Trey Wineglass

Living through a pandemic taught Trey Wineglass ‘23 many lessons.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone around the world, said the future healthcare administrator, but it disproportionately affected marginalized groups even more. Wineglass saw this firsthand as he volunteered during the pandemic for one of the nursing units at his community hospital, Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital. 

“I witnessed a lot of things that got me thinking,” said Wineglass, who finished Winthrop with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in healthcare management. He is now pursuing a master’s degree in health administration at Johns Hopkins University and will join University Health in San Antonio, Texas, for his administrative residency. 

In addition to healthcare inequality, Wineglass also witnessed the effect the pandemic had on those who take care of the sick. Although there was already an existing shortage of healthcare workers, specifically of nurses, the pandemic showed that the issue was far worse than many thought. 

“Staffing is very important for healthcare delivery to be efficient; inadequate staffing leads to longer wait times and negatively affects patients' access to care overall,” Wineglass said. 

He used those insights on a research project for the McNair Scholars Program, which grooms underserved students at Winthrop to attend graduate school. His project, Perceptions of the Current Nursing Shortage and Strategies to Increase Staff Retention, was conducted under the mentorship of Joanna Jackson, an associate professor of healthcare management. 

The project was a mixed-methods study that examined factors that influenced nurses to leave and stay at their job, and whether burnout played a role in why nurses leave their job. 

“I believe that in decision-making, as leaders, we have to consider how certain plans and policies will affect all populations. After all, one of the main goals should be to achieve health equity,” Wineglass said. “As I enter the field, one thing I will keep in mind is that I have to be a leader who will foster an environment that is conducive for care to be delivered, and to create an environment that makes providers and staff feel like they belong in the workplace.”

The Georgetown, South Carolina, native decided early in high school that he wanted to work in the healthcare industry. It wasn’t until his freshman year at Winthrop, when he took an introduction into healthcare management class, that he decided what area to concentrate. 

“I was always under the impression that to make a real impact within healthcare that I needed to be on the provider side,” said Wineglass. “However, taking the course I learned that I could make a broader impact working in administration. Taking this course, I found where I wanted to be. I have enjoyed learning and couldn't be more excited about what's to come and the potential impact I'll be able to make.”

As Wineglass graduated from Winthrop, he took home several awards. He was the recipient of the American Legion Award, the Healthcare Management Excellence, Service, and Leadership Award and one of two recipients for the Dean's Award for Meritorious Service from the College of Business and Technology. He also is partially paying for his graduate degree with an $8,500 fellowship from the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. 

Choosing Winthrop, he said, proved to be one of the best decisions he’s made. “The university has provided me with many opportunities and has given me the chance to excel in and out of the classroom,” Wineglass said. “One thing I love most about Winthrop is that students are provided with the opportunity and resources to pursue different scholarly activities to broaden their perspectives.”