Casey Harrison: Welcome to today's episode of See Yourself IN, where you'll learn about cool jobs, people, and companies in Indiana. You'll hear about skills that will help you find success, and most importantly, we hope to inspire you to dream big. I'm Casey Harrison, your host. On today's show, we're going to dive into Indiana's advanced industries and why they're important.
We'll talk about skills that are transferable across jobs and industries, and determine some of the best ways to start exploring these opportunities. So we're going to get into all of that and more on today's episode of See Yourself IN.
I'm here with Tyler Wysong, Program Manager, Digital Innovation with IU Health. Tyler is a passionate leader, executive coach, diversity advocate, and ally. Tyler's path to the life sciences was one driven by personal discovery and the desire to realize true health equity across Indiana, something he's doing now for the largest healthcare system in the state.
Tyler is a dynamic leader who meets people where they are, going so far as living by the Wysong rules. Let's dive into that in Tyler's Non- traditional Journey in Life Sciences. Tyler, we are so excited to have you today on See Yourself IN.
Tyler Wysong: Well, thank you, and what a humbling introduction.
Casey Harrison: Yeah, thank you so much for joining us. So we're just going to dive in, tell us a little bit about your childhood and if you're from indiana.
Tyler Wysong: Yeah. So I am from Indiana. I'm from a small town up north outside of Warsaw, predominantly grew up around in that area. my mom was a single mom for, Most, if not all of my childhood life, my biological father was in the picture until I was about 10, and then from there on, my mom kind of raised us single handedly, which introduced its own challenges because my mom graduated only high school and, you know, worked at a construction company as their front desk person.
Now on that type of salary, raising two kids in a rural community was challenging. And I, I can look back and think about all of the times now where it just was. It was normal to me to think about, you know, mom was done. I thought mom was done with dinner and she'd push some onto my plate because I was hungry.
But really it was just that there wasn't enough left. So from Indiana, grew up there and, graduated in the Warsaw area.
Casey Harrison: I love that. So when you graduated high school, were you thinking about life after graduation?
Tyler Wysong: No. So school was always a difficult challenge for me. I'm dyslexic. So I had reading comprehension issues and, growing up in Northern Indiana and that community, we had limited resources.
And so life after school was not something I really focused on because it was just the struggle of trying to get through each day through a system that was not set up for someone who learns differently. So it, it didn't, really become a thought of mine until my Junior year of high school where my assigned teacher of record So for those of you who don't know what a teacher of record is They are an individual who is partnered with a student with a learning difference or a learning disability And they helped navigate kind of the high school landscape.
And my teacher of record had pulled me aside and said, I recognize that you were not dealt great hands. And you've had a lot of people tell you that higher education is Not for you, and they're pushing you into the workforce. But if you want to do higher education, you're gonna have to treat it like an investment.
And at that time, I didn't understand what she meant by an investment, but she further explained that you're gonna have to make a decision, and you're gonna have to stick with it. And that means there's going to be financial restrictions, there's going to be long nights where you're not sure if you made the right decision, and you're going to have to see it all the way through the end.
Because if you stop short of that graduation of a higher education degree, you will be in a worse spot because you've taken out loans and you have nothing to show for it. So if you're not 100 percent sure, and at that time I wasn't, what you wanted to do in higher education, pause, don't do it because you don't have the safety net that some students do where they have family they can fall back onto or scholarships of that sort, you know, that just wasn't in my cards.
Casey Harrison: Well, and how comforting to know that if not college now, maybe later, I mean, giving yourself permission to actually evaluate what was best for you at the time.
Tyler Wysong: Yeah. And I genuinely had no idea what my life would look like. I, and I look back at that time and it was frightening. It was frightening to think about what in the world does life look like after high school if it's not college.
Because it's a very common for people to say, I'm just going to go off to college and I'm going to do a general degree or a business degree. But I had no idea. I didn't know what I was going to apply it to.
Casey Harrison: So how did you figure that out? I mean, eventually you graduated and then what?
