(Shown at top: Mike Workman, Roger Phillips, AJ Reall)
Since 2014, the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business MHA program has demonstrated the abilities of its students through case competitions. These competitions require students to critically analyze a current healthcare case, develop an innovative strategy and deliver a creative presentation that demonstrates what they’ve learned during their time in the program. These competitions are intense and pit the brightest students from MHA programs across the country.
2014: Let the Competitions Begin
Greg Larsen, Jason Madsen
In 2014, Jason Madsen, MHA/MBA and president of Future Healthcare Leaders of America (FHLA), and Greg Larsen, MHA/MBA and vice president of education for FHLA, approached program director Debra Scammon to see if the MHA program would support their participation in one of the national healthcare case competitions. The faculty agreed this would be an excellent way to increase the visibility of our MHA program and challenged the students to find a competition in which they would like to participate. After some research, Jason and Greg settled on the University of Alabama (UAB) case competition, then in its sixth year.
With no experience in these sorts of competitions, Jason and Greg registered as our team, not realizing that other teams would include three members and at least one observer with a faculty advisor. To prepare, faculty members Scott Parker, Joe Horton and Debra Scammon arranged to be an audience to which Jason and Greg could present their case strategy. Several members of our MHA Community Advisory Board also wanted to help and even contributed financially to cover expenses for the trip.
Jason and Greg made it to Birmingham, AL where they presented in the competition with 34 other teams. Although Jason and Greg didn’t place in the competition, they became pioneers who built the road for other teams from our program to follow.
Read about Jason’s experience.
2015: Competitions Round Two
Mike Workman, Jared Martin, Roger Phillips, AJ Reall
In 2015, our MHA program was a little better equipped to help a team prepare for the competition. We solicited applications from current students, interviewed candidates and formed a team of second-year MHA/MBA students: A.J. Reall, Mike Workman, and Roger Phillips with Jared Martin, president of FHLA, as observer. The program supported the team financially with scholarship funds that we had received from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) and funding from the program budget.
To prepare, a series of preparatory sessions with faculty members Scott Parker, Joe Horton, a few staff members, mentors and Debra Scammon were scheduled to help the team hone their communication and presentation skills. The team ventured off to Birmingham once more and ultimately earned a spot in the semi-final round of competition against 36 participating teams!
2016: Competing to Win
AJ Reall, Roger Philips, Austin Thornhill
In 2016, we set our sights even higher. We didn’t just want to go to the competition, we wanted to win. A.J. Reall and Roger Phillips had both extended their time in the program to a third year in part to be able to take advantage of more extra-curricular activities. Austin Thornhill, a second-year MHA/MBA student was also selected as he was planning on staying a third year. Whitney Werner, a first-year MHA/MBA student and president of FHLA, along with Chase Wright, also an MHA/MBA student, attended as observers. We found the most experienced group we could, ensuring we would have the most seasoned attendees for the 2017 competition.
After much preparation and rehearsal, we sent the team off to Birmingham. Their preparation paid off – the team took second place amongst the 36 teams participating, placing just behind the team from the University of Minnesota and ahead of University of North Carolina’s team who had won the prior two years. While Debra Scammon was attending a different conference, she was surprised and excited to receive a text message containing a photo of the second place award check.
2017: Defending is Always Difficult
Austin Thornhill, Whitney Werner, Eric Connell, Mikayla Lyman
In 2017, we planned again to send a team to UAB for the competition. This time we solicited applications, interviewed candidates and picked a team that included our experienced participant, Austin Thornhill, and prior observer, Whitney Werner, as well as MHA student Eric Connell. We selected MHA/MBA student Mikayla Lyman as an observer.
The team worked hard in preparation and developed a strong strategy for a clinic in Washington D.C. Even without any first-hand knowledge of the city, its demographics or its healthcare challenges, the team committed themselves to the competition. Our team didn’t place in the competition but enjoyed their time and made the most of the networking opportunities while they were there.
Later in the spring we were encouraged by one of our alumni, Janelle Robinson, who was president of Utah Healthcare Executives, to think about competing in the ACHE Western Regional College Bowl as an invitation had been extended for the first time to Utah MHA programs. We decided this would be a great opportunity for first-year students to gain some experience in case competitions, perhaps as a test bed for the next UAB team.
Jeff Spear, Amanda Snyder, Aaron Fanello, Jordan Ballam
We assembled a team of two MHA students, Aaron Fanello and Amanda Snyder, and one MHA/PMBA student, Jordan Ballam, with an MHA student, Jeff Spear, as an alternate, to represent us. The rules for this competition were quite different than those for UAB. The team was entirely on its own and could not get any support from faculty or healthcare providers. In a little over a week, the team developed a comprehensive strategy for a Children’s Hospital in Southern California. Our team was already at a disadvantage in this competition because the competing teams were primarily from California and knew the hospital well.
Rising to the challenge, our team took first place, bringing the College Bowl trophy back to Utah! It’s the first time it has left California.
Read about Jordan’s experience.
Post Script:
We firmly believe that our students and alumni are what build our program’s reputation. We are proud of those who have ventured to these national competitions and of what those who have graduated are doing now:
Greg Larsen, Project Manager, Farmington Health Center
AJ Reall, Administrative Fellow, University of California San Francisco
Roger Phillips, Senior Project Manager, Kaiser Permanente
Mike Workman, Manager, Outpatient Services, Farmington Health Center
Jared Martin, Consultant, Healthcare, Ernst and Young
Austin Thornhill, Administrative Fellow, City of Hope, Los Angeles
Eric Connell, Administrative Fellow, Sanford Health
Chase Wright, Administrative Fellow, Trinity Health, Connecticut
Whitney Werner, current MHA/MBA student
Mikayla Lyman, current MHA/MBA student
