The Department of Health Sciences welcomes Jenicia Cox as our next featured student. Cox is a senior health information management major who was born and raised in Pomona, California. She relocated to Danville, Illinois, for a brief time before settling into, where she now calls home, Bloomington, Illinois.
Cox knew she wanted to take part in an evolving industry, but it was not until she took time off from school that she decided to pursue health information management. HIM was able to blend her management experience with her interest in healthcare, making Cox the perfect candidate for the field. Cox is an energetic and ambitious individual who is involved both, on-campus and in the Bloomington-Normal community. Along with being a full time student, Cox is a member of the Student Health Information Management Association (SHIMA), works part-time at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, and volunteers at the Community Health Care Clinic.
Over the summer, Cox completed her junior professional practice at Carle Hospital in Champaign, Illinois. Over the course of three weeks, she shadowed employees in various aspects of the HIM department, attended meetings with the HIM director, and had the opportunity to see current policies and procedures in action. When asked about her experience, Cox said, “What I found most surprising were all the areas that RHIA’s were leaving their footprint on the organization. It was encouraging to know that after graduation, there are multiple avenues available to me.” In the future, Cox plans to work in a hospital and eventually pursue her MBA. Although the idea of working toward another HIM credential has crossed her mind, a specialty is still up for debate.
Cox ‘s advice to students starting their college career is, “Go to class, be engaged and read the book. Just remember this is all to prepare you for your future career, so what you practice now becomes habit later. For my fellow HIM majors, don’t start studying pathophysiology the night before…I tried it. It’s not fun.”
Thank you, Jenicia, for being part of the HIM family at Illinois State!
“Jenicia is a non-traditional student, who embodies what it means to be a health information professional. She has demonstrated academic excellence and professionalism in class and on her professional practice. She also mentors the junior students and is a positive role model.” – Jane Turley
