More Student Profiles . . .
When I went back to school to get a bachelor's degree in business, my ultimate goal was to get a master's degree in health administration. I started to explore my options prior to graduation, and the UW Executive MHA Program was a perfect match for what I wanted to accomplish. The combination of industry-savvy, experienced cohorts, and academic as well as professional faculty was a real draw for me because I was specifically looking for a program that would help immerse me back into the business and operational side of health care after a several year hiatus. I also felt that the curriculum would allow me to build on my professional and educational experiences, further my knowledge, and help me reach my career goals.
How would you describe your educational background?
My first adventure in the hallowed halls of academia was through a certificate program to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Although the purpose was to explore the field of nursing and become gainfully employed, that short stint in school created a keen appetite for learning that has become a lifelong avocation. Following 17 years in the private sector and a myriad of education and training in Total Quality Management, process improvement, and value proposition tools and techniques, I decided to formalize my knowledge. This process began when I went back to school to get a bachelor's degree. My goal was to learn the language of business and to use it with my nursing background to segue into graduate school.
What is your professional background?
While working as an LPN, I specialized in neurology. I worked with a team of doctors and nurses who cared for step-down trauma patients who suffered spinal cord and head injuries. Our team also cared for patients experiencing acute exacerbations of neurological conditions such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease).
A move to a new town presented an opportunity for me to take my clinical knowledge to the health insurance side of the industry and I began a very interesting career at Weyerhaeuser Company. At the time it made good business sense for Weyerhaeuser to be self-insured and self-administered, and in the process of running their in-house health and dental claims administration group, my team pulled together several ancillary programs to enhance the health and dental care programs. Our team contracted with or set up and managed programs such as a mail-order prescription program, an inpatient mental health review assessment team, and a program called Careline, which was a bank of nurses employed by the company who provided consumer health and health care information to employees across the country. These activities were managed in accordance with the daily business of designing benefit plans, planning communications, and negotiating with health maintenance organizations across the country.
When Weyerhaeuser phased out the in-house management of administering benefit plans, I returned to school for my bachelor's degree. Following graduation, I started my current position as a senior health policy analyst with the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), the agency tasked with managing the state, K-12, and higher education employees' health, dental, disability, and life insurance programs. HCA also manages the Basic Health Program for low-income citizens who do not qualify for Medicaid. I support the programs by performing policy and plan design research. I am also the Deputy Project Manager for the state's Health Record Bank pilot program and the agency lead for the medical homes reimbursement study.
Are there any outstanding or unique experiences that you would like to share with regard to the UW Executive MHA Program?
Each time our cohort convenes for another adventure in learning I come away with a unique perspective, a newly discovered insight, or some incredible nugget of information that either answers a specific question or serves as fodder for a lively debate. The combination of experience, knowledge, wisdom, and intellectual curiosity that surfaces during these conversations not only fulfills my lifelong learner needs, it is the intrinsic value I was looking for in a graduate program.
What do you feel are the strengths of the UW Executive MHA Program?
The strengths of this program are three-fold. The first is the schedule and curriculum design. This program is well-suited for individuals who want to pursue educational goals but cannot commit the time to a traditional schedule. The curriculum is designed so concepts build incrementally and progressively, appealing characteristics for busy people like me. Second, the combination of academic and professional faculty is a perfect blend for a student cohort of professionals who want to explore theory but also relish the ability to test this by dialoging with seasoned professionals. And third, the diversity of backgrounds, experience, education, and interests of the cohort. The rigor the program administrators and admissions committee demonstrate in choosing each cohort group is a signal to me that they not only have a vested interest in diversity, but they are committed to building a cohort who are willing to learn and stimulate each other's intellectual curiosity throughout the Program.
What are your career goals, and how do you feel the UW Executive MHA Program is assisting you in reaching those goals?
In the next one to three years, I want to use my experience and education to work in strategic planning for an integrated health care system. The Program has provided me with an incredible set of knowledge and skills that will help me navigate this new chapter in my career. Ultimately, I would like to lead a team that explores and pilots innovative ways of delivering health care with a focus on creating patient-centered value propositions in response to the tide of changes that are on the horizon with payment reform and growing demands from health care consumers.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your experiences here?
If the second year of this program is anything like the first, I won't be disappointed. I am in constant awe of what I've accomplished with the help of my cohort and the faculty. Truly, this program is designed for lifelong learners and future leaders who want to make an impact and are looking for the skills, education, and encouragement to make changes in our health care delivery system that create value for patients and health care providers.
