Alumni Spotlight

College of Saint Mary (CSM) instilled a passion in Sue Korth ‘74 ‘88 that motivated her to help as many people as she could as a nurse and healthcare administrator.

“I developed a drive to become the best I could be and help as many people as I possibly could. I continued my education to earn both my master’s and doctorate because of the drive I developed at CSM,” she said.

Korth earned her Associate of Science in Nursing from CSM in 1974, a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration from the College of St. Francis in 1986, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from CSM in 1988, a Master of Science in Public Health Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1993 and a PhD in Healthcare Administration from Pacific Western University in 1999.

Throughout her career, she worked as labor and delivery manager, an obstetrician and gynecology case manager and an outcomes and performance improvement director at a medical center. Before retiring, she was the vice president and chief operating officer at Methodist Women’s Hospital and an adjunct faculty at Doane University.

“The CSM experience was very influential in my life,” Korth said. “I was treated as an individual, not a number—a lesson I took with me throughout my career. I learned it is better to work as a team, not as an individual. I learned to listen more astutely and take others' beliefs into account when making decisions. I learned honesty is the best policy even if the message is hard to deliver. I learned there are always people who are smarter than you. They are the best to get on your team. Allow them to shine too.”

Korth was a recipient of CSM’s 2024 Alumnae Achievement Award.