This past May, Michelle Shirtz was a thrice-proud parent at Keuka College’s Commencement, cheering for Tegan Shirtz as she received her baccalaureate degree and for Theresa Shirtz and Taylor (Shirtz) Lorenzen in their Green & Gold master’s hoods. This fall, Michelle is charting her own path in Keuka College’s online M.S. in Leadership – Healthcare Track.
Michelle is no stranger to bold mid-career moves. After 15 years in IT management, she pivoted to healthcare, earning her BSN and serving as a travel nurse in ICUs across the country. Today, she’s a nurse leader at Canandaigua, New York-based Thompson Health and eager to combine clinical expertise with leadership skills to keep advancing and drive positive change in care delivery.
“I want to leverage my clinical expertise to improve patient centricity and outcomes – and use my leadership skills to drive operational efficiency and performance while fostering a culture of collaboration.”
Choosing Keuka College was an easy decision – and not only because the campus felt familiar from family visits and special events.
“Keuka’s focus on experiential learning and a values-driven approach aligns with my professional goals and personal principles,” Michelle said. “And as an adult working full time – often overtime – the fully online, flexible schedule just made perfect sense.”
She has already put a major takeaway to work: adaptive leadership – adjusting your style to your team and the situation.
“Through our coursework and discussions, I’ve learned strategies for communication, conflict resolution, and motivating diverse teams, and I’ve already applied them at work,” she said. “The result has been more open, effective dialogue among nursing staff during busy periods and shift changes.”
She added, “I’m excited to deepen these adaptive leadership principles to guide our teams and foster a more collaborative, efficient environment.”
Study anywhere. Accomplish more.
Keuka College’s online MS in Leadership is built for working adults with flexible, at-your-pace coursework. Finish in under two years. Choose the new Healthcare Track to prepare for 500,000-plus medical management roles projected over the next decade. Alongside core management courses, you’ll take a focused sequence led by experienced healthcare professionals. Take the next step – schedule a one-on-one with an advisor to explore admissions and program details.
