow both professionally and personally.

Alumni such as Price and graduating students like Reynolds demonstrate the program's success in shaping career-ready professionals. With growing demand in the healthcare administration field, EKU empowers students to enter the workforce with confidence, experience and a strong professional network.