Today@Sam Article
Commencement Spotlight: Jentrell Kerlegan
Dec. 22, 2023
SHSU Media Contact: Campbell Atkins
Jentrell Kerlegan
Houston, Texas
Master of Science in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety
Jentrell Kerlegan persevered through graduate school to earn her Master of Science in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety while using the knowledge she obtained in the program to navigate some of the most difficult experiences of her life.
Kerlegan, who earned a degree in nursing from the University of Houston, learned her son, Xylus, was diagnosed with Leukemia shortly after beginning the master’s program at Sam Houston State University. Rather than quit the program, she continued to learn the ins and outs of the industry in order to advocate for her son.
“With all of those experiences of knowing healthcare quality and reading and interpreting lab results, I was able to advocate for him,” Kerlegan said.
For instance, physicians wanted to proceed with surgery on Xylus despite the fact that he was bleeding for three straight hours, which could have resulted in a tragedy.
“The anesthesiologist agreed it was risky and backed away from the surgery. Come to find out my son was depleted of blood and that could have been an adverse event,” Kerlegan said. “That is something I learned from the program.”
The master’s program focuses mostly on developing leaders who can write standard policies for nurses and physicians to follow.
“If they follow these steps and protocols that are based on evidence, it will give quality care to patients across the board,” Kerlegan said.
In her final semester at SHSU, Kerlegan was subjected to another tragic event when her sister suddenly needed a liver and kidney transplant. The hospital was not capable of providing this service, meaning she would have to be transferred.
“The hospital did not understand the situation she was in. While trying to transfer her, they wrote it up incorrectly and she was denied by the other hospital based on incorrect information,” Kerlegan said. “I had to talk to upper management and explain my position just to get her transferred over.”
This delay in care lasted a week and ultimately resulted in her sister’s death, according to Kerlegan.
Through the tragedy and challenges she’s endured, Kerlegan admitted she wanted to quit the program due to her grief, but was driven forward by the quality of the program and her desire to ensure what happened to her sister is avoided in the future.
“There were so many things wrong with her care,” Kerlegan said. “That took a toll on me but also made me want to pursue my career. All of those challenges made me feel like there was a need for this.”
Kerlegan received her degree from SHSU on Dec. 8.
“The main thing that pushed me through was the focus on classwork,” she said. “I had some great professors and their understanding allowed me to breathe a little bit.”
Kerlegan is currently a business intelligence analyst and clinical informatics professional for Harris Health. She plans to be an executive leader for the organization. She also works in real estate and is pursuing her broker’s license, which she plans to receive next year.
Her son, Xylus, is currently in remission.
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