Rodney Goodie, MBA

Picture of Rodney Goodie

Leading By Example

Executive MPH Program, Prevention Science Track, MPH ‘19

 

“Every time I returned back to work after class, my co-workers could tell I’d been in class because my conversation was on a new level. The program elevated my thinking. Rather than being reactionary to the daily management issues, I would say, ‘let’s think of this in a different way.’”

 

When Rodney Goodie considered going back to school and getting his MPH, his biggest concern was finding a school that fit his busy schedule as the CEO of a community health center in Houston. In the past, he had completed a weekend MBA program that perfectly aligned with his hectic work week. When he stumbled upon Rollins’ Executive MPH program—which blends online coursework with on-campus weekends—he knew he had found a program that would allow him to continue to succeed in his day job.

“I actually brought it to the board of my organization and they were really excited about me attending the program. They knew that Rollins provided a higher level and quality of education that would connect me not only regionally but globally.”

A specific illustration of this was the work he completed in one of his global health classes surrounding HIV prevalence in Indonesia. Given the depth of knowledge he attained in the course on global trends in public health, he participated in one of the breakout sessions at the biannual International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam. “The experience was surreal,” he recalls. “We treat a lot of HIV cases within our health center, so to see the epidemic from a global perspective… it just broadens your overall awareness of public health.”

The community center where Rodney works is a federally qualified health center that employs 150 full-time employees and serves more than 22,000 patients a year. They are one of the largest providers of HIV care in Texas and provide diabetes and hepatitis C services, as well as primary care services to underserved communities. When he founded the center more than 20 years ago, he was responding to both a local need and to a personal call to help others. “Working in public health is really my purpose. I wake up every day excited, frustrated, and challenged. I love what I do.”

Given Rodney’s background and education, getting an MPH wasn’t on his radar until recently. “I felt like the industry has been growing rapidly. Recent graduates from MPH programs are bringing greater skills and knowledge in terms of managing public health and population health. I wanted this type of training.”

As he looks ahead to his pending graduation from the program, Rodney advises prospective EMPH students to take the leap. “I think the biggest excuse people can use is that they don’t have enough time,” he says. “But, my call to action is, yes you do! You can chunk the work in spaces. Classwork is put together in a thoughtful manner and you’re getting exposed to the highest quality of academic excellence you can get! You can do it!”