the giving effect  2025      23 
When RACHAEL CARDINEZ joined Cone 
Health as a nutrition services ambassador, 
she brought joy to every patient room she 
entered. But she also wanted to understand 
the clinical side of care. With guidance from 
Cone Health’s Professional Development 
and Career Advancement, Rachael entered 
the CMA Academy. She excelled in class 
and in her externship, earning a full-time 
position at Triad Foot and Ankle Center. 
“When an organization invests in its 
employees, we invest in the patient,” she 
says. “Cone Health believed in me, and now 
I get to pay that forward every day.”
“I never thought I’d be in the medical 
  field, but this program opened a 
  door I didn’t even know existed.”
— Rachael Cardinez
    2025 CMA Academy graduate 
TAMMY K. KING, RN, MM, 
leads the CMA Academy 
and serves as a teacher-
mentor for students even 
past their graduation.

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