Healthcare Administration Bachelor's Degree Program

Cindy is the Program Director for our B.S. in Health Information Management and an instructor for our B.S. in Health Care Administration program. She has over 30 years in the HIM industry. Her previous experience includes employment with Kaplan University and Rasmussen College. She loves sharing her experience with her students in the HIM program. She also enjoys curriculum design and assisting faculty with adding new and interesting assignments to courses. She is the author of the Healthcare Statistics chapter in the Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles and Practices textbook, 4th and 5th Editions, by Oachs, P. and Watters, A.

Connie Jones Bell is an Adjunct Professor with nearly a decade of hands-on experience in Healthcare Administration and 15 years of teaching in higher education. Her professional expertise is deeply rooted in healthcare administration with a concentrated focus on Revenue Cycle Management, including medical billing, reimbursement methodologies, compliance, and operational efficiency within clinical and hospital settings. Professor Connie brings real-world industry knowledge into every course she teaches, drawing from her extensive background working with major hospital systems, consulting in the Texas Medical Center, and leading revenue cycle initiatives for diverse healthcare organizations. She is dedicated to ensuring students are not only academically prepared, but truly career-ready, equipped with the practical skills, critical thinking abilities, and confidence needed to excel in today's evolving healthcare industry. Committed to student success, Professor Connie integrates industry trends, case studies, and workforce expectations into her teaching, helping learners bridge the gap between theory and practice. Her passion for healthcare, education, and professional growth continues to shape the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Dr. Cynthia James, is the 2022 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters recipient from Charter Oak State College. She holds a Master’s of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix, a Bachelor's of Science degree concentrating in Healthcare Administration from Charter Oak State College, and is a champion of online education. She has 40+ years of experience in the business of healthcare, and holds 2 certifications in professional billing and coding. Dr. James is a Clinical Department Liaison for a large Accountable Care Organization, and has worked in the federal, state, and academic sectors of healthcare. She is passionate about the business of healthcare, and is the Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee of the Connecticut Chapter of American College of Healthcare Executives. She believes all members of the healthcare team are vital to an organization, quality care, and are medically necessary.

Dr. Frank M. Valier brings extensive expertise in healthcare administration, information systems, and management to Charter Oak State College, where he has served as faculty since 2013. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration in Information Technology Management with a major in Healthcare Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University, where his dissertation research was nominated for the Best Paper Award by the Association for Information Systems. Dr. Valier teaches graduate and undergraduate courses, including the Master of Healthcare Administration capstone, healthcare law, contemporary ethical issues in healthcare administration, and the American healthcare system. His teaching philosophy emphasizes critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and the practical application of theoretical knowledge to real-world healthcare scenarios. With a distinguished background that includes previous roles as Assistant Director of the Healthcare Administration and Health Information Management programs, Dr. Valier has spearheaded curriculum development initiatives and research programs that have enhanced student satisfaction and program effectiveness. He is the founder and editor of the "Journal of Health Care Administration Practice", which has published over thirty student research manuscripts. Dr. Valier's research focuses on healthcare information systems and the adoption of AI applications by healthcare administration executives. He holds multiple certifications in artificial intelligence and prompt engineering from IBM SkillsBuild. He is an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Janice's contribution to online education spans over 15 years, where she has instructed diverse students in a range of courses, including nursing, general studies, and specialized topics such as organizational diversity and transcultural concepts. During her lengthy nursing career, she has gained extensive experience across various clinical settings and roles. Alongside her clinical and leadership responsibilities, she dedicated 11 years to serving as an organizational diversity facilitator, promoting inclusivity and equity within healthcare environments. Janice's academic achievements exemplify her commitment to academic and nursing excellence. She obtained a diploma in nursing from the Medical Center School of Nursing in Columbus, GA, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC. Continuing her education, Janice pursued a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on nursing administration from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, NC. Additionally, she holds a graduate certificate in transcultural nursing from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO, along with a specialty certification in transcultural nursing (advanced). She currently teaches Transcultural Competency in Healthcare Administration.

Ms. Pursley serves as the Director of Industry Relations for Harris Data Integrity Solutions. In this role, she oversees all facets of sales focusing on building team and client success and business operational efficiencies through a blend of management strategic principles, industry presence and thought leadership. Julie is a recognized health information professional with broad experience in health information knowledge and practice. Julie is a published author, educator, and public speaker. Ms. Pursley’s career has been focused on the integrity and interoperability of health data; acting as a change agent for protecting and promoting integrity, accuracy, and completeness. Julie has served in various roles throughout her career including trusted advisor, adjunct professor, subject matter expert for a national professional association, patient identification and matching optimization sales consultant, health information leader for an integrated healthcare delivery system, document management and imaging sales and operational leader serving clients in the US and Canada, and owner/president of a regional medical transcription service. Julie holds a Master of Science in Health Informatics and Bachelor of Science in Health Information Administration from the University of Cincinnati and the Fellow of the American Health Information Management Association designation.

Ms. Joyner is a health information and quality professional with thirty plus years of experience in both an ambulatory and hospital setting. She has taught numerous online health information and quality classes. Her education includes a BS in Health Information Management, a graduate certificate in health informatics and a Master of Arts in Adult Education. She is a RHIA and an approved AHIMA ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer.

Having served as President of the Connecticut Health Information Management Association (CtHIMA) from 20015 – 2018, I continue to work with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) as an editor and technical reviewer for multiple publications for AHIMA Press. Experiencing over 30 years in HIM, my career has encompassed several domains including acute care, quality improvement, home health, software marketing and development and education. I have lectured extensively on coding, DRG, reimbursement and data quality issues throughout the United States and internationally. As an educator for 25 years, both nationally and internationally, active committee member of AHIMA’s AOE, Coding Roundtable, Envision, NAHQ and ICD-10 Expert, I continue to advance my knowledge in this dynamic profession, with the observation that we in HIM are never “finished” learning. I promote and support this direction for all HIM professionals. I have my Master’s degree in Health Information Management from the College of St. Scholastica with credentials including Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), Certified Documentation Improvement Professional (CDIP), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and Certified Health Technical Specialist, Trainer (CHTS-TR).