College of Nursing Alumna Reflects on First Year with Georgia's Board of Community Health

On August 26, 2021, Dr. Cynthia Rucker, nurse practitioner and South alumna, was appointed to the Board of Community Health for the state of Georgia. After nearly a year of service, we connected with her to find out how her time on the board has been thus far and how she believes the College of Nursing has prepared her for the opportunity.

What has your experience been like thus far serving on the Board?

"My experience serving on the Community Health Board for the state of Georgia has been incredibly rewarding. I have been afforded a unique and invaluable opportunity as a board member to participate in discussions related to health care policies that are utilized to help provide access to health care for over two million Georgians. I am incredibly proud of the work that the leaders of the Department of Community Health are accomplishing by helping to eliminate disparities, improving preventative care and promoting disease management for Georgians," she said.

How has the USA College of Nursing prepared you for this opportunity?

"USA College of Nursing prepared me well by providing senior, high-level educational opportunities through the Doctor of Nursing classwork in areas such as theory, population health, organizational culture and complex health care systems. The program also offered experiential learning in executive leadership. The instructors encouraged us to evaluate health care trends, evolving strategies, business models and quality improvement methodologies that prepared me and others to lead at the highest level in senior administrative roles, with the ability to impact health policy and other areas of health care administration. I am forever grateful to USA's College of Nursing!" she said.

Dr. Rucker graduated from the USA College of Nursing's DNP program in 2017 and has worked for more than 21 years at the Atlanta VA Healthcare System delivering high quality care to patients.