When you think of project management, you likely think about the processes required to complete a project successfully. But University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Anthony Toglia knows that the people involved are just as crucial.
Toglia was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Temple University, earning a degree in anthropology with a human biology track in 1987. After graduation, he worked at the Temple University Hospital as an analyst and IT project manager. It was here that he developed an interest in and talent for project management, and he made it into a career. He’s since served as project manager for several healthcare organizations in North Carolina, California and New Mexico.
“I've been involved in project management since I was in my early 20s working in Philadelphia and always enjoyed the structure and sense of accomplishment that it brings to the table,” Toglia said. “I've worked solely in healthcare information technology, and despite having over two decades of experience and a Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification, I felt there were still many opportunities for me to learn new things. This is why I decided to pursue an advanced degree in project management with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s MSPM program.”
To manage his full-time job and his desire to further his education, online courses were a requirement. “I chose to study online at Platteville for two main reasons: Online study was a mandatory prerequisite because I was employed full-time and Platteville ranked highly with the Project Management Institute (PMI) and other surveys, so I felt what I learned there would be strongly aligned with best practice.”
Toglia graduated from UW-Platteville in the summer of 2021 with a Master of Science in Project Management. In addition, he holds several certifications, including Physician Credentialing from NEHA (CMSC 1995), Project Management Professional (PMP)® from PMI in 2013, and Lean Six Sigma from Aveta Business Institute (Green Belt 2013 and Black Belt 2016).
Toglia is now the Director of Information Technology Division’s Project Management Office at Presbyterian Health Services, a healthcare system in New Mexico with 14,000 employees. He directs three teams of “outstanding” project managers who execute over 100 projects that include construction, new clinics and department relocations, IT infrastructure, clinical projects (TeleHealth, EPIC clinicals, ancillary systems), information security projects, and business support systems like payroll and human resources. In addition, Toglia supports the daily operations of his office with the help of his PMO managers, while always looking to the future by developing new ways to improve processes and efficiency and maintain PHS standards.
Throughout his career, Toglia has also done project management consulting work and even built a project management office from scratch while working in Sacramento, California. But to Toglia, it’s not his list of accomplishments that are the highlights of his career, it’s the people he’s worked with he cherishes most.
“I could speak about electronic medical health record systems and other IT systems that I either implemented directly or oversaw, but I suppose I gain the most satisfaction from developing teams of talented people and helping them attain their career goals. My PMs have gone on to work at the California DOJ, become directors for Project Management Offices and Performance Improvement departments, CEOs for IT Strategy companies, administrators for post-acute care facilities, consultants, IT managers, and so on. It’s gratifying to watch them succeed.”