A group of seven first- and second-year MHA students along with our career development and external relations manager, Kathryn Adair, attended the first of what we hope to be an annual out-of-town site visit to the Bay Area.
The students started at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto where they visited with David Entwistle, CEO, in the executive board room. David, having recently moved to Stanford from University of Utah Medical Center, reviewed his vision and goals for Stanford and generously fielded student questions. This session was followed by a tour of the entire campus, guided by two administrative fellows. The tour allowed students to get a feel for a day in the life of a fellow at Stanford, and they were duly impressed.
The next day the students visited University of California at San Francisco where MHA alum, AJ Real, is currently a fellow. AJ had arranged for an entire day of individual sessions with executives and fellows, tours of multiple campuses including the beautiful new campus at Mission Bay, and a fascinating tour of the automated pharmacy system. Highlights included a session with Ms. Sheila Antrum, president of UCSF Medical, whose warmth and transparency offered a glimpse into the career path of an accomplished healthcare executive as well as the various marketing, clinical and political challenges faced in such a profession.
On the final day of the trip, students headed to Kaiser Permanente, where they visited with Nellie Bannister from University relations, as well as MHA alum, Drew Smith, who is now heading up Kaiser’s digital experience center.
Comparing and contrasting the strategies and challenges between traditional academic medical centers and a major not-for-profit health plan and integrated managed care organization proved insightful for the students. In addition, they enjoyed lots of local food, fun and shopping in the Bay Area. Overall, the attendees agree this inaugural trip is the first of many to come.
