From the Graduation Files: First Master of Health Administration cohort participates in May commencement
Kim Chaudoin |
The Lipscomb University College of Business will celebrate a milestone this spring with its first cohort of students in the Master of Health Administration participating in May commencement.
The 17 students that comprise the May Class of 2021 will be the first to receive the first-ever Master of Health Administration degrees. Graduates will participate in the May 7 ceremony and will complete their studies in August. This culminates 24 consecutive months of study in the program. Lipscomb’s MHA program accepted its first cohort of students in August 2019.
“We are proud of the tremendous work of our students and to be able to celebrate this milestone with them,” said Donita Brown, director of health care programs and instructor in Lipscomb’s College of Business. “Over the course of the last two years, our students have accomplished a lot of life milestones while working full time and going to graduation school. During this time, six babies were born, two marriages took place, one new house was purchased, four started new jobs and five received promotions. The success of the cohort demonstrates the tenacity of its members who were able to add value to the family, the community and themselves.”
The first cohort of students represent a variety of professional disciplines including assisted living, education, customer service, pediatrics clinic, operations, pharmacy, information technology, nursing, staffing, compliance, medical sales, implementations and construction.
Donita Brown
When Lipscomb officials officially announced the MHA program in October 2018, it was Nashville’s first Master of Health Administration program, considered by national accrediting organizations and industry professionals as the gold standard for preparing mid-careerist who want to build a successful career in health care leadership.
“Nashville is home to over 900 health care companies, yet there were no in-person MHA programs in Middle Tennessee. There were several MBA programs with a healthcare concentration, but there was a need that Lipscomb College of Business could fill,” explained Brown. “With the first cohort in 2019 and a great executive advisory board guiding the process, we began Middle Tennessee's first in-person MHA program.”
According to a Nashville Health Care Council report released last year, the health care industry in Nashville contributes an overall economic benefit of $46.7 billion and more than 270,000 jobs to the local economy annually. The Nashville health care sector comprises more than 900 companies working in health care and Nashville-based health care firms have facilities in all 50 states.
The College of Business administration developed the new graduate program after collaborating with an executive advisory board for nearly two years to develop the institution’s Master of Management in Health Care program and now the Master of Health Administration degree. The advisory board is comprised of 17 industry executives including senior leaders of hospitals and health systems, health technology companies, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, health care support services as well as experts in information technology, data science, finance, operations, human resources and clinical services among others who represent for-profit, nonprofit and government sectors. Lipscomb’s program, which has a curriculum that is intentionally integrated, interactive and immersive, is designed to meet the growing workforce needs in health care industry in Nashville and nationwide.
“Health care education is a major focus at Lipscomb University, and it is important to not only train the health care practitioners at the highest level but also those who are leading these organizations so they are meeting the needs of their patients, clients and customers effectively,” said Ray Eldridge, dean of Lipscomb’s College of Business. “This program takes an innovative look at not only how healthcare works today, but where it is going in the future. We are proud of our graduates and look forward to the impact they will continue to make in the health care industry across the country and around the world.”
Daphne Palakie, director of clinical sourcing and HCA professional services at CereCore, is a member of the first MHA cohort and says the program has helped her grow professionally.
“The program has benefited my career growth organically more and more with each class that we have completed. Several of the assignments allowed us to address issues that we are challenged with at work and create a solution that you can potentially take back to your manager,” explained Palakie. “I know personally I feel more confident working with financials in healthcare because it is different than just finance management in general. I have been able to apply methodologies from our process improvement course at work and have already seen an impact in productivity. With each class, my confidence and leadership continues to grow as I feel this program is preparing me to be a strong healthcare leader.”
Palakie said the program has provided valuable networking opportunities as students come from a variety of companies, including five others from her organization, and professional backgrounds. “Not only did this enhance my experience at Lipscomb, but it also enhanced my networking experience at work,” she said. “The program also has students that work at Lipscomb, at Vanderbilt, and additional healthcare companies within the Nashville area. It’s great to be able to look at a topic within healthcare and discuss it amongst peers to compare how companies solve the same problem with different innovative solutions. The faculty brings an immense portfolio of experience to the classroom and being able to listen and study real life scenarios takes the learning experience to a whole new level.”
Nathan Gibson is manager of physician acquisitions HCA Healthcare Physician Services Group. His goal after completing his MHA is to one day lead in an operations capacity for either a Hospital or Division within HCA. He said the relationships formed during his classes have been valuable.
“Lipscomb’s MHA program allowed me to understand the multiple facets of business that make up the healthcare sector,” said Gibson. “Our cohort was composed of individuals with various backgrounds, which contributed to unique discussions on how we can improve and influence healthcare in the future. I value the experiences and lifelong relationships that were built amongst my classmates.”
Holley West, chief of staff at Qualifacts, a national technology providers of electronic health records (EHR) for behavioral health and human services organizations, says the experience in Lipscomb's MHA program helped her professionally and sparked a desire to continue learning.
"I deeply enjoyed my experience in Lipscomb's MHA program. I enrolled in the program to fill a few gaps that I had and to deepen my understanding about the industry in which I am fortunate to work," she says. "I did not expect to feel Lipscomb's deep sense of community, even in a hybrid setting. Not only did I learn from student- invested Lipscomb's faculty members, but I gained additional exposure to other leaders in the business community as well."
"It was a wonderful experience," she continues. "I treasure the relationships I made and look forward to pursuing other programs at the university in the future. I may become a lifelong student."
In addition to targeting mid-careerists who want to build a successful career in health care leadership, Lipscomb’s Master of Health Administration degree is also designed for clinicians who want to learn the business of health care and progress in leadership roles within their organizations and individuals from non-health care industries who want to transition their experience and skills to a career in health care. Courses are offered in a hybrid of in-person and online format and may be completed in six semesters. Cohorts begin every August. For more information, click here.