The Army-Baylor University MHA/MBA Program closed 2012 and began 2013, the 63rd year of graduate education, amid an environment of healthcare evolution and a turbulent forward-looking federal fiscal position; however, the broad spectrum of federal healthcare leaders and program stakeholders continue to leverage the healthcare management development opportunities of the program to generate healthcare executives enabled to more effectively and efficiently manage available resources in the provision of quality health services to our beneficiaries. The Academic Year 2013-2014 is expected to include the highest level of enrolled students (Year 1: Didactic, Year 2: Administrative Residency) in more than a quarter century numbering more than 105 students. Additionally, Army-Baylor continues to support the Army Medical Department and other military health services in the transition to the Patient-Centered Medical Home model by providing enterprise consultation, system analysis, and management of the entry-level Basic Health Administration course for clinic-level health administrators.
Army-Baylor was pleased to serve as host for three prominent research, practitioner, and public policy guest speakers in the past few months. Colonel (Dr.) Paul Bliese, the Army Surgeon General’s consultant for Research Psychology, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Psychology, provided multiple presentations on Multi-level Modeling, research publishing strategies, and faculty development. Army-Baylor alum (Class of 1993) and Kaiser Permanente Senior Vice President, Mr. Corwin Harper, outlined career development strategies for the students while providing insight on how his hospitals and health system are achieving accountable care organization goals. Finally, Ms. Judy Baar Topinka, Comptroller, State of Illinois, treated the class to insightful analysis of implementation and execution considerations of the Affordable Care Act as well as challenges and opportunities associated with the state’s Medicaid program.
The Army-Baylor Alumni Association sponsored the entire class of 2014 to attend the South Texas American College of Healthcare Executives (STACHE) annual Landscape Conference in San Antonio. During the course of the conference, presentations from provider, health insurance, and legislative representatives outlined the state of healthcare administration going forward. Additionally, students were able to congratulate Lieutenant Colonel (Dr.) Brad Beauvais and Lieutenant Colonel (Dr.) Forest Kim for STACHE Educator of the Year and Researcher of the Year respectively.
Lieutenant Colonel Beauvais continues to develop the one-year Administrative Residency program into an even more incredible basis of healthcare executive development. The 54 members of the Class of 2014 will be completing their administrative residencies in some of the finest federal and public healthcare facilities and systems in the country. More than half of the residents will be completing their residencies in public facilities and systems including each of the Top 5 U.S. News Hospitals in America: Massachusetts General, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and UCLA Medical Center.
LTC (Dr.) Mark Bonica, Deputy Program Director (MBA), successfully defended his dissertation on the philosophies of Adam Smith, to earn a doctorate in Economics from George Mason University.
Army-Baylor happily welcomed Major (Dr.) Fred Weigel, Major (Ph.D. Candidate) Mishaw Cuyler, and Major Thomas Brooks and their families to the program and faculty. Major Weigel recently completed doctoral studies at Auburn University (Management). Major Cuyler arrives as a doctoral candidate from the University of Texas at El Paso (Management) conducting research on help-seeking behaviors of people suffering from mental health conditions. Major Brooks is an Army Chaplain and Medical Ethicist having recently graduated from Trinity College.
Finally, the American College of Healthcare Executives honored the Army-Baylor MHA/MBA Program with the 2013 Higher Education Network (HEN) Award at the 2013 Annual ACHE Congress in Chicago. The award is the sixth consecutive HEN annual award and ninth in the last ten years.