From flight nurse aspirations to health care innovation: Meet Nick Dobrzelecki, BSN '97
We can thank flight nurses for alumnus Nick Dobrzelecki’s interest in nursing.
“I worked as an EMT volunteer and knew I wanted to get into health care. I started off as a pre-med major but have always been intrigued by flight nurses, so I switched to nursing with no idea of what I was getting myself into,” Dobrzelecki, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, ’97, says.
More than 30 years since making that decision, Dobrzelecki has not yet flown as a nurse, but has impacted the health care industry on many fronts.
An ROTC student at UC, Dobrzelecki was stationed in Bosnia two years after graduation. His deployment brought the opportunity of leading medical training for his NATO division and gave him international exposure to people and hospitals. Twenty years later, Dobrzelecki’s path led to finding solutions to the international crises he witnessed back then.
“After leaving the Army, I worked as a home healthcare nurse. Becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t a goal, but I foresaw an opportunity to develop a large-scale remote coding service when regulatory changes took place in the industry,” Dobrzelecki says. “The holistic perspective nurses employ when treating patients is what can make them successful in health care innovation so, although I had no business background, the critical thinking I learned in nursing school helped me grow the company and become a key player in the home healthcare market.”
Nick Dobrzelecki/photo provided.
In 2021, Dobrzelecki was ready for new challenges, so he sold his first company and partnered with a like-minded physician to investigate and design new businesses. Together, they built The Learnery, a microlearning platform for health care workers, which just signed a multi-year partnership with United Hatzalah of Israel, and Titan Health Corporation, a company that offers strategic executive oversight and operational support for health care startups. Titan Health Staffing, a division of Titan Health Corporation, was recently awarded a critical staffing contract by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Innovation doesn’t need to be about the next gadget, it can be about employing a systems view to create new processes that prevent deficiencies from occurring,” Dobrzelecki says. “Having learned to solve health care problems holistically, I know to account for future potential issues when making decisions to grow my businesses.”
Dobrzelecki has recently joined the college’s Alumni Council and the Innovation Certificate program advisory committee.
“I’m excited to support our students’ evolution of critical thinking to innovation thinking and to get nurses confident so they can push forward and influence change. Having an innovation mindset in whatever environment they work will foster small changes that lead to bigger changes,” he says.
Related Stories
Mural by UC grad honors U.S. military history
July 17, 2024
Local 12 highlighted a new mural by University of Cincinnati graduate and artist Brandon Hawkins that pays tribute to U.S. military history.
Camp aims to empower children, teens who stutter
July 17, 2024
A one-week, evidence-based program for children and teens who stutter at the University of Cincinnati will teach kids to communicate effectively, advocate for themselves and develop confidence about their communication abilities. Camp Dream. Speak. Live., which is coming to Cincinnati for the first time July 22-26, began in 2014 at the University of Texas at Austin. The Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research at UT expects to serve more than 2,000 children at camps across the United States, Africa, Asia and Europe this year.
From intern to full-time: Recent Lighting Design grad joins Bandit Lites
July 16, 2024
Lighting & Sound America spotlights recent graduate Riley Rowan's new position at Bandit Lites, a full-service design, management and producer of live events and entertainment.
CCM alum Donald Lawrence to be inducted into Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame
July 16, 2024
UC College-Conservatory of Music alumnus Donald Lawrence is part of the 2024 class of Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame inductees. Located at the Banks in downtown Cincinnati, the induction ceremony on July 27 will feature a parade of stars and a free concert by the Zapp Band.
U.S. stroke survival is improving, but race still plays role
July 16, 2024
U.S. News & World Report, HealthDay and Real Health covered new research from the University of Cincinnati that found overall rates of long-term survival following stroke are improving, but Black individuals experience worse long-term outcomes compared to white individuals.
Presidential challenge to UC: Join Ride Cincinnati to fight cancer
July 16, 2024
UC President Neville Pinto has again challenged every UC college and unit to send at least one rider to the September 14 Ride Cincinnati event to help fundraise for cancer research and cancer care. UC students ride free. Signup by July 31 for free UC-branded cycling jersey.
Building potential
July 16, 2024
Unexpected advice led to a new area of interest and growth for Andrew Matthews, leading him to the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, construction management and cooperative education experiences at Turner Construction.
Pediatric ICU rates linked to housing quality, income, education
July 16, 2024
Healio highlighted research led by the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital's Carlie Myers that found a link between pediatric ICU admission rates and housing quality, household income and education.
UC study: Long-term stroke survival improving, but racial disparities remain
July 15, 2024
New research from the University of Cincinnati published in the journal Neurology found long-term survival rates following acute ischemic strokes are improving, but Black individuals experience worse long-term outcomes compared to white individuals.
Students organize to shake up Parkinson's care model
July 15, 2024
University of Cincinnati student and Parkinson's Together founder Mallika Desai joined the Parkinson's Experience Podcast to discuss the nonprofit's origins and multidisciplinary mission to meet the needs of patients in their community.