Greencastle, Indiana – At first glance, Erin Mullin’s office at Putnam County Hospital looks like any other HR executive’s workspace. There are team photos, a few leadership books, and a neatly organized calendar. But what sets her apart is how far she’s taken her human resources role — well beyond hiring and payroll — and into the very heart of rural healthcare improvement.
As vice president of human resources at the small yet essential hospital just outside Greencastle, Mullin has become a key figure in solving both internal and community-level challenges. And thanks to her recently completed Master of Science in Healthcare Management from Indiana University, she’s applying classroom knowledge directly to the field in ways that are already making a difference.
“Healthcare is personal and vital to everyone,” Mullin said. “In rural communities, there are challenges around hospital funding, healthcare costs and access to transportation. We are a small hospital that does a lot of big things, but because we’re small, there is the ability to do a lot of things.”
That “ability to do a lot of things” is something Mullin has embraced fully — particularly since stepping outside the traditional bounds of HR. When she first expressed interest in working more closely with the clinical side of hospital operations, her CEO encouraged her to consider further education. That conversation sparked her enrollment in IU’s online graduate program in healthcare management — a joint offering from the Kelley School of Business and the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
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Balancing a demanding full-time job with graduate-level coursework wasn’t easy, but the program’s structure gave her the flexibility she needed. More importantly, it gave her tools that could be used in real time. From the very beginning, the assignments, case studies, and group projects were more than just academic exercises. They became blueprints for action.
“We’d dig in and learn more about that issue, which relates to everyone in class but in different ways,” Mullin said, reflecting on how her cohort tackled real-world problems through open, discussion-based learning. “My cohort represented so many healthcare roles. Each person had a unique perspective, and that was really helpful to me.”
One group project in particular became a turning point. Using data from a recent community healthcare needs assessment in Putnam County, Mullin and her team explored ways to address significant gaps in care access — especially for those without reliable transportation or insurance. Their solution? A mobile medical unit staffed by medical assistants, offering preventive services and early treatment in remote areas.
The idea, simple but powerful, reflects the very real barriers that residents in rural communities face when trying to access care. Many people delay or skip routine visits, vaccinations, or screenings because they simply can’t get to a clinic. Mullin’s proposal aimed to bring the clinic to them.
“At the hospital, we are always trying to find solutions based on factual data about our community needs,” she explained. “My group developed a plan that is relevant to many hospitals like mine, and we were excited to share it with rural hospitals throughout Indiana.”
Putnam County Hospital’s designation as a critical access hospital by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gives it reimbursement advantages — a vital support mechanism in a county where over 27 percent of residents rely on Medicare or Medicaid. That designation has helped the hospital remain financially viable while delivering essential services. But as Mullin has shown, viability isn’t enough — innovation is needed too.
Her graduate capstone project pushed those boundaries further. Partnering with IU Health’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Service in Bloomington, Mullin explored how to better connect families and patients with the resources already available to them. After attending a Dementia Friendly Bloomington workshop in October 2024, Mullin and her team learned that while Bloomington had a wealth of dementia support resources, many caregivers didn’t know how to access them.
“Respondents said that Bloomington had a ton of resources for people living with dementia, but they didn’t know how to find or get connected to those resources,” she said.
Her team’s proposed solution? A “connector” program that would train former dementia caregivers to serve as guides for new caregivers or patients, helping them navigate the complex and often overwhelming care system. Mullin and her colleagues are now seeking grant funding to pilot the initiative, with hopes of replicating the model across the state through Indiana’s Area 10 Agencies on Aging.
The impact of her academic journey is evident not just in the proposals and projects, but in how Mullin sees herself as a leader. Before pursuing her degree, she often sat in meetings where clinical operations were discussed, feeling like an outsider. That’s no longer the case.
“Before starting the program, I was in meetings where I knew a little bit about the clinical operations side, but not enough to make an impact,” Mullin said. “Now I have this solid foundation, where I went to IU, learned it, tried it and applied it.”
She credits the program’s real-world focus — particularly the way faculty, like health policy and finance professor Chris Jackson, grounded lessons in day-to-day concerns.
“Chris Jackson would ask the class, ‘What’s on fire?’ or ‘What keeps you up at night?’ and then the next class discussion would revolve around those exact issues,” she said. That adaptive approach made learning immediately applicable and personal.
Mullin’s story is one of resilience, adaptation, and a desire to bridge the gap between management and mission. Originally from Vincennes, Indiana, she began her career with a sociology degree from IU Bloomington in 2000, intending to work in social services. But after finding social work too emotionally taxing, she transitioned to human resources — where she could still help people, just in a different way.
After completing her first master’s degree in 2021 and joining the leadership team at Putnam County Hospital, she saw how much more she could do with the right training. Now, as a graduate of IU’s healthcare management program, she’s walking proof of how education can ripple outward into communities — changing systems, opening access, and supporting those who need care the most.
“They did an excellent job of keeping everything focused on how to address current challenges in healthcare,” Mullin said. “As a leader, it enhanced my contributions because I’ve got the knowledge and tools to respond.”
Mullin’s story is also a powerful example of how universities like Indiana University are equipping healthcare leaders to meet the growing challenges of today’s rural health systems. And that kind of leadership — grounded in compassion, data, and collaboration — may be exactly what rural hospitals need to thrive in the years ahead.
