Nearly 1,000 physicians and other health care industry professionals have earned MBA degrees from the University of Miami through its health sector-focused MBA program, since it began 37 years ago. The Executive MBA in Health Sector Management and Policy program, delivered by the University’s School of Business Administration, continues to grow as demand for those with advanced business knowledge and management skills grows in the health sector.
“By 2025, health care is expect to represent 20 percent of the U.S. economy,” said Steven Ullmann, chair and professor of health sector management and policy at the School of Business. “As the population ages and as there is more and more focus on improving quality and efficiency while controlling costs, the demand for highly-trained managers in the health sector will continue to grow.”
The University of Miami program was the first health sector MBA program in Florida to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), the premier accrediting body for health care management programs. The program begins in January each year, with classes meeting one weekend each month for 23 months.
Joe Ferreira, the president and CEO of Nevada Donor Network, is among the many health care executives who have graduated from the program. Two years after earning his MBA, Ferreira took over as president and CEO of the Nevada Donor Network, which was on the verge of shutting down. “Although it was a risk, I felt it was the best time in my career to take on this challenge,” Ferreira says. Within three years, Nevada Donor Network had regained its accreditations and went from being the lowest-performing organ procurement organization in the country to the most productive.
“My training and education at the University of Miami prepared me and gave me the tools to be successful.”
Participants in the Executive MBA in Health Sector Management and Policy program also benefit from unique opportunities to share ideas on the forces shaping the health care industry. These include The Business of Health Care Conference, which draws more than 700 professionals from the health care and global business community to the university each year. Topics range from defining the future of health care and the impact of health care reform to the disruptive technologies that are reshaping our health care system.
“By bringing together leading experts and other health sector resources in this manner, the School of Business can impact public policy, empower organizations, optimize performance, and help shape the future of our health care system,” said Ullmann.