Ascend Learning

September is Women in Medicine Month, a time to honor the remarkable contributions of women in healthcare. We're sharing the stories of team members whose journeys, perspectives, and experiences are vital to our efforts to inspire and empower women in the medical field. Meet Rochelle Hughes (Walker), a regional sales nurse educator with Ascend brand ATI Nursing Education. Like many nurses, she worked in several clinical positions for years before finding her way to nursing education, growing under the help of mentors. "Women have supported me at every step of my journey and I try my best to pay that forward and mentor the women in my life professionally and personally," Rochelle said. "For young women considering a career in healthcare, the opportunity exists, and the doors are wide open. It is up to you to walk through them and to hold that door open for others." This is how we help change lives. Hear more about Rochelle's journey in our full Q&A celebrating Women in Medicine Month on the Ascend blog—link in the comments below. #wechangelives #womeninmedicine #healthcare #nursing

Meet Taylor McDowell, manager business project owner for Ascend brand ATI Nursing. In her role, Taylor owns key initiatives for our faculty and reporting platforms while also leading a group of talented product owners. This provides her with an opportunity to help those individuals grow and be successful in their current roles and beyond. Taylor also owns ATI integrations and works directly with our clients on the implementation. "The leaders and teams I get to work with on a day-to-day basis have always been supportive and eager to help solve our customers' needs," said Taylor. "I love that my job allows me to take action, mentor others, and influence processes. I enjoy listening to our users and love contributing to bringing valuable outcomes back to our clients!" This is how we help change lives. Head to the comments for the link to a Q&A with Taylor and find out what it's like to work at Ascend. #wechangelives #people #careers #culture #healthcare

September is Women in Medicine Month, a time to honor the remarkable contributions of women in healthcare. We're sharing the stories of team members whose journeys, perspectives, and experiences are vital to our efforts to inspire and empower women in the medical field. Meet Kelly Simmons, a nursing content strategist for Ascend brand ATI Nursing Education. Earlier in her career, she was a self-described "terrible faculty member" but grew under the guidance of a mentor whose leadership sparked a passion for mentorship that continues today. "I advocate for mentorship as it has played a big role in my career development," Kelly said. "I've had the opportunity to inspire and guide nursing students to reach their full potential and provide nursing faculty with the tools and resources to become data-driven, evidence-based, student-centered educators." This is how we help change lives. Learn more about Kelly's journey in our full Q&A celebrating Women in Medicine Month on the Ascend blog—link in the comments below. #wechangelives #womeninmedicine #healthcare #nursing

As a founding member of the Healthcare Workforce Coalition, our goal is to elevate solutions to the issues impacting healthcare education and the workforce shortage. That’s why we’re proud to share a new case study highlighting National Healthcareer Association (NHA) certified medical assistant Quontisha Chisholm. With 83% of employers stating they would hire a candidate with nationally recognized certifications over someone without, it’s clear that supporting opportunities for more individuals to obtain an accredited, industry-recognized certification in an allied health profession is a crucial part of addressing healthcare workforce shortages. In this case study, Quontisha shares her journey to earning her certification, entering the healthcare workforce and how she has inspired her son to pursue a career in healthcare as well. The coalition also calls on lawmakers to pass legislation bolstering the pipeline of learners entering the allied health training and certification programs and ultimately, the healthcare workforce. This is how we help change lives. Click the link in the comments to learn more. #wechangelives #healthcare #alliedhealth #healthcareworkforcecoalition #healthadvocacy #medicalassistant #thoughtleadership

Meet Joe White, corporate counsel for Ascend's shared services department, Innovative Learning and Assessment Solutions. As corporate counsel, Joe's role encompasses many aspects of the business, including commercial contracts, employment law and employee relations issues, litigation, customer service issues, regulatory affairs and test security. Joe says Ascend is a great place to work because the work is novel, challenging, and ever-evolving. "We're such a dynamic organization that we're not afraid to change to meet our customers' needs or explore new markets that align with our strategic vision," Joe said. "I believe we will be successful because we take chances where others won't." Click the link in the comments to hear more from Joe about what it's like to work at Ascend. #wechangelives #people #culture

