Alumni
Melanie Brodnik, PhD, RHIA, began her time as professor in Ohio State’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (formerly known as the School of Allied Medical Professions) in 1973. In the 43 years since, Dr. Brodnik has played an impactful role in the Health Information Management and Systems (HIMS) program and on its students.
When she became director of the HIMS Division in 1976, she expanded the program’s educational offerings by helping to establish a Master of Science program with an emphasis in Health Informatics in the 1980s. Now, using her connections through membership in the American Health Information Management Association (for which she served as president in 2004) and the Ohio Health Information Management Association, she pairs her students with quality preceptors for their professional practice experiences.
Dr. Brodnik became interested in a career in education because of her school mentors, who instilled within her the importance of volunteering and giving back—two traits that she has worked to pass on to her own students.
Because of a scholarship she received in 1972 and seeing the impact that mentoring has on her students, Dr. Brodnik realizes the importance and value of giving. A scholarship endowment in her honor, to which Dr. Brodnik and the Heron Family – who have given to various HIMS scholarships in recent years – have contributed, is being funded and will provide many scholarship opportunities for HIMS students for years to come.
On volunteering and giving back, Dr. Brodnik says, “Both provide a sense of accomplishment in knowing you can make a difference in the lives of others and in your profession.”