Student Profile
Kelly Llewellyn: Executive MHA, 2009
What brought you to the UW Executive MHA Program?When I went back to school to get a bachelor's degree in business, my ultimate goal was to get a master's degree in health administration. I started to explore my options prior to graduation, and the UW Executive MHA Program was a perfect match for what I wanted to accomplish. The combination of industry-savvy, experienced cohorts, and academic as well as professional faculty was a real draw for me because I was specifically looking for a program that would help immerse me back into the business and operational side of health care after a several year hiatus. I also felt that the curriculum would allow me to build on my professional and educational experiences, further my knowledge, and help me reach my career goals.
How would you describe your educational background?
My first adventure in the hallowed halls of academia was through a certificate program to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Although the purpose was to explore the field of nursing and become gainfully employed, that short stint in school created a keen appetite for learning that has become a lifelong avocation. Following 17 years in the private sector and a myriad of education and training in Total Quality Management, process improvement, and value proposition tools and techniques, I decided to formalize my knowledge. This process began when I went back to school to get a bachelor's degree. My goal was to learn the language of business and to use it with my nursing background to segue into graduate school.
What is your professional background?
While working as an LPN, I specialized in neurology. I worked with a team of doctors and nurses who cared for step-down trauma patients who suffered spinal cord and head injuries. Our team also cared for patients experiencing acute exacerbations of neurological conditions such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease).
A move to a new town presented an opportunity for me to take my clinical knowledge to the health insurance side of the industry and I began a very interesting career at Weyerhaeuser Company. At the time it made good business sense for Weyerhaeuser to be self-insured and self-administered, and in the process of running their in-house health and dental claims administration group, my team pulled together several ancillary programs to enhance the health and dental care programs. Our team contracted with or set up and managed programs such as a mail-order prescription program, an inpatient mental health review assessment team, and a program called Careline, which was a bank of nurses employed by the company who provided consumer health and health care information to employees across the country. These activities were managed in accordance with the daily business of designing benefit plans, planning communications, and negotiating with health maintenance organizations across the country.
When Weyerhaeuser phased out the in-house management of administering benefit plans, I returned to school for my bachelor's degree. Following graduation, I started my current position as a senior health policy analyst with the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), the agency tasked with managing the state, K-12, and higher education employees' health, dental, disability, and life insurance programs. HCA also manages the Basic Health Program for low-income citizens who do not qualify for Medicaid. I support the programs by performing policy and plan design research. I am also the Deputy Project Manager for the state's Health Record Bank pilot program and the agency lead for the medical homes reimbursement study.
Are there any outstanding or unique experiences that you would like to share with regard to the UW Executive MHA Program?
Each time our cohort convenes for another adventure in learning I come away with a unique perspective, a newly discovered insight, or some incredible nugget of information that either answers a specific question or serves as fodder for a lively debate. The combination of experience, knowledge, wisdom, and intellectual curiosity that surfaces during these conversations not only fulfills my lifelong learner needs, it is the intrinsic value I was looking for in a graduate program.
What do you feel are the strengths of the UW Executive MHA Program?
The strengths of this program are three-fold. The first is the schedule and curriculum design. This program is well-suited for individuals who want to pursue educational goals but cannot commit the time to a traditional schedule. The curriculum is designed so concepts build incrementally and progressively, appealing characteristics for busy people like me. Second, the combination of academic and professional faculty is a perfect blend for a student cohort of professionals who want to explore theory but also relish the ability to test this by dialoging with seasoned professionals. And third, the diversity of backgrounds, experience, education, and interests of the cohort. The rigor the program administrators and admissions committee demonstrate in choosing each cohort group is a signal to me that they not only have a vested interest in diversity, but they are committed to building a cohort who are willing to learn and stimulate each other's intellectual curiosity throughout the Program.
What are your career goals, and how do you feel the UW Executive MHA Program is assisting you in reaching those goals?
In the next one to three years, I want to use my experience and education to work in strategic planning for an integrated health care system. The Program has provided me with an incredible set of knowledge and skills that will help me navigate this new chapter in my career. Ultimately, I would like to lead a team that explores and pilots innovative ways of delivering health care with a focus on creating patient-centered value propositions in response to the tide of changes that are on the horizon with payment reform and growing demands from health care consumers.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your experiences here?
If the second year of this program is anything like the first, I won't be disappointed. I am in constant awe of what I've accomplished with the help of my cohort and the faculty. Truly, this program is designed for lifelong learners and future leaders who want to make an impact and are looking for the skills, education, and encouragement to make changes in our health care delivery system that create value for patients and health care providers.