At Ascend, we're fortunate to have team members who are thought leaders in their field, advocate for the industries and professions we serve and share their knowledge and expertise — including Kathy Hunter, who leads the team at Ascend brand National Healthcareer Association (NHA) in our health sciences category. In an interview with Authority Magazine as part of their series, "5 Things We Must Do To Improve the US Healthcare System," Kathy shares personal stories that guided her into a career at the intersection of healthcare, technology and education, insights on five key opportunities for improvement in the US healthcare system, and ways individuals, corporations, communities and leaders can help implement solutions. "As an organization, we are passionately committed to developing, advancing and advocating for the frontline healthcare worker," Kathy said. "By providing a path for achievement, we are helping people make their career dreams come true, schools fulfill their missions, employers work smarter and more efficiently — and ensuring patients receive the excellent care they deserve. When we work together, the entire health sciences ecosystem benefits." This is how we help change lives. Follow the link in the comments below to read the full interview on Medium. #wechangelives #thoughtleader #healthcare

At Ascend, we encourage our employees to share knowledge and expand their industry connections by contributing their time and expertise to professional organizations, including Ada Woo, vice president of innovative learning and assessment solutions. We're pleased to share that Ada was recently appointed chair of the board of directors at the Association of Test Publishers (ATP), a global nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the general welfare of testing and assessment. Ada said she is honored by the opportunity to lead ATP in the coming year, as education and workforce development are at a pivotal moment where the need for talent and human capital is critical. "Assessments are gateways to education and career opportunities, enabling learners from diverse backgrounds to showcase their talents and unlock their potential," Ada said. "ATP's mission of advancing equity, integrity, and learning resonates with our work at Ascend, and I look forward to working with all our stakeholders to advance our mission." Ada, thank you for representing Ascend in this vital role and for your work to help shape the future of education. This is how we help change lives. Follow the link in the comments to learn more about ATP and Ada's goals as 2025 board chair. #wechangelives #leaders #education #impact 

Meet Carrie Erwin, senior director of internal audit for Ascend Learning. This function is tasked with helping management improve processes, controls, and overall governance. In her role, Carrie says she's excited to help Ascend continue to mature processes to enable our future growth while also impacting the lives of our customers and the communities they serve. "I am continually impressed by all the teams across Ascend that I have worked with over the past two years. They consistently work to ensure our customers have a great experience and are also committed to constantly improving internally,” said Carrie. "We have great people, great clients, and great products. I’m excited to see the continued growth and impact we can make on people's lives through education." This is how we help change lives. Click the link in the comments to hear more from Carrie about what it’s like to work at Ascend.

At Ascend Learning, leaders are everywhere. We all contribute to our success, including our senior leadership team (SLT). Their sound strategy and focus lead the way for Ascend, shaping our success and making a significant impact. In the 'Meet the SLT' blog series, we're sharing their insights about our meaningful work, culture, values, and what makes Ascend a great place to work. Meet Steven Giangregorio, senior vice president of operations. Steve brings nearly three decades of healthcare technology expertise to his role. His experience spans clinical solutions, provider systems, electronic medical records (EMRs), and payer/insurance solutions, with a strong focus on systems integration and data analytics. "I see signs of Ascend's impact daily," Steve said. "Whether being in a hospital engaging with nurses, sitting at a traffic light and seeing an ambulance go by, or picking up a prescription, you see many examples of where we are playing a role in taking care of ourselves, our friends and our loved ones. Knowing that Ascend plays such a large and pivotal role in those services fires me up every day." This is how we help change lives. Hear more from Steve in the Q&A linked in the comments below. #wechangelives #education #culture #leadership

Meet Carolyn Meagher, an HR business partner to several functions and their leaders at Ascend. Carolyn says she enjoys her role at Ascend because of the team's unwavering commitment to our mission, their readiness to tackle challenges, and their dedication to helping our customers and each other. “Being surrounded by people willing to roll up their sleeves and get work done in a way that maximizes the talents of everyone on the team is a rewarding experience,” said Carolyn. “I've never worked on a team with so much amazing diversity of thought and variety of talent. I am consistently proud of the work we produce when we work together as a team.” Click the link in the comments to hear more from Carolyn about her experience at Ascend. #wechangelives #people #culture #leaders