“I enjoy helping people,” says Arrianna Jefferson, a human resources specialist at LifeBrite Laboratories, “and I originally wanted to study nursing.” In high school, she took classes at the Kent Career Tech Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and earned her Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification. As part of the program, she volunteered at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, a residential long-term care facility for veterans.
Inspired in part by the veterans she met, Jefferson decided to join the Army National Guard, which would also pay for her college. “Some people thought I was crazy,” she says, “and a lot of my family tried to talk me out of it.” She knew, though, that she wanted to go to college but didn’t want to go into debt.
So she signed up with the National Guard as a “42 Alpha” (42A), a human resources specialist, and, soon after, she started college. “I’m so happy I did it,” she says. “It taught me responsibility and discipline, and helped me grow as a person.”
A New Career Direction
Although Jefferson had started college intending to study nursing, some of the medical science labs taught her something important about herself. “I didn’t have the stomach for it,” she says.
She still wanted to work in healthcare, still wanted to help people heal, but she knew now that nursing wasn’t a fit for her. She changed her major to health services administration, integrating her National Guard training in human resources with her commitment to healthcare. That set her off on a new career path, supporting the medical missions of frontline healthcare providers.
After graduation, Jefferson started out at Metro Health — the University of Michigan health system — then worked with the Hope Network, a statewide non-profit network of 240 facilities providing behavioral health, developmental, and neurorehabilitative services to 20,000 Michiganders each year.
About a year ago, Jefferson decided to move to Georgia, where she had family, and LifeBrite Laboratories was fortunate to welcome her onto the team at our corporate headquarters.
A Culture of Growth and Mutual Support
At LifeBrite Laboratories, Jefferson most enjoys welcoming new hires to the company and introducing them to the LifeBrite culture as they learn their new positions.
“With a new job, there can be a lot of fear and anxiety,” she says. “I know how it is. I’ve been there. So I let them know they’re going to be supported through the whole process. I help them out any way I can.”
That’s true to character for Jefferson — she has always wanted to help people — and it’s the LifeBrite Laboratories culture too.
“It’s a friendly place where you feel appreciated and supported. Everyone is always willing to jump in and help out,” she says. “The leaders here are very wise and willing to answer any questions you have. They want you to be the best you can be, and they give you opportunities to learn and grow.”
As Jefferson says, everyone at LifeBrite understands the importance of their work to the patients and healthcare providers they serve. “Testing results in a timely manner help doctors and nurses treat their patients,” she says. “Especially during the COVID pandemic, we’re helping to keep people safe.”
Atlanta-based LifeBrite, led by CEO Christian Fletcher, operates LifeBrite Laboratories, LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes, and Lifebrite Community Hospital of Early.