Lewis Mission Moment: Aaron Struble '18 - A Purpose-Driven Life

Aaron Struble (’18) is no stranger to difficulty. At the tender age of 11, Aaron had to become an adult in order to take care of his younger brother. When most kids were spending their time watching cartoons on a Saturday morning, Aaron was worrying about how to make a better life for his sibling. He had a purpose and he had someone to fight for – two things he would continue to search for throughout his life.

In 2007, Aaron joined the military as a medic. It was the perfect fit for him. He was already accustomed to hard work, and he found deep purpose in serving others. Over time, Aaron became in charge of a $14 million facility and managed up to 35 employees and 40 civilian staff. His position gave him something to fight for – the well-being of all who were under his care.

So, when Aaron was discharged for medical retirement in 2014, he suddenly felt like he had lost his purpose - until the first-generation college student started attending Lewis University.   

“After the military, I felt like my entire purpose was taken away from me,” Aaron recalls. “It took me a couple of years to figure out what I really wanted to do – not just what degree to pursue, but the type of human being I wanted to be. Being at Lewis helped me focus on my passion, yes, but it also helped to redefine me as a person.”

When he started at Lewis, Aaron still didn’t know what career path he could pursue that would provide him with a sense of purpose and passion again. He tried multiple degrees that fell flat. But through each transition, and with the support and advice of Lewis faculty, he learned to focus not just on the career path itself or achieving a degree, but on instilling his path with a passion for serving others.

“The goal is not a career,” Aaron explains. “The goal is to serve the public and to be of service to people. Education, for me, was never about a piece of paper; it was about finding my purpose.”

And Aaron did just that. He rediscovered his sense of purpose in life through a career in human resources. As it turns out, it’s not so different than his work in the military.

“In my job, I get to be a voice for the people,” says Aaron. “I get to be the person who stands up to the bully and says that the employee deserves certain rights. It reminds me of being a soldier and saying, ‘sleep peacefully, America. We’re going to take care of it.’ I’m still a soldier – I just wear a different uniform now.”

Even with a set direction and a renewed sense of hope, the journey to the graduation stage wasn’t easy. Aaron was taking classes during the day and working full-time in the evenings, while still trying to set aside time for his wife and son. There were times when he had to work overtime and, as a result, had to miss a class.

While he received tremendous support from his wife and son, the rest of his family resented him for being the first to pursue a college degree. In fact, they ceased communication with him. Thankfully, a small “army” of Lewis faculty and staff stepped in to fill the gap, as they provided constant encouragement and direction.

“When I say that the support of Lewis meant a lot to me, I’m being 100% serious,” Aaron explains. “In addition to my wife, Lewis really was my primary support.”

With his support system beside him, Aaron graduated with his degree in human resources and took a job in Washington D.C. He has a purpose and he has people to fight for – just like he did at 11 years old. When it comes to his legacy, Aaron hopes to be an example of how to be of service to others.

“I think that it’s important to remain mindful that the measure of your life is not merely about the impact you can make on those who are close to you or on those who could possibly return the favor one day,” Aaron states. “The most meaningful impact you can attempt to make is for someone who will either never be able to repay you for the impact you have made, or who will never realize it was you who made the impact.”

Lewis Mission Moment: Christopher Kennedy '08

If you work for Lewis alumnus Christopher Kennedy (’08), you have probably heard him repeat this quote by author James Allen: “Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision, and your ideal.”

For Kennedy, the quote is a reminder of the daily choice to either remain with the status quo, or to improve and pursue something greater. As an innovator in the complex field of biotechnology and telemedicine, Kennedy daily has the choice to leave the healthcare system as it is – in many ways, elusive to patients who need help – or to pave a path for patients to receive quality care.

“A significant issue in healthcare today is that a scorecard is missing,” explains Kennedy. “As a patient, you’re not sure what inning it is or what the batting average is of the doctor that you’re working with. Performance accountability is sometimes completely missing.”

This “missing scorecard” makes it extremely difficult for patients to navigate the world of healthcare, especially patients with rare or chronic illnesses. That’s why Kennedy has made patient empowerment his goal.

As Chief Operating Officer of Heritage Biologics, Kennedy is in the business of making patient experience a measurable outcome. Heritage Biologics is, in its most basic sense, a rare disease home infusion and specialty pharmacy. But its mission is much larger. The company is constantly seeking ways to give patients a voice and connect them to the resources they need. Heritage’s RARECARE software program captures patient Quality of Life (QoL) metrics and Patient Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs) that provide valuable insights into a patient’s journey. RARECARE also allows patients to rate their actual service experience, which helps to keep healthcare providers accountable and show them how they can improve.

A quick search of recent patient experience data will populate with countless messages that exemplify how Heritage Biologics is making a difference. “The pharmacist changed my world with the information they gave me,” says one patient. Another writes: “I can’t wait to see to see my nurse again; I look forward to it each week.”

While patient experiences at Heritage Biologics are filled with positive interactions, it is not the norm for the wider healthcare system. There is no better example of this than when Kennedy himself visited a patient in the hospital. While Kennedy sat in the room, an ER doctor told the patient that he couldn’t be admitted because his chronic condition was too much of a liability. The doctor then sent the patient away with painkillers.

The disheartening scene remains a strong reminder for Kennedy that his work is needed. Of course, Kennedy’s work goes far beyond Heritage Biologics. He is also the creator of HemoMD, an on-demand virtual care platform that enables patients with hemophilia, a rare blood disorder, to connect with specialists. Many patients only have access to a specialist physician one time a year. If the patient has an emergency, it is likely that the ER doctor has not had any interaction with hemophilia since their medical school days. HemoMD enables these doctors to gain peer-to-peer support from specialists experienced in treating the disease.

The American Telemedicine Association honored Kennedy for his work on HemoMD with the President’s Award for Innovation in Remote Healthcare, which recognizes important advances in the field of telemedicine. But Kennedy is only just getting started. His goal is to begin providing similar services for other rare disorders nationwide.

“The only way that we are going to defeat the current business approach to healthcare is through patient-centric solutions that deliver measurable outcomes,” Kennedy says. “No one holds healthcare more accountable than patients themselves. We need to empower patients and help them become more informed healthcare consumers. When consumers demand more for their dollar, the market will ultimately listen. Just ask Amazon and their current star ranking system for products. Patients deserve this type of model in healthcare too.”

Kennedy attributes Lewis for being an important stepping stone along his journey. As a student in the Master of Science in Management program and the Executive Leadership Certificate, Kennedy gained comprehensive and applicable information that he was able to implement in the workplace immediately. Throughout the program, Father Kevin Spiess provided strong mentorship and encouraged Kennedy to commit himself to learning something outside of the classroom. Kennedy took the advice to heart and began to learn web design, which later enabled him to create his own websites.

Where some see healthcare as a business to bring in profit, Kennedy sees it as a system that should be bent on helping patients have the best experience possible. Through his work at Heritage Biologics and HemoMD, he is part of a value-based healthcare discussion that is changing healthcare for the better. Kennedy is one of many Lewis alumni impacting their communities through their talents and passion. As author James Allen said, “You will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision, and your ideal.”