Degree Programs

Master of Health Administration

Experiential Learning at Iowa

A hallmark of an Iowa graduate is their ability to “hit the ground running” when entering their first position upon graduation. Beginning in the second semester of study, the Department’s coursework provides students with individual and group learning experiences in various health care settings including hospitals, physician group practices, community clinics and managed care organizations. Chief among these organizations is the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC).

The Department is physically located within UIHC, which is one of the nation’s largest university-owned teaching hospitals. U.S. News and World Report has ranked UIHC as one of the nation’s premier hospitals for fourteen consecutive years. Unique among graduate level health management education programs are the extraordinary learning opportunities afforded to its students by UIHC and its senior executives who are dedicated to the students’ development, teaching various graduate courses and providing work-based project opportunities.

Opportunities may include: OR observations, autopsy viewing, rotations through clinical areas, Graduate Research Assistantships.

Executive Seminar Series

The Executive Seminar Series brings health care managers and policy makers from across the nation to the Iowa campus. Authorities in the field discuss current issues such as competition in the health care industry, quality assurance, management of specialty group practices, service for the medically indigent, ethics, career paths in health care, resume building and interview preparation. The Seminars enable students to interact with both faculty and practitioners in the field.

Executive Seminar Series 2008-2009

• Wayne Sensor, CEO, Alegent Health

Executive Seminar Series 2007-2008

• Shane Cerone, Senior Assistant Director, UIHC Administration, Iowa City, IA
• Barry Spear, Vice President, Iowa Health System, Des Moines, IA
• Shannon Duval, President, St. Luke's Foundation, Cedar Rapids, IA
  
• Michael Slubowski, President, Hospital & Health Networks, Trinity Health, Novi, MI
• John Toussaint, CEO, ThedaCare, Inc., Appleton, WI
• Todd Linden, CEO, Grinnell Regional Medical Center, Grinnell, IA
• Tom Evans, MD, President and CEO Iowa Healthcare Collaborative, Des Moines, IA
• Rick Breon, President and CEO, Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, MI
• Lori Wrightman, President, New Ulm Medical Center, New Ulm, MN

Executive Seminar Series 2006-2007

• Laurie Baedke, FACHE, CMPE, President, and Eric Mooss, Vice President, LIFEworks Healthcare Group, Blair, NE
• C. Edward Brown, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer, The Iowa Clinic, Des Moines, IA
• Shane Cerone, Senior Assistant Director, UIHC Administration, Iowa City, IA
  Richard Davidson, President, American Hospital Association, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, IL
• Todd Linden, CEO, Grinnell Regional Medical Center, Grinnell, IA
• John Lloyd, President & CEO, Commission on Accreditation of Health Management Education (CAHME), Arlington, VA
• Donna Melkonian, VP Health Policy, American Hospital Association, Chicago, IL
• Rob Otten, VP Health Policy, American Medical Association, Chicago, IL
• William Petasnick, President & CEO, Froedtert Hospital and Chairman-elect of the of the American Hospital Association, Milwaukee, WI
• Sabi Singh, Director, Operations Improvement, UIHC, Iowa City, IA

Executive Symposium

The Department of Health Management and Policy and its Alumni Association jointly sponsor the Annual Executive Symposium each fall. Renowned speakers from around the country present a variety of symposium topics and health care leaders, alumni, educators, students and friends of the Department attend the conference. The day-long symposium offers students an excellent professional experience. http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/hmp/alumni/symposium/

On-Site Visits

The Department of Health Management and Policy conducts annual on-site visits to exemplary health care organizations across the Midwest. Students meet with key executives from the organizations, and learn about most current issues in health care and policy.

• Allina Hospitals and Clinics, Minneapolis, MN
• Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
• Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL
• Iowa Hospital Association, Des Moines, IA
• Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Des Moines, IA
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
  
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
• Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Career Development Seminar

The University of Iowa and Witt Kieffer partnered to provide the second annual professional career seminar. The purpose of the seminar is to prepare students for successful entry into the field and to help them begin long-term career planning for their future as health administration leaders.

The seminar included a panel of experts addressing career planning, networking, and work and family life balance.  Seminar leaders emphasized characteristics that health organizations look for in healthcare leaders, preparing for the interview process and how to succeed in a fellowship or job.  The panel also discussed interview questions and conducted individual mock interviews.  Students received direct feedback on the interviews from the health care executives and from their classmates.

Prior to the seminar, students completed two online self-assessments and received comprehensive written reports for their review.  In one session a consultant discussed how to best use the findings.

Summer Internships

The Department requires students to complete summer internships between the first and second years of study. Summer internships offer students the opportunity for practical experience outside the classroom atmosphere while observing and interacting with clinicians and executives in a health care setting. Internships are full-time positions and generally last 12 weeks. Students normally receive a salary or stipend, and in some cases, assistance with living arrangements.