Greg Zimbleman was interested from an early age in pursuing a career in healthcare.
“I was an athlete growing up and knew as a teenager that I wanted to work in healthcare, and physical therapy seemed like the perfect blend,” says the native of upstate New York. When the time came for college, he enrolled in Springfield College’s five-year Bachelor/Master of Science program in physical therapy. He graduated with a master’s degree in 1999 and began his career.
From Private Practice to the Hospital Setting
For the first half of Greg’s career, he worked in private physical therapy practices in western New York and Connecticut, treating a wide range of orthopedic patients—from those with simple ankle sprains to complex post-operative rehabilitation. He earned an orthopedic clinical specialist specialty certification in 2010. “My focus has always been to help a patient regain their maximal level of function and improve their quality of life,” Greg says.
A Move Toward Management
In 2011, Greg was ready for a new challenge and found that at Hartford Hospital Rehabilitation Network, which has more than 45 outpatient locations serving a broad range of specialties and providing top-level evidenced-based care. He initially supervised a single site, which involved patient care as well as clinical operations management.
When the opportunity came up to become an area manager of the Hartford region, overseeing five outpatient rehabilitation offices, Greg was excited to accept. “That’s when I started to think about pursuing an MBA,” he says. “I knew that if I were moving toward a mostly administrative role in a physician environment or hospital, that degree would benefit me.”
Planning Ahead, But Not Just for Any MBA
At the time of that initial spark, however, Greg was not in a life position to pursue a master’s degree. His children were young and he was getting acclimated to his new position. His timing was not good. Hartford Hospital Rehabilitation Network (HHRN) developed a number of educational partnerships and rolled out a generous tuition reimbursement program. In late 2022, Greg started researching programs with some of those institutions—one of which was Post University’s American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
“I was looking for flexibility to work on school as I am able, but I also really liked the idea of an MBA with an emphasis on healthcare,” Greg says. “That led me to the MBA – Healthcare at Post University. It met the goals and focus I was looking for.” Greg wasted no time applying and started the MBA – Healthcare program in January 2023.
Aiming for Advancement
For the next chapter of his career, Greg is looking to develop the skills and knowledge so that he is prepared to move into higher-level operational roles within HHRN and/or Hartford Healthcare. He is only two classes into the MBA Healthcare so far—and he is targeting a 2025 graduation date—but already, he says that he is confident he will grow his skill set and knowledge base. “At the director and VP levels in my organization, having this type of education
is really essential,” he says. “I’m certainly aiming for a director role with the completion of the MBA.”
Joy in Learning
Earning an MBA is a big undertaking at this point in his career, but Greg says he is embracing the experience. “Going back to school after 25 years is actually fun and feels good because I’m putting together new thoughts and ideas,” he says. “There is both challenge and enjoyment in learning new things. I’m looking forward to continuing to move through the classes. My hope is this MBA will allow me to further develop the skills which meet the expectations of my organization and allow personal growth within the healthcare system.”