Hilda's Story | Regis University

Inspired by Complexity

Hilda Dalfonso's relationship with health care began when she was a child. She became interested in the field when she was young, watching her mother become her grandmother's caretaker. Her interest continued growing into a career at Quest Diagnostics in Mexico, where she eventually gained knowledge about America's healthcare system.

"When I worked with Quest, I was exposed to the business in America, and learned that health care as a business in the United States was so much more complex. It excited me, and I was fascinated by the possibilities of working more deeply in the field.”

Hilda's story evolved from a career built on a lifelong passion for health care to that of someone inspired by the possibilities in, and business of, healing.

After completing her B.S. in Health Care Administration at Regis in 2009 and spending several years at Quest, she made the decision to return to Regis to earn her MBA.

Hilda Dalfonso's relationship with health care began when she was a child. She grew interested in the field when she was young, watching her mother become her grandmother's caretaker. Her interest continued to grow and became a career at Quest Diagnostics in Mexico, where she eventually gained exposure to America's health systems. Soon, Hilda's story evolved from having a career built on her lifelong passion for health care and into an account of someone inspired by the possibilities in, and business of, healing. She returned to Regis to earn her MBA and gain new skills that would open up the world of business.

Communication is a Key to Leadership

Hilda pursued her MBA at Regis with the goals of advancing her abilities in leadership through the development of the necessary tools to become a successful leader.

“Through the program, I learned the power of communication with classes that, at the time, required a paper and a presentation. I came to understand that communication was about both what I was thinking while I was speaking with colleagues or stakeholders, and how my message was coming across. I'll never forget recognizing how brilliant that concept was, or how grateful I was for learning it (although it may annoy some of my direct reports today)."

An MBA Program that Emphasizes Relationships

For Hilda, a key takeaway from her MBA education was the value of building long-term relationships.

“I know we refer to it as 'networking' in business, but it was always presented as an opportunity to meet a colleague, get to know them, their background, their history and their 'why' for committing to a career in health care. I tend to be someone who avoids networking, but having Regis help me reframe that idea has helped me approach it with a different heart."

A Path with Many Possibilities

While Hilda’s program was tailored to the business of healthcare, her exposure to a range of specializations — from business analytics to human resource management and beyond — prepared her for a number of different paths.

Regis’ scholar practitioner model, in which faculty actively participated in her education based on their expertise, ensured that what she learned could be directly applied to the real world. Regis' flexible evening and online classes also made it even easier to complete her MBA.

The Lasting Benefit of a Regis Education

After completing her MBA program in 2017, Hilda realized that the benefits of her Regis education went far beyond learning and building skill sets.

"I look back on my time at Regis and am most grateful they instilled in me a desire to give back. Regis' focus has shaped how I approach my work, and I think all of us would benefit from having a core value like that in the industry. The challenges in business — and healthcare — are greater today than they have ever been before and we need to be guided by the right things. Regis has helped me see that, and I'm confident that they will for future students as well."

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