Bryce Paulson ’25 made an impact through his time on the Concordia speech team. Now he makes an impact in the healthcare field.
Bryce Paulson ’25
Supervisor of Pre-Service Access, Altru Health System
Majors: Healthcare Leadership with a concentration in Healthcare Administration, Business with a concentration in Economics
Bryce Paulson ’25 got an early start in business.
“At the age of 10, I owned and operated a fictitious stuffed animal SeaWorld, drafting strategic plans to improve net revenue,” Paulson said. “I fabricated business plans for a toy horse boarding company called Wild Mare Stables. I had a 9-to-5 career as a young boy.”
While Wild Mare Stables was a noble pursuit for a young Paulson, it wasn’t long before he started diverging from the sea and horse business to healthcare. He became well acquainted with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, at 13, after a familial chronic illness led his family to seek treatment there. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Paulson became enamored with the healthcare system.
“The way Mayo Clinic operates — logistically, qualitatively, and seamlessly — is truly a premier industry standard,” he said. “Witnessing and observing compassionate care at the Mayo Clinic is how I first discovered the prospect of healthcare leadership. From there, I combined my young business mindset with the artistry of healthcare to pursue healthcare leadership and, since then, I have never looked back.”
It was that interest that led Paulson to Concordia’s Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions. He called Concordia a “transformative and magical place.” For Paulson, Concordia allowed him to dive headfirst into his interests and find community.
He declared a major in healthcare leadership with a concentration in healthcare administration and a business major with a concentration in economics. It wasn’t all business for Paulson, though. He also funneled his passion into his involvement in the Cobber speech team. While Paulson wasn’t involved in speech all four of his years at Concordia, the work he did nevertheless made a huge impact on his time as a Cobber.
His speeches made a big impact on those around him too. He was named a 2025 Interstate Oratory semifinalist at the Interstate Oratory Contest, where the top two collegiate oratories from each state compete. His award-winning piece focused on public hospitals and their use of nondisclosure agreements to conceal malpractice accusations.
“There is a troubling double harm in this practice. Not only is it coercive and exploitative of legal loopholes, but it also prolongs the healing process. Patients speaking about their healthcare experiences is arguably one of the most imperative aspects of healing. This practice actively prohibits that,” Paulson said.
“I have so many pieces that I am proud of, and there is a common thread among most of them: healthcare access and equity,” he continued. “Whether I was discussing healthcare equity amid legal loopholes, examining the public spectacle of inmates at the Angola Prison Rodeo in Louisiana and shedding light on the severe dysfunctions of the prison industrial complex, or addressing the stigmatization and re-stigmatization of HIV and the emergence of mpox, I have loved all 24 pieces I performed across middle school, high school, and college.”
Paulson also explored his interests in the classroom. His favorite class was Healthcare Administration, where he and his classmates were able to put their skills to use when they were given a mock healthcare system organization to manage. This included financial statements, developing a Community Health Needs Assessment, and a two- to three-year strategic plan.
“This experience was the closest classroom replication of real-world healthcare administration I encountered and made me genuinely excited for the career ahead,” Paulson said.
genuinely excited for the career ahead
Now, in his career, Paulson uses those skills he built to help his community. Currently, he works as the supervisor of Pre-Service Access at Altru Health System.
“If I were to describe my role in a single sentence, it would be this: to ensure adequate coverage and timely access to healthcare for our patient community by connecting and communicating with various stakeholders across the healthcare industry,” Paulson said.
“There are a lot of aspects of my job that I love. I got into administration as I fell in love with the healthcare culture and mission, but I remain in this field because of the patients,” he said. “Ultimately, my favorite part of my role is connecting with patients, listening to their concerns, and developing solutions that improve the patient experience moving forward.”
From a stuffed animal aquarium to real-world human connections, Paulson is grateful for it all.
“I am grateful to apply the skills I learned at Concordia and continue my passion for speech through coaching the North Dakota State speech team,” he said. “I am so inspired to keep on advocating, leading, and making a meaningful impact in the healthcare and speech communities.”
Published June 2026