The Association of University Programs in Health Administration, or AUPHA, recently published an interview with Debra Scammon, the program director of the David Eccles School of Business’ MHA program. As we know, Debbie has an interesting background and is always thoughtful when she speaks about her program and the healthcare administration field.
Below is a taste of her interview with AUPHA, for the organization’s quarterly newsletters; you can read the entire interview right here.
AUPHA: Tell us what’s unique about your program, faculty, students.
Scammon: The MHA program at the University of Utah is one of several specialized masters programs offered through the School of Business. Our MHA is structured as a joint degree with the MBA, MPH, and MPA degrees. Its interdisciplinary model builds upon courses drawn from colleges and departments across campus, including the School of Medicine, Division of Public Health; and the Colleges of Allied Health, Law, Nursing and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The joint degree allows students to gain deep training in their home program while also enabling them to take health-specific courses offered across campus. The diversity of students and faculty mean that the program provides a unique and engaging learning environment. The small size of our MHA program ensures one-on-one attention from professors, program staff, and Community Advisory Board members.
A keystone of our MHA program is its strong link to practice. We are fortunate to have retired executives as adjunct faculty including the founding President and CEO, and the Senior Vice President of Hospital Operations, of Intermountain Healthcare. Many of our courses include professionals as guest lecturers. A new course in Healthcare Financial Management is staffed entirely by CFOs and other top administrators of local healthcare organizations. Students not only learn financial management principles and practices from these practicing professionals, they learn about the hospitals and healthcare systems for which these executives work. We also have a group of outstanding regular faculty who teach in the MHA program. The best of our MBA faculty teach the core business courses for the MHA program; all are award winning teachers.
The MHA program is guided by a very active Community Advisory Board chaired by the CEO of University of Utah Hospital and Clinics, David Entwistle. The Board includes CEOs from all of the local hospitals and healthcare systems, presidents and executive directors of healthcare professional associations, as well as executives from other healthcare related organizations. A current initiative of the Board is the development of a mentorship program. This program is designed to provide support to students outside their class work helping them form lasting and meaningful partnerships with an executive level mentor in an area of the healthcare industry of particular interest to them.
Our students truly embody our mission to provide students with the leadership skills and technical tools needed to improve the human condition. They are motivated, dedicated, and want to leave their mark by improving healthcare in order to improve the welfare of patients and communities. I enjoy teaching and working with these students and feel that they are a “different breed” than other graduate students. Some come to us with years of experience in the field and are hoping to branch out, and some have less experience but are willing to work hard to gain the experience necessary to be successful administrators.
Our student group, Future Healthcare Leaders of America, provides extracurricular opportunities for students to enrich their understanding of healthcare management. The group sponsors guest speakers, panel discussions, and site visits to the many local healthcare organizations based in and around Salt Lake City. Student members are invited to participate in seminars and community projects with professional organizations such as Utah Healthcare Executives (UHE) and the Utah chapter of the Medical Group Management Association. Recently, students joined with UHE volunteering at the Utah Food Bank, enabling them to give to the community while networking with healthcare professionals. A contingent of students also attends the ACHE Congress, benefiting from the educational and networking opportunities offered there.
For more, you can read the entire interview right here.