When was the last time you saved lives using IT knowledge? That’s what Brent Grooms does every day with the Shepherd Center, a private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury or brain injury. His path to greatness began at Florida State.

While Brent was a student at FSU, he worked in IT Support at the College of Medicine as well as our very own CCI HelpDesk as a computer support technician and senior support analyst, respectively. While Brent enjoyed working at the CCI HelpDesk, it was working IT for the College of Medicine that kick started his love for being an IT Professional in the Health Care industry. With a Master’s of Science in Information Studies under his belt, Brent headed off to Montgomery, Alabama, where he began working as a Service Center Analyst for Cerner Corporation, the leading US supplier of health care information technology solutions that optimizes clinical and financial outcomes. About a year later, Brent moved to Thomasville, Georgia, and began working as a Clinical Systems Analyst for Archbold Medical Center, a four-hospital, three nursing home facility spread throughout Georgia.

Currently, Brent works as a Soarian Clinical Analyst for the Shepherd Center, a private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury or brain injury.  The Shepherd Center has been ranked among the Top 10 rehabilitation centers according to US News & World Report for the last two years. At the Shepherd Center, Brent is a lead analyst in various departments such as Occupational, Speech, and Physical Therapies, Outpatient Nursing, and Dietary/Nutrition where he builds, tests, and implements orders and services, as well as clinical configurations and security settings for users.

In the future, Brent sees himself in Health IT Management, and hopes to one day become Clinical Applications Director at a major health system.

Without the knowledge and expertise that he first gained from working at Florida State, Brent would not be able to excel in his field. He fondly recalls the life lessons he learned working at Florida State: “Working [at FSU] helped me understand that there is more to IT than just the technical. I learned to listen, analyze, and use my research skills to solve complex end user issues through a balance technical aptitude while maintaining excellent customer service skills.” It is these skills that allow Brent to do what he loves, and do it well.

Brent is still a die-hard Seminole fan, and is now a Seminole Booster. Although he lives in Atlanta, you’ll still find him in the stands on Game Day.