Tyler Wysong: So luckily my high school offered a co op program. And so the second half of my senior year, I was able to take classes to get my license as an EMT. The reason that I did that was, like most kids who are fresh onto their driver's license, I got into an accident during the middle of winter, and it, it shook me. Luckily, everybody was able to walk away just fine. It was a single car accident, slid off the road, hit a utility pole. But all I kept thinking was, Okay, what would happen if somebody did get hurt, you know, it took so long for somebody to respond to this. I have no knowledge in this area. So I made the decision to get my license as an EMT in high school and just thought, you know, That was the catalyst for it.
And so at age 18, I was able to, before even walking for my high school diploma, I was able to sit for my license as an EMT. And I started volunteering at what at that point was called Multitownship EMS and started running for multiple counties. And that then seemed like a really natural fit for me. Now, granted, in a small rural community, I didn't have You know, the pay wasn't great for an EMT basic, so I was also managing multiple jobs. I was cleaning cars at a car lot, I was, pushing grocery carts and bagging groceries at a grocery store, and then on nights and weekends running for an EMT service.
Casey Harrison: Wow. That's a lot.
Tyler Wysong: It is how I made the decision of where I wanted to go, though. And I think that's key for anyone who's thinking about, gosh, what do I do now in life? If you have to pause and take a couple of jobs, there is no shame in that. There's always Everyone's going to have some sort of restriction in life, and whether that be trying to support a family, or trying to keep a roof over your head, or just making ends meet enough to have a meal, it is okay to acknowledge that that might be in your way of doing higher education, but as you go along that journey to meet those human, like basic human needs, pause and look around and see what Brings you joy or at least sparks interest for me.
It was running as an EMT. I was able to see what I was doing in the health community impacting people at some of their worst days. And that's where I decided I wanted to go back to school, and I'm a solid C student. Let's, let's be honest. I was not a strong student because of my learning differences, and the structure was just not set up for me.
But as I always jokingly say, but it's true, C's do get degrees. So, that is okay. So anybody listening out there that is in that same boat feel encouraged that, you know, you still can navigate the system. And for me, I realized I am not strong enough to be a doctor. But I was getting frustrated as an EMT when people would hand me technology to solve problems I didn't have, which ended up making my job harder and taking my time away from patients.
I also, I watched in a conservative community how differences like last name or skin color or even your sex would change what type of care you would receive. And so those things kind of set me on the trajectory for where I'm at today in working with IU Health as to close health equity gaps. I think this is also a very opportune time to mention that I'm an openly gay leader.
And that took quite some time for me to get comfortable with saying here. So, Closing health equity gaps on all dimensions of diversity is, is a core part or core tenant to me.
Casey Harrison: I love everything about this. So I want to go back a little bit because you're working as an EMT. You're getting this experience while also having to work other jobs to maintain the bills that never stop coming. But at what point, like, do you remember thinking, I really want to continue pursuing this trajectory?
Tyler Wysong: So, I had a catalyst moment that was very, very specific to me, ironically, my work worlds collided. One of the ladies who ran the deli counter at, Owens, which is now part of the Kroger chain, her name is Linda, Linda's entered a battle, with breast cancer.
And, so I got to, walk alongside with her as a colleague, not only at the grocery store, but then there were a couple of times where she, I had the distinct pleasure of picking her up in the ambulance. And this is really where I got my first and very hard taste of what discrimination can look like. Linda [fictitious name to protect her identity] was married to a very nice gentleman, Latin gentleman, and because her last name was Gonzalez, when we would enter into medical facilities, or if it was a different paramedic who hasn't run with her before, it would always be questions about are you seeking drugs?
You know, what type of care are you trying to seek? You know, are you being too dramatic? And unfortunately that, that still can happen. and seeing somebody who The reason she held such a dear place in my heart is that there were times where, in my life, I didn't have food. And so she would set things aside from the deli counter that were going to be tossed because they didn't have them.
Like the rotisserie chickens, you had to toss them at the end of the day. So, she'd set those things aside and send them home for me. So, watching somebody who had such a big heart go through a system that was unfortunately set up to not provide the same standard of care as somebody who may have a last name of Smith. was just infuriating and I wanted to do something about it, but all I kept thinking was like, I'm a high school student, you know, I just graduated high school. I'm just an EMT. What can I do about this? And that's where I let that passion, that fire burn enough to say, I have to do something. I don't know what it is.
I can't just get angry about it and scream. That's not going to get anywhere, but let that be your fuel. And that's when I paused. And again, I realized. Can't be a doctor. So I really focused in on how can I use technology to close those health equity gaps? And how do we start having more honest conversations about biases that come up in care so that we can prevent that from happening?
