When a recruiter from Southwestern Oklahoma State University visited Zlatka Rankine’s high school in Varna, Bulgaria, she felt compelled to apply.
“I’ve always been ambitious,” she said.
Rankine was accepted and relocated to Oklahoma for her undergraduate studies. She eventually transferred to Herzing University in Atlanta, where she earned dual bachelor’s degrees in accounting and management.
She spent almost a decade in the hospitality field, advancing from housekeeper to assistant general manager across brands like Hampton by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Motel 6. She left the workforce in 2012 to focus on caring for her four children. Two years later, she shifted back to her career after a friend suggested she apply for a receptionist position at a family medicine practice.
“That job changed my life,” she said. “I learned about revenue cycle management and fell in love with helping people through healthcare.”
She spent seven years in the receptionist role before pivoting to a dermatology office, where she currently serves as project coordinator. Driven by a desire to hone her healthcare management and administration skills, Rankine enrolled in the MBA/Master of Health Administration dual degree program at the Robinson College of Business in January 2022.
“Healthcare is a fragmented industry in need of project managers who can create value and streamline processes. Loren Buysman’s project management class has addressed that,” she said. “Through Marie Cameron’s course, I learned that leaders must adapt to the dynamic needs of healthcare staff, especially post-pandemic.”
Rankine also is an active member of the Future Healthcare Executives student organization. Through the group, she attends networking events and participates in hospital site visits. She balances her busy academic schedule with her commitments to family.
“I work 10 hours a day, go straight to class, and spend weekends studying and taking my kids to activities,” she said. “I help with their homework, go to parent-teacher conferences, and sit on the principal's advisory committee.”
Rankine graduates in May 2025 and aspires to assume a project management role at a rural hospital.
“I’m drawn to underserved areas in the Carolinas and Texas,” she said. “In these settings, leadership is challenged to meet unique demands with limited resources. I want to be part of that solution.”