Class of 2022: Bailey LeCour, B.S. Health Information Management

Initially Struggling to Find Her Place, Bailey LeCour has Finally Figured out Where She Fits. 

Before Bailey LeCour made her way to the School of Health Professions(SHP), she underwent quite a journey in her academic career. She completed her associate degree in 2017 at a community college. Knowing that she was interested in medicine, but a bit squeamish, LeCour then decided to pursue medical imaging at Rutgers Newark. 

“I liked the idea of diagnosing people through images,” said LeCour. “Being a transfer student and holding a full-time job was difficult, but I spent three years dutifully completing the required courses, only to learn that I still had to apply to the highly competitive medical imaging program, and I might not get in.” 

Discouraged by the prospect of another three to four years of schooling, LeCour decided to shift her focus. She was fascinated by the business side of health care and reached out to Dr. Dasantila Sherifi, program director of the health information management (HIM) program at SHP. Dr. Sherifi explained HIM graduates are ready make an enormous impact in health care. Having pursued degrees at two different institutions over the past five years, LeCour knew she embraced change well, and saw herself as a perfect fit for an industry where adapting to changing technology is essential. 

Dr. Sherifi guided LeCour through the application process, getting on phone calls if she was ever confused and advocating for her when she had trouble transferring her credits. “She was so helpful, and I will forever appreciate that,” LeCour said. 

LeCour‘s desire to work in the HIM field was strengthened by her field work opportunities. As a hands-on learner, she found these experiences to be especially valuable. “I was able to sit with the coders, scanners, indexers, and do their job with them and learn what I will be doing in the future,” said LeCour. 

One particular experience affirmed her decision to pursue HIM. In this case, a parent looking to obtain their child’s health information was denied due to that information falling within a protected mental health category. LeCour learned that under the law, patients of a certain age have privacy rights and must grant access to their medical information. “I saw the value of HIM professionals first-hand,” said LeCour. “They protect medical practitioners and institutions by upholding the law and they protect patients by putting policies and practices in place that protect their privacy.” 

When she is not in class, LeCour works a job at one of Newark’s favorite bars to pay for her tuition. While bartending may seem unrelated to the health professions, the experience has taught LeCour some valuable, transferrable skills she may not have gained without real-world experience. She has learned patience, time management, multitasking, and verbal and body language skills—all of which make her a better health professional and team member. 

Despite academic setbacks and five years of schooling before she even applied to SHP, LeCour managed to keep pushing through and find her place. This May, she is graduating in a dynamic field that offers great growth opportunities. “A lot of people think that if they are not finishing their goals by a certain time along with everyone else that they are falling behind, but there is no timeline in success,” LeCour said. “I have been in school for seven years, but as long as you don’t give up, you can do whatever you set your mind to.”