This post was originally shared on the Walton College of Business Alumni Newsletter.
Stratton Carroll, M.S. is a Healthcare Data Analyst for Heartland Whole Health Institute, a non-profit organization in Bentonville whose mission is to lower costs, improve quality, and broaden access to health care in the Heartland. He earned a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Business Analytics, Master’s in Applied Business Analytics, and Bachelor’s in Information Systems from the Walton College.
Q&A with Stratton:
You've built your career specifically in healthcare analytics. What drew you to this field, and what excites you most about the intersection of data and patient care?
I didn’t set out looking for a job in healthcare; I was just looking for a field with plenty of data challenges and interesting problems to solve. Turns out, I found the right industry. Healthcare is full of unique hurdles: technology often lags other industries, and data tends to live in silos between hospitals, care teams, and insurance companies, which makes interoperability tough. But that’s also what makes it exciting, there’s so much room to innovate and to get information into the right hands to make an impact.
What's the most rewarding part of using data to improve patient outcomes?
For me, it’s rewarding to see data move from disparate sources into dashboards and then into real-world action. Whether that’s reducing avoidable hospital stays or helping someone get the preventive care they need, it feels good to know the work connects back to people’s lives.
Outside of healthcare data and AI projects, what do you do to unwind or pursue other interests?
My main hobby outside of work is mountain biking, and it played a big part in my decision to move back to Northwest Arkansas from the Dallas area. Having access to world-class trails makes it easy to unplug and reset in nature.
