The MHA administration recently caught up with Evan Day, an MHA/MBA alumni from 2014. See what he’s up to now.
What was your path to the MHA program? What were you doing before enrolling?
I was enrolled in the Full-Time MBA program at the Eccles School and found that many of my classmates were enrolled in a dual program with the MHA. After taking a closer look, I knew the MHA program was the place for me. I grew up in Salt Lake City, and, before heading back to school, I worked on political campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels across the country.
What was your interest in earning an MHA?
Healthcare impacts each and every one of us and the people we love. I knew there was a lot of opportunity to improve the healthcare system and wanted gain the requisite skills to positively affect people’s lives throughout my career and meet future challenges.
Why did you decide to complete the dual MBA/MHA degrees?
I enrolled in the MBA program to gain foundational knowledge of business principles. I submitted my application to the MHA program the same day that I attended a planning session for the MBA graduation. I knew I still had a lot to learn from my classmates and the program leadership.
When/where did you complete your internship?
I completed my internship with the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at University of Utah Health Care. It was great a great place to examine different care delivery models and processes that were value-based. After graduating, I had the opportunity to work as an administrative fellow in the growth, strategy, and innovation department of Trinity Health, a large Catholic hospital system, with hospitals around the U.S.
What was your biggest challenge navigating the dual program?
Starting the MHA program at the same time as some of my classmates from the MBA program were finishing led to some confusion about what cohort I was a part of and when I should take particular classes.
What was the biggest reward from completing the dual program?
The relationships that I was able to build along the way were the most rewarding. Hardly a week goes by where I don’t encounter a challenge at work or read an article that I am fortunate to bounce off one of my classmates.
What professional opportunities have you had since graduation? How important has the MHA been to your career advancement?
Following my fellowship I worked as a project manager for Trinity Health’s advanced accountable care organization and in the quality department with University of Utah Health Care. Having an MHA degree has opened a number of doors to me; however, the initials following my name have been inconsequential compared to the change in perspective in what was possible to accomplish that I developed while attending the MHA program.
What are you doing now?
I am working as a project manager in the operations and logistics department of Vidant Health, a multi-hospital system in Eastern North Carolina.
