Even as the environment around higher education remains uncertain, we are all seeing a comforting certainty on our own campuses as we welcome new students and their energy and reconnect with continuing students. Many of those continuing students are bringing with them a fresh internship experience which may have been their first “real” exposure to our field. They remind us that healthcare management education retains its critical role in improving the delivery of lifesaving and life-improving services.
AUPHA member programs are being impacted by multiple higher education policy decisions on topics including student debt limits, international enrollment, and research funding. When appropriate opportunities arise, AUPHA, in partnership with other healthcare education associations, advocates on our programs’ behalf. Recent advocacy has included commenting on the necessity of treating healthcare management education as a professional degree to ensure that our students don’t face arbitrary limits on their ability to finance their education. The AUPHA Board’s ongoing work in developing and adopting our next five-year strategic plan focuses on keeping healthcare management education a vital force in light of policy changes and other challenges in the environment such as demographic trends and adapting to artificial intelligence.
On a more day-to-day basis, remember to take advantage of AUPHA’s variety of valuable resources, benefits, and opportunities. This is a great time to add new faculty, including adjuncts, to your program’s record at no additional cost. AUPHA has expanded its offerings to include an updated Program Director's Manual (to be available soon), as well as several new Leadership Academy courses. Groups for various roles in academia, including practitioner scholars; undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral program directors; and department chairs, provide affinity spaces for members to discuss their challenges and successes. If you are attending the N.A.H.S.E. Education Conference or Everett V. Fox Student Case Competition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, next week, please join us for a member drop-in breakfast with the Board.
On behalf of the AUPHA Board of Directors, we look forward to seeing you there.
Richard Hirth, PhD
AUPHA Board Chair