Many dynamic hospital CEOs and education leaders there possess the skills and experience to improve systemic issues in health care and educational structure. These leaders reference their own university experiences as being most impactful in fueling their own fire-in-the-belly and unleashing their talent when mixed with real-world, practical learning. Such encouragement often comes from teachers who mentored them through their own real-world experience—like those at Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Executive Master of Health Administration (EMHA) program, where many seasoned healthcare business leaders in their field have been recruited to teach, as I was.

 

I’m a former broadcaster who has hosted TV’s Medical Close-up and editorials— today I am a health care/public policy lawyer who represents hospitals, healthcare, and research institutions that struggle with divided communities who need a stronger safety net and better outcomes for diverse populations.

My impressive students learn first-hand how to move the needle in health policy and law partly because I share real-world tips from several successful county issue referendums I’ve led. However, it is the innovative EHMA students, through their own entrepreneurialism and talent, who developed innovative Zika awareness training for mental health patients and launched creative new marketing distribution channels.

 

FAU’s EMHA program does an unparalleled job in preparing working students, many who are from backgrounds of immigration and diversity and who clearly see that the future requires us to reboot our communities by offering rigorous academics with practical learning to provide more access to opportunities. In 15 months on every third weekend, they can earn their EMHA. Bottom line: FAU’s EMHA program cares about students and helps prepare them for transformative leadership roles.