Casey Harrison: And you ended up going to IU, correct? Well, now IU Indianapolis.
Tyler Wysong: Correct. Yeah.
Casey Harrison: And you pursued your
Tyler Wysong: My undergrad is in healthcare administration.
Casey Harrison: Okay
Tyler Wysong: and, that, I graduated in 2014 with that, and why I ended up going I ended up going on further to a master's degree and I chose to move forward with a master's degree For two reasons one. I had kind of gotten into the rhythm of here's how I succeeded a college type higher education for somebody who has a learning difference but then two the healthcare administration undergrad taught me the underpinnings of how to navigate healthcare, but it didn't really focus on technology.
So my master's was, healthcare administration, but I had a focus in it and process improvement. So I focused more on how as health systems they integrate with patient data. How do we serve patients? How do we make sure that we are meeting people where they're at and making sure that we're staying in kind of a lean Six Sigma, so process improvement mindset.
Casey Harrison: Do you remember, and this may be putting you on the spot a little bit, but that comment that your counselor had made years ago about that investment in education, do you feel like that resonated more after you did go through and pursue both your degrees?
Tyler Wysong: Yeah. It actually hit really hard my sophomore year of my undergrad, and it's because I, at that point, wanted to give up. I was, I had failed a couple of classes, so for those of you, again, who are not strong students, it will happen, and it's okay. I, I felt like giving up, but I had that little note in the back of my head just saying, you know, it is an investment. And so you have, there will be long nights. You do have to make this through all the way to the end and do whatever you have to, to get there.
Casey Harrison: For you specifically, why do you feel like your master's degree was so important to be able to enable your career to go where it is today?
Tyler Wysong: So for me, it was Focusing more on the technology pieces, so moving away from when you think about like a business or a healthcare degree on the administrative side, it's more of accounting and people management and all of that.
I really wanted to focus on how do I integrate the IT components into our day to day. It also gives me a different perspective of when I'm talking with providers. Who have advanced degrees like MDs, ODs. So there is a little bit of that respect piece, but it, I'm also finding that that's not always needed. I probably could be here today if I had shifted and gone into a technology based degree.
Casey Harrison: It's such a good reminder that you don't have to be a doctor or nurse to be in the life sciences industry and to make a difference there. I think it's just a really cool testimony that you're giving. Tyler, you've talked a lot about your journey and being intentional about finding spaces or taking pauses until you can find the right spaces to fit in. What would you tell people listening who may be don't feel like they fit in or they're afraid not to fit in.
Tyler Wysong: Yeah. So that's a great and pointed question. I'd like to pause and just acknowledge that everybody's journey is going to be a little different. It took me until I was 23, 24, to be comfortable of being openly gay and, and your journey is going to look different.
But in regards to a professional setting, as I think I said earlier, you're not somebody who has to take any level of abuse. And that if you find a place, they're gonna want you. And if that's not the case, it is okay to say this is not the right fit for me. I also, again, recognize that everybody has their own constraints. So if you're You feel stuck within a role or a position. It is okay to acknowledge that this is not the right thing and it is not the full time piece. However, there are a lot of great companies here in Indiana, like IU Health, who are doing right things by diversity, equity, and inclusion. And that journey is not something that happens overnight.
And a lot of these organizations, I know like IU, Health, Cummins, Eli Lilly, they all have different chapters for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and I would highly encourage you to find your voice and step out and be involved. So even if you're at an organization that may have those chapters and you don't feel like they're living that value, step up. try to be a part of the solution. It's, as, IU Health CEO Dennis Murphy likes to say, I don't need problem identifiers, I need problem solvers. So, if you see a problem, try to be a part of that solution. And it is okay, you have a voice. That's a part of Being an ally for DE and I is not just saying, well, I see there's something wrong here, but actually stepping up and trying to do something about it, especially if it's not for you, may might be a direct impact for you. But if you see an inequity somewhere, step up, say something.
Casey Harrison: Well, and I think we've talked a lot, you know, I'm fortunate enough to know Tyler beyond the podcast, but I think we've talked a bit too about some of the ways you can educate yourself on how to have those open and honest conversations.
