The University of Iowa Department of Health Management of Policy welcomed 23 new MHA students, three MPH in Policy students, and four doctoral students this fall. The class of 2015 is comprised of students from 12 different states and two countries.
In late September, the Department brought Healthcare Executive Search Firm Witt Kieffer to Iowa City to hold an interview and career planning workshop for students. During the two-day event, the search firm executives as well as several program alumni coached students as they practiced their phone and in-person interviewing skills. Students left the event well-prepared to tackle the upcoming fellowship phone and onsite interviews.
On October 24 and 25 The Department of Health Management and Policy hosted the 35th Annual Iowa Healthcare Executive Symposium. During the two-day event, faculty, students, staff, alumni, and area healthcare executives attended talks and discussions of healthcare transformation. During the first day, several alumns of the program, spanning four decades, shared perspectives on early career development. The second day, Paul H. Keckley, PhD, Executive Director at Deloitte Center for Health Solutions shared his vision for the future of healthcare delivery. Shawn Martin, Vice President of Advocacy and Practice Advancement at American Academy of Family Physicians spoke about the intersection of public policy and healthcare transformation. Finally, Richard Breon, MA (’80), President and Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, MI spoke from the perspective of an organization at the forefront of healthcare change.
In addition, the Health Management and Policy Alumni Board recognized alumnus Jeff Peterson (’84), who passed away in April, for all of his contributions to the department and the MHA program. The Alumni Board also recognized outgoing chair, Tina Freese-Decker (MHA and MIE (‘02)), for her contributions and for being named the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award for Young Healthcare Executive of the Year
During the Symposium, five named scholarships were awarded based on academic performance and/or essays addressing how the students’ career goals reflected the intent of the scholarship.
Darcelle Skeete, JD, a second-year MHA student has been awarded the National Association of Health Services Executive's (NAHSE) Ellis Bonner Scholarship. She is also the recipient of an ACHE Albert Dent scholarship.
Over the summer, current students blogged about their internship organizations, assigned projects, and the communities they lived in. Visit our student blog to read more about their experiences. Upon their return, they gave presentations on their key projects and experience to entering students.
For more information on The University of Iowa Department of Health Management and Policy please visit our website or view our Summer 2013 Newsletter.