Dr. Renee White, Associate Professor of Medical Information Technology and Assistant to the Dean at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College, is busy preparing future health care administrative professionals by providing education, skill development, and providing opportunities for experience and networking.
Renee is influenced by great teachers, both in formal education and informal (life) educators. Renee stated, ‘When I was a child, my neighbor (who was like a second mother) got me interested in health care. She was a pediatric nurse. I could not wait until she got home from work to hear her stories of her day. When I became old enough, she helped me become a volunteer in the emergency room. That is when I knew I wanted to go into health care to serve others.’
After years of working in health education, Renee changed her area of focus. ‘While I had some previous experience in coding several years before, I had been in health education for 12 years and had been working with K-12 health teachers on curriculum from 2000 to 2012. The healthcare industry changes rapidly, and I had not had experience in health insurance for a long time. So in 2013, I not only started a new job and had to learn the software used by the college, I had to prepare to teach 4 brand new courses, and I had to obtain my certification in medical coding in order to teach those courses the next semester. In May 2013, I was able to obtain my Certified Professional Coder certification. I now prepare students for this certification and have had several pass the grueling 5 hour 40 minute exam.’
Over the years, Renee says she has learned to meet people where they are and always be kind. She adds, ‘You never know what people are going through and you never know the struggles and sacrifices they have had to make to try to get back into school. Some of my students have not been in school for a long time and are very anxious to take college courses.’
‘Some students struggle with technology and some students come in unsure of what they want to study. SKYCTC has a career planning tool on their website. It takes about 10 minutes and provides some career ideas.
Check it out below:
https://southcentral.kctcs.edu/careerpathway/index.aspx
Renee was the co-chair of the committee that developed the new process SKYCTC recently changed to regarding the way that they onboard students. ‘We now have individual appointments and have 4 academic advisors that meet with students to get them registered for the first semester.
Renee adds, ‘If you are thinking about college courses, SKYCTC has the lowest tuition and courses transfer to 4 year institutions.’
‘Never give up on your dreams. It is never too late to pursue a goal.’ Moving forward Renee plans to continue to teach students and help prepare them for careers in the healthcare industry.
In her free time, Renee likes to attend Tennessee Titan football games, and she likes to go to the theater for musicals, plays, and concerts. She also loves to travel. ‘I would eventually like to return to Europe for an extended stay and travel through England, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.’
Renee can be contacted via email: renee.white@kctcs.edu
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