Rentea Named 2023 Outstanding Graduate

Posted: August 3rd, 2023

Rebecca Rentea has been named the University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium 2023 Outstanding Graduate by the faculty of the UW MBA Consortium program. Rentea, a Spring 2023 graduate, was selected from a pool of students who graduated between Summer 2022 and Spring 2023.

Rentea currently works at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, where she serves as a Pediatric Surgeon and the Director of the Comprehensive Colorectal Center. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her general surgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition, she performed her pediatric surgery fellowship at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, followed by a pediatric colorectal and pelvic reconstruction surgery fellowship at Nationwide Children's Hospital at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Rentea has a background in clinical and translational research as well as a master's in health outcomes research from Northwestern.

Rentea is most proud of establishing and leading the Comprehensive Colorectal Center. She shared that "the center has become a beacon of hope for countless children and families with congenital colorectal conditions. It's a multidisciplinary center, meaning that we offer a comprehensive approach to care that combines the expertise of various specialists to provide the best possible outcomes for our patients." In Rentea's current role, she has the unique opportunity to combine her surgical expertise with leadership responsibilities, having spent the past five years implementing innovative strategies and programs that directly impact patient care and outcomes.

In Fall 2020, Rentea started her MBA coursework. “As a proud alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for my undergraduate degree, it felt like a natural choice to pursue my MBA at the University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium. The flexibility offered by the program was a tremendous advantage, allowing me to balance my professional responsibilities as the Director of the Comprehensive Colorectal Center, while furthering my education,” stated Rentea. She also mentioned that she was drawn to the curriculum's focus on healthcare, combined with the opportunity to engage with a diverse group of students and faculty from various fields.

Furthermore, Rentea stated that "the immediate applicability of the coursework to my professional duties at the Comprehensive Colorectal Center was remarkable. I could instantly see the practical implications of the concepts and strategies we discussed, and was able to implement them in real time. From analyzing and improving our Center's processes to enhancing our overall strategy, the MBA program offered me tangible tools that have already made an impact." During Rentea’s time in the MBA program, she has been able to effectively change and adjust her approach to existing challenges and opportunities at the Center. Rentea credits much of her success to the academic rigor, program structure, and pace of the program, allowing her to maintain a work-life balance. "I feel privileged to have been part of a program that maintains the highest standards of an MBA while remaining deeply practical and instantly impactful. The UW MBA Consortium has been instrumental in my ongoing professional journey, and I look forward to leveraging these learnings to elevate my contributions in the healthcare sector and for my pediatric colorectal surgical patients" stated Rentea.

Throughout her program, Rentea worked with faculty members across all UW MBA Consortium partner campuses. Andrew Soderberg, Associate Professor of Management & Human Resources at UW Oshkosh, nominated Rentea because "she has gone above and beyond in terms of the level of detail she provides and the effort that she clearly makes to be very thorough and complete. Throughout the semester she consistently by far exceeds expectations and not only achieves good grades but does so diving in completely to the material and in her efforts to apply it as well."

On a similar note, Dr. Kran Dugar, Assistant Professor of Marketing at UW-Eau Claire, describes Rentea as "conscientious and hard-working." Dugar also stated that Rentea’s "MBA experience at the UW MBA Consortium seems to be making her a better business leader and person and she seems to be taking a lot of what she is learning back into her job, thereby, making a positive impact in her community. In addition to technical and leadership skills, she excels in human/soft skills, which are critical in the healthcare industry. I am certain she will soon be making an even greater impact."

Rentea’s long-term professional goal is to take on additional healthcare executive leadership roles, where she will have a broader impact on healthcare delivery and policy. She aims to use her extensive clinical and leadership experience, as well as the knowledge gained from her MBA program, to drive meaningful change within the healthcare sector. Her hope is to contribute to developing and implementing innovative healthcare strategies and solutions that improve patient care, increase access to medical services, and promote better health outcomes across diverse populations. Additionally, she wants to continue advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the healthcare community, ensuring that all patients receive culturally sensitive and equitable care.

Rentea is the 15th individual to be named the UW MBA Consortium Outstanding Graduate. View past award winners.