Community Spotlight
Each month, we profile a special member of our community: a student, alumni, faculty member, or partner. Check out this month’s inspiring story below.
Iryna Verbova
Decision Support Analyst
Joseph Brant Hospital, Burlington
Role/partnership with CHA Learning:
Iryna Verbova is a recent graduate of CHA Learning’s Health Information Management Program.
Social Media: LinkedIn
Location: Toronto, Ontario
My interest in healthcare runs in my family. My grandmother devoted her life to [surgical] scrub nursing, while my grandfather worked for many years as a Respiratory Therapist (RT). After coming to Canada from the Ukraine seven years ago, I completed two college programs – George Brown College’s Office Administration, and just recently in December 2022, I completed the CHA Learning (HealthCareCAN) Health Information Management program. Currently, I am pursuing a Bachelor of Health Administration degree at Toronto Metropolitan University.
In addition, for the past six years, I have worked in a community hospital in Burlington, supporting various teams throughout the organization. Starting in the Emergency Department, I had the opportunity to work in Admitting, Diagnostic Imaging and Ambulatory Care clinics, Operating Room, Patient Flow and Bed Allocation, the Inpatient General Surgery Unit, Complex, Transitional, and Palliative Care Programs, and the Health Information Department where I currently hold the position of Decision Support Analyst.
Full-time work hours and my commitments to my family during recent difficult times left me with little time for learning and self-development. After learning that the online programs and courses offered at CHA Learning are designed with busy healthcare professionals in mind, I decided to challenge myself by enrolling in the Health Information Management Program. Fortunately, staff, instructors, and peer learners were nothing but supportive, guiding me through this journey and setting me up for success. Not only did I receive high-quality professional education, but I also expanded my network and gained new contacts in the healthcare field as well as numerous new friends. My education with CHA Learning prepared me to challenge the National Certification Exam and I’ve recently obtained the CHIM designation, which has opened new horizons for my career and professional development.
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Iryna is the recipient of the CHIMA 2023 The Future of Health Information Award. Focused on students, this award recognizes a person for academic excellence and their passion for the health information profession. As an active CHIMA student member, they contribute to their classrooms and their communities. This person has the potential to impact the future of the profession positively.
A Little More About Iryna Verbova
What is something you have accomplished or worked on that you are proud of?
I am very proud to be part of the Decision Support team at Joseph Brant Hospital. I work with a team of impeccable people who are passionate about their work and strive to be the best support for our leadership, assisting with decision-making on all levels of organizational development.
What are some of your favourite hobbies outside of work/professional development?
Outside of work, I am passionate about baking and pastry art. I have a very intimate relationship with food, learning new techniques, and experimenting with new flavours. I am a big book nerd and can spend hours being occupied by a new story and enjoying the smell and feel of an old paper book. Thanks to my parents, I also play piano professionally and enjoy spending time on a golf course.
Who do you admire in healthcare/Coaching, and why?
I truly admire the work and effort CHA Learning staff and instructors put into the organization of learning materials and the online portal environment. In the entire four-semester time of my learning, I’ve rarely had to email anyone as all objectives and tasks were set up very clearly and cohesively. CHA Learning instructors excel in their ability to accommodate and support students while we were learning. I don’t believe I ever had to wait for more than a couple of hours when I sent an email inquiry. The amount of accountability and willingness to assist in every member of CHA Team is truly inspiring.
What would you want someone to know entering into a program or course at CHA Learning?
CHA Learning provides continuous support and guidance for students every step of the way. However, since it is independent asynchronous online learning, you have to be self-directed and very organized to stay on track with learning objectives and deadlines. It is not a commitment to school, but it is a commitment to your own advancement and the goals you seek to achieve by entering this learning journey.
How do you make room to continue learning while working/leading/living?
I have been very lucky to be surrounded by people who have been nothing but supportive in this learning journey. I want to say thank you to my family and boyfriend who supported me morally and in my day-to-day life, to all professors, staff, and instructors at CHA Learning who provided excellent organization of the learning process and guidance, to my placement coordinator at Joseph Brant Hospital and mentor Marc Pelletier who found answers to the most complicated questions I had, and to my current manager Christina Kouniakis who is the most supportive and accommodating leader I have ever met. Without this team of people, I would not have been nearly as successful as I have been.
What are the best ways that leaders/colleagues can support other leaders/colleagues, whether within the same organization or different organizations?
From my experience, the most important feature in a healthcare environment is communication. Regular touch-bases and check-ins are the only way to support each other and hold up to the intended goals and objectives for organizational prosperity and the continued provision of excellent patient care.