Tyler Wysong: Yeah, there are a lot of places. I mean, I even went back and got my license as an executive coach because I wanted to further my skills and being able to ask questions and truly be present when talking with someone. So. I would just encourage anyone that, if you're at that place, look for the, there's trainings out there that's not necessarily higher education. There's a lot of these degree, like non degree certifications out there, around not only diversity, equity, and inclusion, there's like coaching training, things of that nature. But I always like to go back to, we were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. so we need to listen twice as much as we speak.
Casey Harrison: So I want to change our focus just a little bit because I know you personally and I've I've heard you talk a little bit about the Wysong rules and so everyone is listening or everyone that is listening is probably wondering what are those and how can I learn from them? So would you share some more?
Tyler Wysong: So I think the. couple ones, and I know that we're on a limited time, so I'm not going to go through all of them. One, I will kind of combine a few. I think the first one is listen before you speak. We were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. Everybody has their own challenges and can sit from a different position of privilege.
And so always be curious. Don't stop that. Ask questions. It's okay. Always ask questions. And I think the other one that I just absolutely love, and I will always tell everyone, is Never grow up. I always say be a five-year-old. And if you need inspiration for that, one thing that I have had to do if you ever feel lost is go find a picture of yourself when you were a toddler smiling. I think we can all find that, right? Yeah. Put it on the background of your phone because that is the only person you are responsible for. And when I say that, I mean as you are interacting as a person. Would that little version of you look at you and say, you're a bully? or would they want to hang out with you?
Casey Harrison: Yeah.
Tyler Wysong: That's the only person that, that value matters because in life, it's very easy to look over the fence and judge somebody else's race and go, Oh my gosh, you're further than I am. Why am I not there? They have their different challenges and the only race you can judge against is your own.
Casey Harrison: How did you form these rules? How did they come to be?
Tyler Wysong: So I had to be really intentional as I'm a first generation student in higher ed and I, I was very intentional and sought out people who were in these healthcare executive leadership positions. And these rules came from looking at leaders and asking them what their values were, what was important to them. And I picked and choosed what seemed to be valuable to me as a person. Because at the end of the day when I'm old and great, because we will all get there, I want to make sure that I look back on this life and I'm proud of what I did and I don't look back and go, oh that was a hard chapter and I wasn't the person I wanted to be, because that's the furthest thing from it. We will all have hard chapters. But I can always control how I show up.
Casey Harrison: Absolutely. When you reflect on your journey, and you clearly have so much more to do, but when you reflect on where you are today, did you ever imagine you would still be in Indiana and doing work like this?
Tyler Wysong: Honestly, I never thought I would leave Indiana.
Casey Harrison: Really?
Tyler Wysong: I didn't. In that sense, yeah, I always thought I'd be in Indiana. But doing this type of work, I had no idea. I had no idea that technology would take me into this space. I am so lucky to be in the innovation space, which means that I get to take a big hammer to the question of why do we always do it this way?
Why have we always done it this way? It's great that it worked in 92, but why not try it different now? So I think that's kind of a yes and a no.
Casey Harrison: Yeah, yeah. What would you tell people listening who are interested in getting better plugged into opportunities in the health care life sciences spaces, but not as a nurse or not as a doctor, not as a physician's assistant.
Tyler Wysong: So if you're interested in the technology space. particularly, I would ask, what is it that you're interested in? And I say that because to get plugged into those fields and those arenas, it doesn't always take being a nurse or a doctor. I went through Ivy Tech, not to be a shameless plug for a local institution. But, you know, it is a great opportunity. And there are other technical academies that can you. teach you those types of skills. I think if your passion is about healthcare, there's always opportunities to seek out, like for me, as wanting to be an executive leader, there's the American College of Healthcare Executives, who has a local chapter called IHEN, and I was the president of their early careers group for about three years.
And it's, groups like that are wonderful ways of getting plugged in, figuring out what are the current issues in healthcare. And how you might be able to plug your passions in.
Casey Harrison: I love this. I'm so glad that you could stop by today, Tyler. Thank you so much for joining us. Well, thank you for having me.
Absolutely. We're so glad that you were able to join us today to learn about Indiana's advanced industries and how you can start or enhance your career journey. Until next time, we hope that you'll be able to see yourself and the unlimited opportunities in Indiana.