What brought you to the UW MHA Program?
My interest in working on the provider side of health care was strengthened through my work experience prior to graduate school. Specifically, many of my on-site visits to hospitals around the country allowed me to interact with administrators and to observe them as decision makers. I came away wanting to have a greater impact toward optimal clinical and financial outcomes by leading a provider organization. I decided the best way to make this transition was to enroll in an MHA/MBA program to enhance my knowledge of the healthcare industry, business acumen, and leadership skills.

I chose the UW MHA program specifically because of its strong reputation, its location in the Pacific Northwest, and for the opportunity to complete the dual degree program.

What was your undergraduate major? What other educational experiences did you have before you came to the UW MHA Program?
I studied biomedical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. I also minored in economics.

What work experience did you have before coming to the UW MHA Program?
The majority of my work experience came from the supply-side of the healthcare industry. During my undergraduate years, I worked for a medical device company for about a year. Following graduation I worked for a large healthcare IT company as a system engineer for about 3.5 years. My role required me to manage both the technical and client-relationship aspects of system implementations.

What do you feel are the strengths of the UW MHA Program?
The greatest strength of the UW MHA program is the faculty and staff.

The faculty and staff have always been readily available and happy to assist me in any way, and everyone I've encountered is truly interested and invested in seeing everyone enrolled in the program succeed. Amongst the faculty there is an impressive level of experience from within the industry, which is a definite plus in the classroom environment when applying theory to real world situations.

Are there any outstanding or unique experiences that you would like to share regarding the UW MHA Program?
I had a great experience interning for Kaiser Permanente between my first and second years in the program. I had the opportunity to work on meaningful projects for a quality and operations department that supports the Permanente Medical Group, and I was able to gain exposure to operations across many aspects of the organization and to executive leadership.

What goals do you plan to pursue for your career in health care management?
Ultimately, I am interested in the effective and efficient use of technology to support health care providers, but I also want to better understand how other realms of health care and operations are integrated before pursuing that interest.